Financial Support
I serve the metro New York, Suffolk, and Nassau areas with legal representation for divorce-related financial support issues.
Divorce has a serious impact on the financial situation for each party involved. Once shared incomes and assets become divided, considerable lifestyle changes can accompany single-income households. The old adage that it is cheaper to live together than separately is generally true—and, I help my clients project the cost of maintaining duel households.
The goal of my legal practice in these matters is to help my clients transition through this financial change as smoothly as possible. I am devoted to helping my clients seek settlement arrangements that support their honest financial needs.
Alimony in New York State
Alimony in New York State is called “maintenance”. It can be awarded to either spouse upon the dissolution of the marriage or based upon immediate need and is intended to provide transitory economic stability.
Several factors determine the amount and length of the awarded maintenance:
- Standard of living during marriage
- Circumstances of divorce
- Present and future earnings of each party
- Each parties individual assets
- Duration of marriage and age of parties
I will help you address any maintenance issues for which your case calls.
Child Support Settlements in New York Courts
New York State courts make the final decisions concerning child support settlements. The court uses statutory guidelines and considers many different circumstances when calculating the payment amounts:
- Income and assets of both parents
- Parameters of custody agreement (time spent living at each household)
- Current and projected needs of children
- Medical and insurance costs
- Age and number of children
We will take special care to ensure the court understands the unique circumstances of your family’s financial needs.
Material Change of Circumstance in Financial Support
Marital and non-marital financial support settlements can be renegotiated under the scope of a unanticipated material change of circumstance. The party seeking to renegotiate will have to meet the required burden of proof to incite a change:
- Increase or decrease in needs of supported party
- Significant income change in either party
- Changes in medical or insurance costs
- Change in annual expenses
Financial support settlements are put in place to be long-lasting but not permanent. The law allows for the need to modify support obligations under certain circumstances.
I help my clients face the changes in their lives and provide legal counsel to help cope with those new circumstances.
