Who needs a post nuptial agreement? What happens when a couple starts negotiating a prenuptial agreement too close to the wedding date and cannot agree on all the terms? Or they have been married for a long time, but disagree on how to manage their Read more
How Substance Abuse Will Affect Visitation with Your Children
When substance abuse leads to divorce Seeing a family torn apart by a parent’s substance abuse is a difficult part of my family law practice. Substance abuse causes many marriages or relationships to end, and the circumstances can be bitter: an arrest or order of Read more
Is Open Access After Divorce Always Best for Children?
Recent studies show that after a divorce, children prefer—and fare better—having open access to both parents. “Open access” means frequent, unrestricted access to the noncustodial parent, if one parent has primary physical custody. This sounds ideal. But is open access realistic for most people? Access Read more
Consequences and Compassion in Divorce
Is compassion for someone struggling with alcohol or drug abuse the most important step in helping them to recovery? Or must consequences be imposed in order to get a substance abuser to change his or her life? Recently, I read an article about consequences and Read more
How to Fire an Attorney
Sometimes an attorney-client relationship starts to come apart. There are various reasons: you believe you have been overcharged, a disagreement about legal actions taken (or not taken), or a breakdown in communication with each other. Once you lose trust and confidence in an attorney, you Read more
How to Save on Legal Fees in a Divorce
Lawyers are expensive. The amount of legal fees fees associated with a divorce or a family dispute can be quite a wake-up call. Most lawyers charge by the hour for their legal services, and most of the time, the final sum is more than the Read more
Why You Should Have a Prenuptial Agreement
There are many myths and half-truths about the notion of a prenuptial agreement for about-to-be-wed couples, but it can be a valuable document that establishes a couple’s financial life together. A prenuptial agreement is a legally binding agreement between two parties who are planning to Read more
What is Collaborative Divorce?
In the last 15 years, a new method for getting a divorce has been developed, to avoid the bitter and often unnecessary conflict many couples experience. Mary F. Kelly has been at the forefront of this effort in Westchester, as an early member of the New Read more
How to Choose an Attorney for Your Divorce
Divorce is a life-changing event, and it can involve numerous people: children, therapists, accountants, family members, and attorneys. Your attorney is a crucial player in the divorce process, and since this may be your first time working with an attorney, it’s important to choose one Read more
Is There Such a Thing as a Good Divorce?
You and your spouse are facing divorce. You may agree about divorcing, or one spouse may say, “The marriage is over and I want a divorce.” Whether you or your spouse initiates the divorce or it’s a mutual decision, you are facing a life-changing event Read more
