Are you pursuing complex family law matters such as cohabitation, surrogacy, and parenting time? If so, you’ve probably noticed how these processes confuse and emotionally exhaust you. Luckily, Larchmont, NY, family law attorneys at Douglas Family Law Group can handle these complexities on your behalf.
We offer dynamic and strategic assistance in all phases of family law matters. Contact us if you need help with various types of family law cases. Call our Larchmont, NY attorneys at 914-615-9058 to schedule a consultation and discuss your situation.
Douglas Family Law Group specializes in various types of family law issues.
Cohabitation
Many long-term, committed partners in New York are choosing not to marry. Instead, such couples are entering into cohabitation agreements. This might seem smart since the agreement doesn’t trigger any financial obligations or rights on both partners.
What Is a Cohabitation Agreement, and When Should I Draw One Up?
Partners committed to a romantic relationship using a cohabitation agreement to outline their living arrangements. It’s a legal agreement between an unmarried couple that opts to live together.
Any unmarried couple in New York should consider signing the agreement before moving in with each other. The agreement outlines the terms of living together and the associated financial obligations. It ensures that the interests of both parties are protected.
What Happens to Our Cohabitation Agreement Should We Decide to Marry?
Suppose you sign a cohabitation agreement but then decide to get legally married. In such a case, you can revise the agreement to reflect your wishes if the marriage breaks. You can also end the agreement and sign a marriage contract. Consider signing a prenuptial agreement as an alternative for protecting your assets.
However, the court can refuse to enforce your agreement if you make even the smallest mistake when drafting it. To avoid this, you can always have a Larchmont, NY, cohabitation lawyer review your contract.
Do Cohabiting Couples in New York Have the Same Rights as Married People?
Generally, cohabiting couples in New York have far fewer rights than married people. For instance, they may not enjoy property rights acquired when cohabitating. Marital property laws do not protect unmarried couples, even in lengthy relationships.
Would you like to ease the process of acquiring a cohabitation agreement in New York? Contact Douglas Family Law Group in Larchmont, NY, today. Our cohabitation lawyer will push the court to protect your best interest while helping you overcome the stress of drafting a cohabitation agreement.
Child Custody
New York courts determine child custody arrangements based on the child’s best interest. Judges tend to favor agreements that allow each parent’s participation in the child’s upbringing. However, the arrangement does not have to be 50/50.
How Does New York Family Court Determine Child Custody?
A New York family court considers various factors when making, approving, or modifying child custody arrangements so that they are in the child’s best interests. Before awarding custody, it must consider things such as:
- The needs of the child
- How the child relates with both parents
- Each parent’s financial resources
- Each parent’s custody wishes and interests
- The ability of parents’ involvement in the child’s life
- Each parent’s home stability
Can We Create a Child Custody Plan Without the Court’s Involvement in New York?
New York law allows parents to reach agreements regarding child custody without attending court proceedings. It also allows the parents to prepare an agreement amongst themselves or with a child custody lawyer’s assistance. However, the court must review the arrangement and decide if it serves the kids’ best interests.
What If Parents Cannot Agree on All Aspects of Child Custody in New York?
Do you disagree on child custody matters with your spouse when pursuing a divorce in New York? If so, the court must come in between to determine favorable legal and physical child custody. Navigating child custody court proceedings in New York is typically draining and confusing.
You must seek legal counsel from Larchmont, NY, and child custody lawyers at Douglas Family Law Group. We will help you understand your legal options concerning your unique situation and fight for the best-case outcome for you and your family.
Child Support
Child support is a major family law issue that requires attention, especially when you have minor children and want to dissolve a legal marriage contract in New York. The aspect aims to support and meet the child’s material needs.
What Is Child Support?
Child support is the money one parent pays the other to support their child financially. The non-custodial parent mostly gets to pay it to the custodial parent, though this isn’t always the case.
How Is Child Support Determined in New York?
The state laws guide New York family courts in determining fair child support. Courts must first consider the parent’s net income per week and use the amount to determine an ideal percentage to allocate for child support. The court then uses the information to determine how much each parent should contribute to child support.
What If There’s a Change in My Financial Situation?
You can request a child support modification in New York if you experience substantial financial changes yet are paying for child support. The court will certainly rule in your favor if your claims are supportable with substantial evidence. The ruling may reduce or remove the obligation of paying child support.
Surrogacy
Are you seeking to pursue a child support claim in Larchmont, NY? Douglas Family Law Group’s legal team at Larchmont, NY, can guide you through the process and ensure you get a fair judgment that addresses your child’s needs. Learn how to protect your legal rights during the negotiations by calling us at 914-615-9058 to schedule a consultation.
New York has made history by legalizing surrogacy, a process that involves a woman carrying a pregnancy for intended parents who are unable to do so themselves. The new law, known as the Child-Parent Security Act, is a progressive step forward towards a more inclusive and compassionate family planning landscape. Surrogacy agreements are now legally recognized and compensated, providing legal protections for both surrogates and intended parents.
The legislation requires that all parties involved in the surrogacy agreement have access to independent legal representation, and sets guidelines for comprehensive medical evaluations of surrogates. It also provides clear direction on how surrogacy contracts should be drafted and what they should cover, ensuring that the rights of all parties involved are protected.
