In New York, the court allows for certain protections against inter-family abuse. One such protection is a family offense petition. A family offense petition is filed in cases where one family member has committed one of several punishable acts against another person in the family. A family offense petition can lead to a temporary order of protection that is effective until the date of the hearing, and if the allegations are proven at the hearing, a final order of protection that is valid for up to five years is issued.

New Yorkers know that litigation is time-consuming, expensive, and stressful. Traditional litigation has its place, but when the case involves families, an alternative resolution option that is less adversarial often works best to protect the relationships and happiness of the parties involved. If you are a New York resident who would like to avoid the cost, stress, and time-commitment of traditional litigation and think mediation might be a good solution for you, read on for a brief explanation of mediation and examples of the types of cases that can be successfully mediated in New York.

Divorcing couples who are also pet owners have unique concerns about what happens to their beloved friend once their marriage ends. In the not-so-distant past, pets were seen as the property of one or the other spouse, and “ownership” of the pet was granted based on a number of factors by the court.

Increasingly, New York couples are rejecting the traditional view of pets as property and are instead looking to alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation, to develop a custody arrangement that is in the best interest of their pet. By choosing mediation, pet owners can avoid the stress and high cost of traditional litigation, while ensuring that their pet continues to receive the love and care it needs.

New York residents who are preparing for divorce are faced with a myriad of issues, from child custody to home ownership to spousal support. The first step in preparing for your divorce is to consider the unique issues your divorce raises for your family, as well as gathering documentation to support valuation and ownership of assets. The following divorce checklist, though not exhaustive, offers clients a general overview of the types of documents needed by the court as well as the issues that will need to be addressed during your divorce.

Generally, mediation occurs in joint sessions with both parties present. The idea behind joint sessions is that compromises are best reached when both parties are present and participating. Joint sessions can have drawbacks however: some clients are uncomfortable revealing certain aspects of their divorce in front of their partner or the divorce may be so contentious that the presence of both parties hinders mediation.