New York Family Divorce Attorney
Divorce Law | Divorce Process | Family Law Attorneys
At the Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo, our attorneys regularly assist clients with complex divorce cases. When substantial assets are at stake, we carefully address complicated tax planning, property division and support issues to protect our clients best interests. Working closely as a team, our divorce attorneys collaborate with investigative and forensic accountants, business and real estate appraisers, and investigators to ensure we have all the information we need to analyze each case. Our attorneys are familiar with the issues involving corporations, stock valuation and closely held businesses. With expertise and knowledge derived from three decades of experience, our law firm is adept at handling divorces involving assets to $10 million and above.
While conflicts within the family are always upsetting for everyone involved, few domestic relations problems match the legal complications and emotional upheaval of divorce. When divorce is inevitable, a trusted matrimonial attorney can lend the valuable support you need to effectively resolve issues surrounding the dissolution of your marriage, from alimony, child support, custody and visitation to questions of parenting rights, and division of assets and debts.
No matter when you need legal help, the New York Divorce Attorneys at the Law Offices of Elliot E. Schlissel are here for you. You may call us toll-free, day or night, at 1-800-344-6431, 718-350-2802 or 516-561-6645. We welcome your inquires.
Divorce – An Overview
Whether you are certain you want to end your marriage or are still weighing pros and cons, learning about the basics of divorce law and the divorce process can benefit you. If you decide divorce is the only answer to resolve your marital conflicts, seeking the legal advice and guidance of an experienced family law attorney will help protect your rights as well as your long-term financial and emotional health.
You Must Have Grounds for Divorce in New York
A divorce is the process of terminating a couple’s marriage contract, dividing marital assets and debts, and establishing new rules for the future care and custody of children. While many states have ”no-fault” divorce, meaning that neither spouse is blamed for the breakdown of the marriage, in New York, you must have valid reasons prescribed by state law, to file for divorce and you must offer proof in court, even if you and your spouse agree that your marriage cannot survive.
Division of Property
When a couple has no children, little or no marital property, no issues of alimony, spouses can generally arrive at a marital settlement and obtain a relatively quick divorce. Most divorces, however, are quite different and involve varying degrees of complexity.
If a marriage is of long duration, a couple may have considerable marital property. There may be debts, along with personal property and real estate, children, perhaps a family business, trust funds, joint and separate accounts bank accounts, retirement plans, investments, insurance and other assets. Couples typically run into difficulty, if they try to divide property on their own. Sorting out substantial holdings, is a complicated and time-consuming process that typically requires the assistance of lawyers, accountants, appraisers and other professionals to address both legal and tax ramifications. Mediation is a method of alternative dispute resolution that works particularly well to successfully resolve many contested divorce issues. If a couple is unable to arrive at mutually acceptable decision on how to divide property, and the care and custody of children, their private matters will be aired in court and a judge will issue orders.
Questions to Ask During Divorce
Despite the strong emotions driving couples as they move toward divorce, seeking a rational perspective is important to arrive at practical business-like decisions that will affect you and your family for years to come. An important first step is reviewing a check list of crucial questions for which you will need answers, before you meet with an attorney.
Recovering from a divorce is similar to the grieving process one experiences when a loved one dies. There are five stages in the process: shock and denial, anger, ambivalence, depression and recovery. Many people expect to work through these stages one after the other, but that isn’t usually how it happens. You can expect to move in and out of each phase over time and sometimes experience more than one phase at the same time. It is a difficult transition. Family counselors advise it may take as long as two years to fully recover and move on.
For more information see our frequently asked questions on divorce.
Preserving Family Relationships
Anger, fear, and resentment commonly accompany the decision to end a marriage. The strong negative emotions associated with divorce are responsible for more than hurt feelings; they affect the final outcome of settlement negotiations. Most importantly, if children are involved, they will suffer. It is in your best interests to avoid an adversarial atmosphere, maintain open communications and cooperate in an effort to arrive at settlements that benefit your entire family. Resolving your divorce issues as amicably as possible, will also enable your family to deal with future domestic concerns and preserve relationships among both parents and children.
We have offices in Lynbrook, Queens, and Suffolk County, and we represent individuals throughout the New York metropolitan area, including Long Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County; and NYC’s five boroughs of The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.