Prenuptial Agreement
Marriage can affect your emotions and finances, especially when divorce occurs. It is impossible to outline your relationship’s future despite how confident you are about it. A prenuptial agreement is a signed document that alleviates the stress of finance and asset distribution during a divorce.
What Is a Prenuptial Agreement?
An unmarried couple signs a prenuptial agreement before getting married. The legal agreement outlines various provisions, such as the terms of distributing marital assets during a divorce. The order can even limit the maintenance to one spouse in case of a divorce.
What Are the Benefits of Having a Prenuptial Agreement?
Prenuptial agreements clear both spouses about their financial responsibilities during and after marriage. Some of the benefits of having a prenuptial agreement include the following:
- An estate plan establishment
- Separating personal property from marital one
- Creating a plan if the marriage fails
- Reducing future conflict
What Should Our Agreement Include?
New York premarital agreement law defines the requirements of a prenuptial agreement. These requirements include:
- The law you choose to govern the agreement
- The ownership rights of a life insurance policy’s death benefit
- Spousal support after divorce or separation
- Property disposition after a divorce, separation, or death
- Property management, transfer, and control right
- Participation right in a spouse’s retirement plan
- Trust or will to carry out the agreement’s provisions
- Each party’s rights and obligations on jointly owned property
- Other crucial matters, such as personal rights and obligations
A premarital agreement should not violate the law or public policy. Furthermore, it should not adversely affect the right to child support. The court must review any provision for child custody.
Why Should I Hire a Prenuptial Agreement Lawyer?
Having a prenuptial agreement lawyer to assist you is crucial in understanding your agreement terms. The lawyer reviews the agreement while giving you substantial advice to ensure the court does not nullify it.
Are you tempted to include specific terms on your prenuptial agreement? Only do that if you have experienced a family lawyer’s assistance. The legal specialist understands prenuptial agreement prohibitions and can help you.
Get in touch with Douglas Family Law Group’s legal team if you want to pursue a prenuptial agreement in Larchmont, NY. Call 914-615-9058 to schedule a consultation and get answers to all your inquiries.
Parenting Plans
How can separated or divorced parents ensure they still spend considerable time with their children? Such parents must create a parenting plan to grant each of them time to spend with the youngsters.
The parents draft the agreement to indicate their rights and responsibilities regarding child custody and visitation rights. The plan ensures that these parents won’t have a conflict in the future since each parent will spend considerable time with the youngster.
How Do Parenting Time Guidelines Work in New York?
Both parents are entitled to seek child custody and visitation rights in New York. The family courts handling these cases are normally gender-neutral. Each parent has equal rights with the other regarding child custody and visitation cases.
What Elements Must Be Covered in Parenting Plans in New York?
A parenting plan must contain some elements as outlined by the following New York child custody laws:
- A schedule describing the children’s physical custody
- A description of a legal custody agreement plus components such as healthcare and education
- A description of each parent’s day-to-day responsibilities while practically considering the daily life of the youngster
- The de-escalation steps and parental actions for minimizing conflicts between the couple
- The consequences of one parent failing to abide by the parenting plan
- A description of dispute resolution for use if a dispute arises
Do I Need a Parenting Time Lawyer, and How Can They Help?
Are you pursuing a divorce that involves children in New York? Then, seek legal advice to learn about your legal options during the process. A lawyer will provide you with such while providing a representation that considers the best and most convenient parenting plan.
So, what should an ideal parenting plan include? Each family’s specific needs, goals, and circumstances are all considerations of suitable parenting time guidelines. Douglas Family Law Group’s legal team in Larchmont, NY, will help you develop an ideal parenting plan for your child’s best interest. Call 914-615-9058 to learn more.
Post Judgment Modifications
Post-judgment modifications occur when you want to change the situation after a divorce, especially on child custody orders, child and spousal support orders, and visitation orders. The court only grants post-judgment modifications if there is a substantial change in the divorcing couple’s circumstances.
What Is a Post-Judgment Modifications Lawyer?
A post-judgment modification lawyer assists when compiling the necessary financial information to outline the reasons for modifying a previous court order. A post-just modification lawyer can help you with cases that involve relocation, maintenance, child support, and parenting plans.
Why Should I Hire a Divorce Modifications Lawyer?
Do you feel a change in your divorce decree’s terms and conditions? Would you like to alter and modify the earlier judgment? The legal way of doing so is by filing a post-judgment modification petition. Douglas Family Group in Larchmont, NY, can help you through the process.
Even if you feel a particular modification request is justifiable, it is only enforceable if a judge accepts it. A divorce modification attorney has the evidence needed for the best chance of success.
Call 914-615-9058 today to learn more.
Speak With a Larmont, New York Family Law Attorney!
Are you dealing with family law matters divorce, separation, or child support in New York? You are then aware of how these processes are daunting, personally and financially. You need an experienced family law attorney with a proven track record.
Your lawyers of choice should strive to work effectively and aggressively to represent you while ensuring that the court upholds your rights. Our Larchmont, NY, family law lawyers have experience dealing with cases through litigation and mediation.
At Douglas Family Law Group, our Larchmont family law attorneys provide efficient and effective solutions regarding family law all over New York. Call us at 914-615-9058 to schedule a consultation with our compassionate and skilled advocates.
