Divorce

No divorce is simple, but the process can be notably smoother when you find an experienced family law attorney who understands the emotional and economic toll divorce can take. You are worried about the future, finances and your children. At the Saugerties law firm of Jonathan D. Katz, we have over 36 years of matrimonial law experience. We are committed to helping our clients achieve their goals and avoid unnecessary fights and long, drawn-out disputes.

Mr. Katz understands how family law judges make decisions based on specific circumstances. He will position you for the most favorable resolution possible, based on your family’s unique circumstances. This combination of knowledge, experience and compassion is invaluable when faced with one of the most difficult periods of your life.

Divorce is a complex process during which unforeseen conflicts can arise. It’s not uncommon for couples to go into the process believing they agree about the terms of everything from property division to child custody, only to realize it’s not as simple as they thought. Jonathan D. Katz understands how and why this happens and he is experienced in guiding his clients through the process in a way that reduces unexpected conflict. He works hard to protect your economic and parental interests in the least stressful way possible.

When possible, an uncontested divorce is available through mediation or collaborative law. A divorce is uncontested if both parties want to get divorced and agree about the issues surrounding their children, finances, and property. Contested divorces typically take much longer and involve more visits to court.

There are several options when it comes to getting divorced and deciding issues of child custody, alimony, child support, distribution of assets and debts and other family law issues. Mr. Katz can assist you with a traditional divorce trial, collaborative law divorce and traditional mediation. However, Mr. Katz favors mediation, wherein couples meet with a neutral mediator and have the benefit of sound legal advice provided their own lawyers throughout the process.

Attorney Katz is experienced with contested divorce and uncontested divorce in the following areas:

• Acrimonious Disputes
• Child Custody, Including Joint Custody
• Child Support
• Collaborative Law Divorce
• Divorce Modifications
• Mediation
• High Net Worth Divorce
• Legal Separation
• Property Division
• Spousal Support
• Visitation Agreements
• Same Sex Divorce
• Divorce in Dutchess County
• Divorce in Orange County

There are four grounds for divorce in New York:

1. When one party is guilty of cruel and inhuman treatment
2. Adultery
3. Abandonment for one or more years
4. Imprisonment for three or more years.

However, residents of New York can now apply for a “no fault” divorce which only requires you to be living under a separation agreement for one year. You can even get divorced if your spouse does not agree to it. However, this situation requires you to serve your spouse with divorce papers according to the laws of the State of New York. Once papers have been received by your soon-to-be-ex you can proceed with the divorce whether or not your spouse is in agreement.

During your marriage, you likely accumulated lots of stuff. The obvious things are the house, cars and bank accounts. The intangibles, such as stock options and pension plans, and the MBA you struggled for, make the division of assets a little less straightforward.

In most situations these assets, both tangible and intangible, have been blended into a barely discernible mixture of “yours and mine” over the years. Divorcing couples need to sift through this mixture and decide what belongs to whom, and having an experienced attorney is essential to ensuring a fair and equitable distribution of property. Most property is presumed to be marital property unless it can be proven otherwise. Separate property includes the following situations, among several others:

• Premarital property
• Property excluded by a prenuptial agreement
• Compensation for personal injury
• Inheritance by one party individually

The problem is, after years of marriage it is often very difficult to discern separate property from marital property. It can be equally difficult to determine value of property, both separate and shared. This is not an area in which you want to “go it alone.” Mr. Katz will be by your side, protecting and fighting for what’s yours during divorce negotiations.

Getting the right advice during your divorce process can have a significant impact on quality of life for you and your children for years to come. For practical, compassionate advice from an experienced New York family law attorney, contact Jonathan Katz today. He will provide you with a no-cost, confidential consultation. Request your consultation by calling (845) 834-4747 or toll-free (866) 614-8872 or fill out our convenient online contact form.