Divorce
Couple Spends Over One-Third of their Fortune on Divorce Litigation Costs
Last week, The Telegraph, a British Newspaper, featured an article entitled “Couple Racks Up Legal Bills of Nearly £1m Fighting Divorce Battle (Over Assets Worth Just £2.9m).” To be clear, that is over $1.25 million spent on assets worth a little over $3.5 million; the couple has spent over a third of everything they have…
Read MoreRemarriage on the Rise
Today, U.S. News featured an article entitled, “Remarriage on the Rise in the U.S.,” which focused on the rising trend of remarriage in our country. According to statistics from a report by the Pew Research Center, in 2013, 40% of new marriages included at least one partner who had been married before. In 2013, nearly…
Read MoreEx-Wife of CEO Oil Tycoon to Appeal $1 Billion Divorce Award
On Monday November 10, 2014, Sue Ann Hamm, the ex-wife of Oklahoma oil tycoon Harold Hamm, was awarded more than $1 billion dollars as part of a divorce award. As part of the judgment, Harold was ordered to pay his ex-wife $995 million, plus their California ranch and their Oklahoma home, worth tens of millions…
Read MoreHow To Protect Your Finances During a Divorce
The divorce rate nationwide has doubled over the past 25 years and experts expect that by 2030, more than 800,000 American couples will be divorcing each year. Legal separations and divorce can be difficult on nearly every aspect of your life so it is essential to plan accordingly. The New York Times recently featured…
Read MoreAge of Majority and Child Custody Determinations
In a recent Second Department case, the court dismissed a father’s appeal, challenging the lower court’s award of sole custody of the parties’ three children to their mother. The appeal was dismissed by the Second Department because the parties’ oldest son had reached the age of majority. The court…
Read MoreBling or Bust: New Study Correlates Engagement Ring Size to Divorce Rate
A study released earlier this week conducted at Emory University suggests that the larger the engagement ring, the higher the likelihood that the marriage will result in divorce. Out of the 3,151 Americans surveyed, researchers found that couples who spent between $2,000 and $4,000 on a ring were 1.3 times more likely to end their…
Read MoreUpcoming Changes for Support Modifications as Referenced in Family Court Act
New amendments to section 451 of the Family Court Act are set to go into effect on December 22, 2014. These changes will result in new requirements for parties seeking to modify an order of support. Mainly, a petitioner– the party that is seeking to modify the monthly support obligation– will be mandated to include…
Read MoreCan Children Sue Their Stepparents in Family Court?
During the process of his father’s divorce proceeding, Michael Arnold brought a family offense petition in Suffolk County Family Court against his stepmother alleging she had committed harassment against him. Specifically, Mr. Arnold alleged that his stepmother had told people he was stealing from her and was threatening to ruin his life and career. The…
Read MoreLegal Separation or Divorce: Which Choice is Right for You?
Can your actions during a legal separation affect your custodial rights in a subsequent divorce judgment? In a recent Second Department case, the court answered this question in the affirmative. In Eison v. Eison, a married couple chose to legally separate instead of filing for divorce. The couple remained separated for several years, and during…
Read MoreRight of First Offer in a Child Custody Agreement
In a recent Second Department case, Saravia v. Godzieba, the court modified a custody agreement to include a provision directing that when one parent is working, that parent, prior to making babysitting arrangements with a nonparent, shall first afford the other parent the opportunity to care for the child during such work period. In the…
Read More