Westchester Family Law Attorneys

On This Page:

• Family Law Cases We Handle in Westchester
• Westchester Mediation Services
• When Should You Hire a Family Lawyer?
• Ready to Help – Just Give Us a Call
• Westchester Family Law FAQ
  • What is family law?
  • What does a family lawyer do?
  • Do family law cases take a while to complete?

Our team of attorneys aims to minimize risk while promoting your best interests. Whether your issues and concerns include the welfare of your children, the future of your business, or the assets you built over a lifetime, we are here to protect and represent you in the most effective and efficient ways possible.

Please contact us with your questions concerning:

• Divorce: Ending your marriage can be intimidating, but we are here to support you through it all. Talk to us about the best ways to start a divorce, or how to respond to divorce papers if you have been served them recently.
• Divorce Negotiation: Using our talents and focus on amicability, we can end your divorce through negotiation or mediation that reduces the stress and conflict that everyone feels.
• Child Custody: Who will retain the right to make important decisions for your children after the divorce ends? Let us fight to make sure that you get the child custody agreement that benefits you and your children.
• Child Support: A child support arrangement is used to make sure that a child of divorce still lives comfortably as if the divorce did not happen. Typically, the parent who doesn’t have primary custody or parenting time rights pays the parent who does a monthly amount that must be used to support the child’s needs.
• Spousal Maintenance/Alimony: If a divorce would put the spouse of lesser income into financial hardship, then spousal maintenance or alimony can be used until that spouse is financially stable again.
• Property Division/Equitable Distribution: New York requires that marital property – or property that is accrued during the marriage –be divided equitably or fairly in divorce, not equally. Separate property should be left untouched, though.
• Prenuptial Agreements: You can pre-decide divorce provisions in a prenuptial agreement before you are ever married. Many couples say that getting a prenuptial agreement has helped their marriage because it removes much of the stress of a divorce just in case one ever happens.
• Postnuptial Agreements: A prenuptial agreement that is made after a marriage is officiated is called a postnuptial agreement. It serves the same “just in case” purpose.
• Modification and Enforcement of Orders: When a divorce or family law case ends, the order that was created isn’t permanent and unchanging. You can ask the court to modify it under certain circumstances. We can also help you enforce an order if your spouse is ignoring it.
• Appeals: If a family law court makes an order that seems legally incorrect to you, then let our Westchester family lawyers know. We can help you file an appeal to have that decision revisited and potentially changed.
• Post-Judgment Disputes: Before an appeal is filed, you might have the chance to enter a post-judgment dispute. This action requests a family law order to be revisited without the need to go to an appellate court.
• Parenting Plans: A parenting plan will decide how much time you get to spend with your child after a divorce or during a legal separation. Let us help you work towards a parenting plan that represents your child’s best interests.

Westchester Mediation Services

We mediate a range of family issues, including divorce, separation, parenting, asset division, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Mediation is a voluntary process where people work together with a trained mediator to negotiate and resolve their differences in a non-adversarial forum. The mediator facilitates communication, helps you to evaluate your options, and helps you to reach a mutually agreeable resolution. To learn more about mediation please read the benefits of Mediation. Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein LLP features several award-winning divorce mediators.

When Should You Hire a Family Lawyer?

You might know that you could benefit from the help of a family law attorney, but not be convinced to hire one. When should you hire a family lawyer?

We recommend that you at least talk to our Westchester family lawyers if:

• Your family law case involves your children.
• Your family law case involves significant assets, finances, or property.
• Your opposing spouse or family member has hired an attorney.
• You aren’t familiar with New York’s family laws.
• You can’t commit much time to working on the case.
• You want moral support and legal guidance as your case proceeds.