This country sees a lot of divorces passing through its legal system. As with any repetitive process - mechanical, legal, or otherwise - eventually the actions are streamlined and efficiency dominates. Perhaps more than any other country in the world, we are able to strip away the unnecessary and focus on the bare bones of any process.

For those seeking a New York City divorce, this reality has entered the arena as an option in divorce proceedings. Supply follows demand, and with the demand for quick-and-easy (not to mention cheap) divorce proceedings climbing, the supply of firms and companies willing to meet the demand is growing in direct proportion.

Of course, New York City divorce attorneys have been seeing clients through divorces for years, but in recent times the one-on-one, client-attorney Read the rest of this entry »

In short, New York child support may cover anything and everything that a growing child needs: and then some. During the developmental years, this may refer to nearly anything. However, you should keep some things in mind:

The foremost and most important responsibility of the parent(s) is the support of his/her/their minor children. This support is affected by the circumstances in the life of the parent(s) and, for this reason, any and all children should share in the living standards of both parents. Therefore, child support awards are more nuanced that simply accounting for the bare necessities of living.

For example, a New York child support attorney will tell you that a child with at least one wealthy parent is entitled to a standard of living that reflects that of the parent. Therefore, the child should receive child support that provides for living above and beyond the “bare necessities” of life. Due to this connection between the standards of living of both parent and child, cases in which the two parents have significantly different standards of living are more complicated.

The parent providing most of the care to the child is known as the “custodial parent,” while the other, the one paying the child support, is the “supporting parent.” Consider a situation in which the supporting parent enjoys a lifestyle in great excess of the living standard of the custodial parent. The support from the supporting parent must refect, “to some degree,” this more opulent lifestyle. This is the law in New York, even though, realistically, those child support payments will not benefit only the child: the rest of the custodial household - individuals whom the supporting parent has no responsibility to support - will indirectly benefit from the payments.

Because children should share in the living standard of both parents, even when those parents live apart, it is deemed appropriate that child support may increase the standard of living of the custodial household as a whole (and therefore all who live there) in the effort to improve the particular child’s life. This is a legal entitlement on the part of children to share in the supportive parent’s higher standard of living in spite of the custodial parent’s substantially lower income. In addition to regular payments, to ensure this shared standard of living, supported children may also be awarded a percentage of the supportive parent’s future bonuses.

If you are in need of legal advice, contact an expert New York divorce and child support attorney who can offer advise on your case. Contact the Law Office of Bryan J. Hutchinson, P.L.L.C. and complete our FREE online case evaluation today.

In New York, couples seeking legal oversight of aspects of their relationships may have options other than a full divorce.

For many couples, entering into marriage is the next logical step in a committed relationship. It seems to be a process of making what already exists - commitment, cohabitation, and coexistence - a legally documented phenomenon. In this sense, couples expect little to change after marriage. However, too often, couples find that over time marriage comes to include so much more. Home ownership, finances, child-rearing, extended family responsibilities, debt, etc all fall under the umbrella of marriage, and even couples whose initial bond was strong can find that these mitigating factors and their complexities overwhelm the initial aspects of the relationship that led to marriage in the first place.

This is an all-too-common scenario: Read the rest of this entry »