The following is the standard Statement of Client’s Rights and responsibilities that I include in all my New York divorce and family law retainer agreements. If you retain me as your divorce or family law lawyer, the following will be your rights and responsibilities:
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:
I sincerely am asking the above question, “Is the divorce rate rising or falling in the current economic recession?” As a NY divorce lawyer I know that my practice has not seen a significant change. I have read some recent articles claiming that people are deciding to stay in failed marriages to keep their dual incomes. Yet other recent articles say the divorce rate is soaring because of the current economy.
The New York Times has published letters from readers responding to it recent scathing editorial regarding New York state’s refusal to enact no fault divorce laws. New York is the only state that requires you to prove the fault of your spouse to legally justify your divorce.
How do I offer cheap New York divorces? Before I get into the details I want to discuss why I dislike the word cheap…
The word “cheap” has various connotations as evidenced by Dictionary.com:
I get calls from people who want to get divorced today, right now, within the hour, manana, this minute, by tomorrow, and the list goes on and on…
I have been told that certain unsavory websites promise to fly them to Mexico, Nevada or some other sketchy place to get them divorced ASAP. They claim that they have been told that these divorces will be legal and valid in New York state. Yikes…
Last week, the New York Times wrote a scathing editorial regarding New York’s old-school divorce law. New York remains the only state in the United States of America that does not have a no-fault or irreconcilable differences grounds for divorce. In New York state, if you want to get divorced you have to prove that you have a legally justifiable reason for court to grant you a divorce. In other words, you need to prove that you have grounds for divorce: that your spouse is guilty of what is called marital fault, i.e. that your spouse committed adultery, treated you in a way that is cruel and inhuman, abandoned you or has been imprisoned for a significant period of time. Although, a no-fault divorce is available in the minority of cases where the parties have been legally separated for one year and filed their separation agreement with the court.
Text messages are the digital age’s lipstick on the collar. Technology is transforming the face of divorce, especially in New York, one of the few states that still requires as showing of fault. If you look to the media for examples, you will find Tiger Woods’ alleged affair partner publishing flirty text messages to the public. Also, Senator John Ensign of Nevada, whose affair with a former employee was confirmed by an incriminating text message. Others, like Kwame Kilpatrick, the Detroit’s former mayor, were caught because they used government-issued cell phones.
It is pretty awesome witnessing firsthand the landscape of New York divorce changing for the better… My NY Uncontested Divorce Attorney website is now offering one of the most affordable divorce rates in all of New York State, just $499. Most uncontested divorces cost on average $3,000. We offer up to a $2,500 savings…
Trying to do your divorce yourself to save a few hundred dollars can result in serious financial consequences that could have been prevented by hiring a divorce attorney. You could be losing your rights to your soon-to-be ex-spouse’s asset and foregoing significant legal rights that you won’t be able to get back.
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