Welcome to my blog. Here we will discuss domestic relations matters as they present themselves in upstate New York. Not that divorce or custody cases here are very different than those down state or in other states. But the law of domestic relations law in New York is different from that in other states. Also there are significant subtleties of practice between upstate and down state New York. Most of these are economic while some are social. In any event, upstate New York is where I have practiced law for sixteen years and any nuances that I may discuss will be based upon my experience upstate. So this seems to me to be a good scope for a legal blog.

Of course, not everything here will be upstate specific. There are some truisms in domestic relations that cut across all parts of New York and the nation. These include “hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn,” “you reap what you sow” and “justice delayed is justice denied”. Other issues that present themselves in domestic relations practice across the nation include the challenges posed by social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the growing trend of divorces among older parties and the economic impact of the lingering recession.

Children also are a constant in domestic relations cases. For the most part, kids are simple. They love their parents and they want their parents to love them. Despite this simple truth or maybe because of it, dealing with issues related to children in divorce and custody matters can be very difficult. To me, the paramount concern in any domestic relations case with children is to not hurt the children or scar them more than they already will be by virtue of the fact that their parents are not together.

I have not served as a law guardian nor as an attorney for children, except in a few juvenile delinquency proceedings. I do not pretend to be an expert in representing children in domestic relations matters. But as an attorney representing parents who love their children, I interpret my obligation to a client who is a parent to include a duty to not harm their child nor let them harm their child inadvertently.

These all are fertile and timely topics for discussion. I hope to post at least once or twice per a week. I welcome and encourage comments. Please remember, that what is posted here is not legal advice and should not be substituted for advice from an experienced attorney who is familiar with your particular facts and circumstances.