Entries Tagged 'Saving Money' ↓

If you just moved to New York you may be able to get a divorce.  The short answer is: “It depends…”

It all depends on whether you meet New York State’s residency requirements.

New York law (NY Dom Rel Law §230) is a little tricky when it comes to its residency requirements.  I have simplified the law in a prior post regarding New York State Divorce Residency Requirements.

Please read the above linked post for the exact details on New York’s residency requirements.  If your moving to New York falls within one of the options explained in that post, then you meet the residency requirementsand may get divorced in New York State.

Negotiating favorable divorce settlements is an art form.  It takes a high degree of skill and experience to perfect.  A lawyer entering a divorce negotiation not only needs to have a mastery of the law but needs to be skilled in the art of negotiation.  Hiring the right attorney to represent you through divorce negotiations can potentially save you thousands of dollars in your divorce.

I get phone calls every day where a woman or man calls with the following type of story.  I hate getting these calls.  Not because we choose not to represent them, but because I tell them the truth, the harsh reality of New York divorce law, and the truth really sucks… (pardon my language, but its true)

Monique gets served with divorce papers from her husband Tommy’s attorney.  She reads the uppercase words explaining the documents: SUMMONS WITH NOTICE.  The papers go on to state that Tommy is alleging that Monique abandoned him and treated him in a cruel and inhuman manner.

Our law office continues to strive to make the legal system accessible to you, regardless of your current financial situation.  With the economy putting the hard press on all of us, I try to be as flexible as possible.  Not everyone needs to get divorced has the same financial flexibility as Tiger Woods or John Edwards whose names have recently been scattered across divorce news.

Our uncontested divorce rate starts at just $499 and is one of the most reasonable divorce fees in all New York State.  Our usual payment plan option for our already affordable uncontested divorce package is that we accept 50% up front and require the remainder before we officially file your divorce documents with the court.

The Law Office of David Centeno, PLLC is able to serve all New York State (which is extremely large, when it comes to states) because we focus solely on New York uncontested divorces.

New York uncontested divorces (versus a contested or disputed divorce):

• does not require any court appearances by you or us
• is much more affordable than a contested divorce (you will save thousands of dollars)
• is much faster than a contested divorce (we will save you time)

Today’s attorney’s fees have become astronomical.  I recently read an article by a New York divorce lawyer who charges $700 per hour.  Given that the average contested divorce can take hundreds of hours, if you are in the market for a divorce and can do math your stomach probably just dropped.

$700 an hour is on the high side.  The average New York contested divorce attorney fee is approximately $250 an hour.  Again, hundreds of hours…  I wouldn’t want to be paying those fees.

My law office, the Law Office of David Centeno PLLC, is not your average law firm.  That is, we are not your average antiquated brick and mortar firm (i.e., we don’t keep a storefront).  We have discovered a way to use today’s technology to make the legal system more accessible to you.  This is how we offer you such affordable New York divorce services…

Over the last few days I have received numerous phone calls from potential clients who at first seem excited about the affordable divorce prices that we are able to offer.  “Wow, that’s like $2,500 less than I have been quoted,” one exclaimed.

Often I get calls from husbands or wives, talking in hushed tones, asking for advice regarding how they can convince their spouse to get an uncontested divorce versus a contested one.  I don’t blame them.  In today’s economy, I too would want to at least try my best to get an uncontested divorce that is more affordable, far faster and less painful that its contested alternative.

[I recently wrote an article discussing a term that I coined: The "Affordable Divorce." I recommend that you read it before continuing this blog post.  In it I describe some divorce strategies that may help you save thousands of dollars on your New York divorce.]

New York is not only one of the most expensive places to live, its also one of the most expensive places on earth to get divorced.  New York divorce is exceedingly expensive for various reasons:

• New York still requires fault grounds for divorce (as the New York Times recently editorialized and I commented on),
• New York’s custody laws seem to encourage litigation, and
• professional licenses and educational degrees are classified as marital assets,

all which promotes litigation.  New York state doesn’t make it easy to get divorced.

Clients often ask me about New York separation agreements, what they are, how they work, and if they should enter one instead of getting a costly divorce.

You should always consider a separation agreement as a valid option and as an alternative to divorce.  A separation agreement puts in writing the terms of your separation, which one year from the date the agreement is filed with the court, become the terms of your uncontested divorce.

The benefits of a separation agreement are: