Expert guidance on divorce, prenuptial agreements, and family law in New York and New Jersey
The full 50-state picture: eight jurisdictions still permit new common-law marriages, Utah recognizes them by court petition, and eight more grandfather older unions — plus how New York treats the marriage you bring with you (Mott v. Duncan)...
No common-law marriage means no equitable distribution and no maintenance — but express agreements (Morone), constructive trusts (Sharp v. Kosmalski), partition, joint-account rules, and CSSA child support still protect unmarried partners...
New York enforces express agreements between partners but implies nothing from the relationship itself. What a cohabitation agreement should cover, the formalities that make it stick, and how it can convert into a prenup if you marry...
Above the 2026 cap the formula stops and advocacy starts: Cassano's record-articulation rule, the paragraph (f) factors, the actual-needs approach of Brim v. Combs, worked examples at $250K and $1.2M, and settlement recitals that hold up...
The maintenance formula reaches only the first $241,000 of payor income. Above it: fifteen statutory factors, the marital standard of living, the advisory duration schedule, post-2019 tax treatment, and buyout structures that settle these cases...
The step-by-step Beis Din timeline: 2-6 weeks for a cooperative Get, the 1-2 hour appearance, what causes delays (hazmanos, forum disputes, distance), sequencing with the civil divorce, and remarriage timing...
Remarrying after a divorce: the final judgment and the ptur, marriage license proof and timing rules, resuming a former name (DRL 240-a), maintenance ending on remarriage (DRL 248), prenup timing, and estate-plan updates...
When a parent learns in kollel: how courts impute income from earning capacity, kollel stipends, and money from parents and in-laws (Hickland; Rohme v. Burns), and how to settle these cases in compliance with the CSSA...
How a psak becomes an enforceable judgment: the arbitration agreement, what a beis din can decide (Avitzur, Hirsch) and cannot (Glauber — custody), confirming under CPLR 7510, and the narrow grounds to vacate...
Typical Beis Din fees for a Get, what the fee covers, who pays under Jewish law and in practice, what makes a Get more expensive, and how to build Get costs into your settlement...
The 31% and 35%+ CSSA percentages, the $193,000 income cap (2026), yeshiva tuition and add-ons, imputed income, and what courts do above the cap — built for families of 4, 5, or more...
How the Beth Din of America's halachic prenup makes Get-refusal financially untenable: the $150-per-day support obligation, binding Beis Din arbitration, and why New York courts enforce it...
What the halachic prenup covers (and what it doesn't), how to execute it correctly under New York law, pairing it with a civil financial prenup, and the postnup option for married couples...
How the Beis Din divorce process works in New York: the Get, the hazmana, what happens if a spouse refuses, and how the religious and civil divorces fit together...
A Jewish divorce in New York runs on two tracks: the civil judgment and the Get. How DRL 253, DRL 236(B), and Avitzur v. Avitzur connect the two — and how to sequence them...
New Year, New Beginning: Planning Your Uncontested Divorce in 2026 The calendar turns, the holidays end, and millions of people wake on January 1st resolved to make significant life changes. For many,...
Protecting Your Business in Divorce: Strategies for New York Business Owners For business owners, divorce threatens not just personal finances but something deeper: the business you’ve built, nu...
The Benefits of Mediation in Uncontested Divorce Divorce doesn’t have to be a courtroom battle. For many couples, mediation offers a path forward that preserves dignity, protects finances, and—m...
Equitable Distribution vs. Community Property: Why New York’s Approach Matters If you’re contemplating divorce in New York, one fundamental question shapes your entire settlement: How will...
High-Income Child Support in New York: What Happens Above the Cap? When high-earning parents divorce in New York, child support calculations don’t simply follow a formula above the statutory cap...
Relocation with Children After Divorce: Understanding New York’s Tropea Standard You’ve been divorced for two years. You have primary custody of your two children. Now you have a significa...
Automatic Orders in New York Divorce: What You Can and Cannot Do You’ve just filed for divorce—or your spouse has filed—and suddenly you receive paperwork that seems to prohibit a long list of a...
Recognition of Foreign Divorce Decrees in New York You were married in one country, divorced in another, and now you’re remarrying or facing a new family law matter in New York. But you’re...
Common Law Marriage: Will New York Recognize Your Out-of-State Union? You’ve been with your partner for years, never had a formal wedding ceremony, and you live together in New York. You think o...
Foreign Marriage Recognition: Will New York Honor Your Overseas Wedding? If you were married outside the United States—whether in your home country, during destination wedding, or abroad for immigrati...
Valid, Void, and Voidable Marriages in New York: Understanding the Distinctions When most people think about ending a marriage, they think about divorce. But divorce isn’t always the path forwar...
J.M. v. G.V.: A Landmark 2025 Decision on Prenuptial Agreement Waivers In January 2025, a Kings County decision in J.M. v. G.V. sent ripples through the matrimonial law community in New York. This cas...
The GET Law: New York’s Approach to Religious Barriers to Remarriage Divorce is complicated enough when you’re navigating property division, custody, and financial arrangements. But for co...
Postnuptial Agreements: It’s Not Too Late to Protect Your Assets When most people think about protecting their assets before marriage, their minds go to prenuptial agreements. And rightfully so—...
CPLR 2106 Changes: How New York’s Affirmation Rules Simplify Divorce Paperwork If you’ve been navigating a divorce in New York, you know that the procedural requirements can feel overwhelm...
Uncontested Divorce in New Jersey: A Streamlined Path to a Fresh Start Divorce is rarely an easy process, but it doesn’t always have to be contentious and protracted. If you and your spouse agre...
The Importance of Severability Clauses in Prenuptial Agreements A well-drafted prenuptial agreement is one of the most effective tools for protecting assets and clarifying financial expectations befor...
Trusts and Divorce: When Are Trust Assets Subject to Equitable Distribution in New York? One of the most common questions we hear from clients with family wealth or inherited assets is: “Will my...
New York's Spousal Maintenance Income Cap: Now $241,000 (2026 Guide) Spousal maintenance—commonly referred to as alimony—is one of the most significant financial components of a New York divorce,...
New York’s 2024 Child Support Guidelines: Understanding the Increased Income Cap Every year, New York adjusts its child support guidelines to account for inflation and changes in the cost of liv...
The Rise of Gray Divorce: Financial Considerations for Couples Divorcing After 50 Divorce among Americans age 50 and older has quietly become one of the fastest-growing demographic trends. What resear...
Cryptocurrency and Divorce: How New York Courts Handle Digital Assets Cryptocurrency has emerged as a significant wealth component in many marriages. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and countless other digital ass...
New Jersey’s Uniform Premarital Agreement Act: How It Protects Your Interests New Jersey adopted the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act (UPAA), codified at N.J.S.A. 37:2-31 et seq., to provide a c...
Prenuptial Agreements in New York: What You Need to Know Before Saying ‘I Do’ Discussing a prenuptial agreement before marriage isn’t the most romantic dinner conversation, but it&rs...
Understanding New York’s Uncontested Divorce Process: A Step-by-Step Guide Divorce is rarely easy, but an uncontested divorce in New York can make the process significantly smoother, faster, and...