It is that time of the year again. The holidays are here. Or are they the "hellidays"? Too often separated or divorced parents let their conflicts spoil the holiday season for their children. Every year I see too many people fighting over holiday visitation. Most of it is not about the kids enjoying the holiday [Read More]
As many of you know, I am a volunteer firefighter. Over the years I have found that periodically my legal training and experience offers lessons for the fire service and conversely my fire service training and experience offer lessons for the practice of law. One of these fire service lessons that has helped me approach [Read More]
So you believe in ghosts. Judging by the recent success and popularity of television shows such as TAPS, Ghost Adventures, The Dead Files, Ghostly Encounters and The Haunted Collector, you probably are not alone. So it is not all that surprising that a parent's interest in ghosts and the paranormal has come up as an [Read More]
Facebook is a trap for people involved in domestic relations litigation. If you are getting divorced or litigating in Family Court you should stay off of Facebook. At the least, you should not post anything related to your case or that could be construed as being related to it. I have seen Facebook become a [Read More]
Pre-nuptial agreements are not just for the rich and famous. Today more people are marrying for the first time at an older age. There are more second and third marriages because of high divorce rates and longer life expectancies. For these reasons there is a growing need for pre-nuptial agreements. And although a pre-nuptial agreement [Read More]
According to New York law, a Court has the discretion to impute income to a parent where the parent received money, goods or services from a relative or friend. For example, a Court may impute income to a party based on the value of a rent-free home provided for him by a relative. A common [Read More]
If you cannot stay off of Facebook while you are involved in a domestic relations legal matter you should not post anything on Facebook. If you have to post something, at the very least you should not post anything related to your legal case or anything that could be construed as being related to it. [Read More]
The Collaborative Divorce Process is a cooperative process in which a separating or divorcing couple, with the assistance of their attorneys, work together to negotiate the best outcome for both parties and their children. The process is based on a voluntary and free exchange of information, the parties pledge not to go to court and [Read More]
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 [Read More]
I am a big fan of the Dos Equis commercials and the “Most Interesting Man in the World.” And although I do not drink beer, if I did it might be Dos Equis. Among my favorite of these commercials is the “Most Interesting Man in the World on Going Dutch.” His words of wisdom, “You [Read More]