When facing a contested divorce or uncontested divorce in New York State, property division must either be agreed upon by both parties or ruled upon by the Court. In New York State, equitable distribution is the process which is used to allocate the division of property between spouses. Although there are laws laid out to this effect in New York, determining what is marital property and what is separate property can be extremely complex and difficult, and requires the expertise of a seasoned divorce attorney to navigate.
Child Support
Under the New York State Child Support Standards Act (1989), both parents are responsible for contributing financially to the needs of their children. Under federal law, the parent with primary custody has the right to receive child support payments from the noncustodial parent--even if he or she has only 51% custody and sometimes even when custodial time is divided equally between parents. Furthermore, in joint custody cases, a parent who lacks the ability to provide for the child financially may still be entitled to child support from the other parent.
Child Custody and Visitation
The custody of children may be heard and decided by the Supreme Court where a Columbia County or Ulster County divorce is pending, or it may be heard and determined before, after, or sometimes even during a pending divorce in Family Court. Regardless of which court has jurisdiction over the case, the standard used by the Court in making child custody and visitation determinations is "the best interest of the child." For more information about child custody in your Columbia County, NY, Greene County, NY, or Ulster County, NY divorce, please click HERE.
Premarital Agreement
Guardianship
Ulster County legal representation is available in the following cities, towns, and villages for divorce, mediation, collaborative divorce, trials, family law, family offense petitions, child support, custody and visitation, civil litigation, guardianship proceedings, and real estate transactions...
Spousal Support
Maintenance, which can alternatively be called "alimony†or “spousal support†, is a monetary payment from one spouse to another. Either spouse, male or female, can be ordered to pay maintenance to the other spouse by the court. The monetary payment can be awarded as a lump sum or over time. If you are facing a divorce, and support is an issue, our law offices are experienced in assisting clients with spousal support cases, and together, we will develop the legal strategy you need to help you win your case.
Legal Separation
By combining personal attention with a practical approach, a divorce lawyer in our Columbia County based law office addresses both your immediate needs and the long-term effects of a marital dissolution or family court matter in your separation agreement or divorce agreement. Not only do we provide the legal counsel you need to assist you in protecting yourself financially, but our representation is designed to help you to develop long-range plans that advance your personal and financial objectives as you look toward the future. While many couples hope for an uncontested or no-fault divorce, it often happens that one spouse is in disagreement about the terms of dissolution. In some cases, these differences may be resolved through mediation or minor negotiations. In many others, the situation is far more contentious, the divorce becomes contested, and more complicated strategies or even complex supreme court or family court litigation may be necessary to achieve the goals of the divorcing parties. During your legal separation, divorce, or family court matter, a wide variety of legal issues may arise that will require the assistance of a seasoned Columbia County divorce attorney in crafting a comprehensive separation agreement or divorce agreement. Issues that may be considered include...
Columbia County divorce, family law, and real estate attorney and mediator Heidi Cochrane began her solo career in 2007. She practiced throughout New York State at both the state and federal level and has served as both the Columbia County and Greene County Assistant County Attorney. Since then, she has represented clients throughout the Hudson Valley, Capital District, Catskills, Long Island, and greater NYC area in diverse areas of the law, including matrimonial actions, family court, civil litigation, criminal defense, and real estate. She is trained in alternative dispute resolution methods, including mediation and collaborative law.
Traffic Violations
Greene County legal representation is available in the following towns and villages for divorce, mediation, collaborative divorce, trials, family law, family offense petitions, child support, custody and visitation, civil litigation, guardianship proceedings, traffic tickets, and real estate transactions...
Misdemeanors
Our areas of legal representation in Columbia County, Greene County, Ulster County, and beyond include a wide range of matrimonial or divorce matters, family law, custody and visitation, spousal support, child support, guardianships, family offense or neglect petitions, alternative dispute resolution (mediation and collaborative law), trials, civil litigation, appeals, contracts, criminal defense, felonies, misdemeanors, violations, traffic tickets, administrative proceedings, real estate, and more.
Mediation is a non-binding, voluntary process that can be used to resolve many contract disputes. In the performance of a contract, it is not uncommon for situations to arise that the parties did not originally contemplate. A change in the original contract terms may be the result of unexpected supply issues, logistical or practical problems, or sudden legal, environmental, or labor obstacles. The original contract may also have vague or contradictory terms, or it may even be incomplete, leading to a difference in understanding between the contracting parties. In such cases, work or performance may grind to a halt, or need funds may not be disbursed adequately or may even be withheld altogether. When this occurs, the contract may need to be terminated or renegotiated. In either case, contracting parties may benefit by engaging in mediation.
Legal representation is available throughout New York State in real estate matters, Supreme Court, and Family Court. Recent matters in which we appeared were in the following counties...
Construction Litigation
Real Estate Transactions
Columbia County legal representation in Family Court and Supreme Court is available in the following cities, towns, and villages for divorce, mediation, collaborative divorce, trials, appeals, family law, custody and visitation, family offense matters, civil litigation, guardianship proceedings, real estate transactions, and traffic tickets...
Separate property in New York State matrimonial property division is defined as: property acquired before marriage; property acquired as inheritance or gifts from a person other than the spouse; personal injury compensation; property acquired in exchange for the increase in value of separate property considered separate according to a written agreement between the spouses. To claim separate property, one spouse must provide proof that the property is indeed separate, rather than marital property. Our Columbia County law offices provide you with the advantage you need to prevail on such questions. Working with accountants in complex scenarios, we assist you in separate property determinations involving...