The Upstate New York Divorce Law Blog

  • In New York marital property is subject to equitable distribution in a divorce action.  So it is important to know exactly what marital property is.  It also is important to understand this concept before one gets knee deep into a divorce action. Marital property is defined as any property acquired by either party during the [Read More]

    Published On: June 19th, 2014
  • An annulment is a legal action that determines that the marriage is not legally valid.  A divorce terminates a valid marriage.  You do not hear of many marriages being annulled in New York and that is because there are very few that are.  Since the stigma of divorce long ago vanished, few people look to [Read More]

    Published On: April 11th, 2014
  • In our age where the moral stigma of divorce is almost gone, there is still a certain stigma to adultery.  Although people who have affairs no longer are branded with a scarlet letter, most people are a little leery of those people whom they know to have affairs.  Maybe we trust them less or we [Read More]

    Published On: April 11th, 2014
  • After seventeen years laboring in the pit of despair that is the Family Court, I know that I have not seen it all, not do I ever wish to.  However, there is not too much that shocks me anymore.  Nevertheless, I was really blown away to see what sort of nonsense they entertain in New [Read More]

    Published On: March 5th, 2014
  • All too often kids are the victims in divorces and custody battles.  Protecting kids from the conflict between their parents is among the most important things parents can do for their children.  There are some resources available to help parents with this.  One of these is the State of New York Parent Education and Awareness [Read More]

    Published On: February 19th, 2014
  • Today we have another installment of "How Not To React When You Are Served With Court Papers." Most people when they are served with court papers react appropriately. They do not attack the process server or verbally lash out at them. They do not show the papers to their children. They do not just throw [Read More]

    Published On: January 30th, 2014
  • As discussed in the previous articles in this series, a court will determine a custodial parent request to relocate with a child over the objection of a non-custodial parent by using the factors set forth in the Tropea case. The fifth and last of these factors is the existence of a geographic relocation restriction agreement [Read More]

    Published On: January 16th, 2014
  • We start the year by concluding the discussion of relocation of a custodial parent. Parts 1 and 2 dealt with general issues. Parts 3 and 4 will deal with some specific considerations. As discussed previously, in evaluating a custodial parent's request for permission to relocate with a minor a court must determine if such a [Read More]

    Published On: January 7th, 2014
  • Getting divorced or being separated at Christmas time is probably one of the worst experiences that a person can have. Being the child of parents who were getting divorced or who are separated at Christmas time can be even worse. This is especially so when parents put their own interests ahead of their child's. Here [Read More]

    Published On: December 17th, 2013
  • A custodial parent seeking a court's permission to relocate with a minor child bears the burden of establishing by a preponderance of the evidence that the move would be in the child's best interests.  The factors by which a court should determine if such a move would be in a child's best interests were established [Read More]

    Published On: October 25th, 2013