Manhattan Divorce Lawyer

Divorce representation for Manhattan residents

Neuhaus & Yacoob LLC represents Manhattan residents in contested and high-net-worth divorce, uncontested divorce, custody and parenting time, child support and maintenance, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Joel Yacoob, admitted in New York and New Jersey, personally handles every matter the firm accepts.

Our office is at 195 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, near Brooklyn Borough Hall and a short trip from the Centre Street courthouses. Consultations are available by phone or video, office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 7 PM, and you can begin with our online intake form.

Where Manhattan divorce and family cases are heard

Only the Supreme Court can grant a divorce. For Manhattan residents that is the Supreme Court, New York County, whose matrimonial parts sit at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007, and 80 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013. The justice assigned to a divorce can also decide custody, support and the division of property.

The New York County Family Court, at 60 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10013, hears custody and visitation, child support, spousal support and family offense petitions, and child-protective cases brought by the Administration for Children's Services (ACS). It cannot grant a divorce; parents who are not divorcing usually start custody cases there.

Filing in Manhattan when your spouse lives elsewhere

Under CPLR 515, a divorce may be filed in a county where either spouse lives or, if there are minor children, where a child lives, and a court may allow another county for good cause. A Manhattan resident whose spouse lives in Brooklyn or Westchester can generally choose either county. New York's residency rules must also be met (Domestic Relations Law (DRL) § 230). When a spouse or child lives in New Jersey, separate jurisdiction rules can affect where support and custody are decided; Joel Yacoob is admitted in both states.

Our Manhattan practice

Issues to plan for in a Manhattan divorce

Co-ops, condos and other real estate

A co-op is held as shares and a proprietary lease rather than a deed, but the analysis is the same as for other property. What either spouse acquired during the marriage is presumed marital regardless of title (DRL § 236(B)(1)(c)), and the spouse claiming an asset is separate must prove it. Separate money used toward a marital home, such as a parent's gift for the down payment, usually earns a credit before the rest is divided (Fields v. Fields, 15 N.Y.3d 158 (2010)). Division is equitable, not necessarily equal (DRL § 236(B)(5)(c)).

Stock options and restricted stock

Equity awards granted during the marriage may be partly marital. Courts decide whether an award compensates past work or is an incentive for future work, then use a time-based formula to find the marital share (DeJesus v. DeJesus, 90 N.Y.2d 643 (1997)). Grant agreements and vesting schedules are among the first documents to gather.

Income above the support caps

Child support percentages apply to combined parental income up to $193,000 (as of March 1, 2026). Above that, the court may apply the percentages, the statutory factors, or both, and must explain its reasons (Cassano v. Cassano, 85 N.Y.2d 649 (1995)). Maintenance uses a $241,000 payor income cap; above it, the court may award more after considering the statutory factors. See child support above the cap and maintenance above the cap.

Privacy

New York divorce files are not public. Pleadings, agreements, judgments and testimony are available only to the spouses and their lawyers, or by court order (DRL § 235), whether the case is contested or uncontested.

Steps in a New York County divorce

A divorce begins with a summons with notice or a summons and verified complaint (DRL § 211). Automatic orders are served with the summons and bind the filing spouse on filing and the other spouse on service. Without written consent or a court order, neither spouse may transfer or hide property outside ordinary household and business expenses and reasonable legal fees, withdraw retirement funds, run up unreasonable debt, remove family members from health insurance, or change life insurance beneficiaries (DRL § 236(B)(2)(b)).

In a contested case, the court holds a preliminary conference after a judge is assigned, with sworn net worth statements exchanged beforehand (22 NYCRR 202.16(f)), and both spouses must make full financial disclosure (DRL § 236(B)(4)(a)). Settled issues go into a written agreement; the rest are tried. A no-fault judgment requires property, support, counsel fees, custody and parenting time to be resolved by agreement or decided by the court (DRL § 170(7)).

In an uncontested case, the papers are submitted once the agreement is signed and acknowledged, and the clerk and a judge review them before the judge signs the judgment. Timing varies with the court's workload; many uncontested cases are completed within several months of the papers being submitted.

Manhattan neighborhoods we serve

We represent clients throughout Manhattan, including the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown, Murray Hill, Gramercy Park, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Tribeca, the Financial District, Battery Park City, the Lower East Side, Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood. See also our Brooklyn and Queens pages.

Fees and next steps

Uncontested divorce is a fixed fee of $1,500 (no children), $2,000 (with children) or $2,500 (with real estate), plus court filing fees; payment plans are available. Prenuptial agreements start at $2,500 and postnuptial agreements at $3,000. Contested and high-net-worth cases are handled under a written retainer agreement, which New York requires in domestic relations matters (22 NYCRR 1400.3).