As you can imagine, this issue has been arising in child custody cases around the country. I have received this question from several clients, like yourself, who are concerned about court ordered parenting time agreements. While there is no clear law on it since this is an unprecedented global health crisis, I will inform you of the relevant laws in …
Not only am I on the GAL roster for the Sixth Circuit (including Champaign and Douglas Counties) and the Fourth Circuit (including Shelby County) but I am now on the GAL roster for the Fifth Circuit which includes Coles County, Vermilion County and Edgar County. Working with children is a passion of mine and looking forward to continuing to serve …
As my readers know, not only am I a food and agriculture lawyer but I also have a family and matrimonial law practice. I wanted to point out a helpful organization here in New York City for you folks who may be going through a separation or divorce: FamilyKind. It offers separate classes for adults, children and teens to better …
I am frequently asked this question during divorce consultations. There is a fear out there due to the law of abandonment that a spouse will hurt his/her legal position in a divorce if he/she vacates the marital home before the divorce is commenced. “Actual abandonment” is still a ground for divorce in the state of New York; however, the departure …
Let’s face it. Estate planning is easy to push off. What’s another week… another month… another year… another five years… After all, I’m healthy. My spouse is healthy. We don’t have kids. We don’t have a lot of assets. I don’t care if what-little-I-do-have follows the rules of intestacy (i.e., the “default rules” if you die without a Last Will …
I love New York and I certainly don’t want to move elsewhere but I understand why someone else might. After a divorce, one parent may wish to relocate either to pursue a new relationship or to be closer to family. If there is no visitation granted to the other parent, the custodial parent can move freely. However, in most cases …
I recently came across this Parent’s Handbook from the New York State Parent Education and Awareness Program. If you are currently going through a divorce or separation with children, I recommend reviewing the handbook. I especially liked the section in the handbook when it talks about the emotional effects of children in different age groups. I am not a parent …
The National Agriculture Law Center has reported that approximately 90% of agricultural operations do not survive the transition to the next generation. I have to say- that statistic is a bit alarming. The primary reason for this is poor succession planning. Estate planning is just one part of workable succession plan. Estate planning focuses on asset distribution while succession planning …
As a general practitioner, I spend some time in the Family Courts here in New York. Family law affects people involved in every industry- including those involved in the food, fiber and biofuel industries. When I was in Queens Family Court last week, I finally had an opportunity to visit the resource table by Legal Information for Families Today (“LIFT”). …