Spousal Support Lawyers in Brooklyn

New York adoption involves consent rules, a court-supervised home study, and (for newborn adoptions) a state-specific revocation window. 30 days for extrajudicial consent; judicial consent immediately irrevocable.

New York calls it maintenance. NY uses a statutory formula for both temporary and post-divorce maintenance, with durational guidelines tied to marriage length (15-30% of marriage for marriages under 15 years; 30-40% for 15-20 years; 35-50% for 20+).

An annulment in New York declares that a marriage was never legally valid — different from divorce, which ends a valid marriage. Grounds vary; common ones include Force, fraud (concealing material fact), mental incapacity.

New York child-custody decisions are governed by the "best interests of the child" standard. No formal joint-custody presumption. Courts traditionally favor primary residential custody with the parent who can best foster a relationship with the other.

New York child emancipation generally requires age 16 or older, plus showing the minor can support themselves and emancipation is in their best interest.

New York child-relocation requires court approval (or other parent's consent) for most moves that materially affect parenting time. Reasonable notice.

New York calculates child support using the Income Shares model. Both parents' incomes are combined to estimate what they would have spent on the child as an intact family.

New York unmarried couples have NO automatic rights to property, support, or inheritance — cohabitation agreements + careful estate planning are the only protection. "Common-law marriage" is rare + specific.

New York collaborative divorce — both parties + attorneys agree NOT to litigate, instead use team approach with neutrals. If process fails, attorneys must withdraw, creating strong incentive to settle.

New York does NOT recognize common-law marriage. Cohabitation alone — even for decades — does not create marriage rights here.

New York family-court contempt enforces divorce decrees, child-support orders, and custody arrangements — civil contempt for compliance, criminal contempt for punishment. Jail time is real possibility for willful violators.

New York allows both no-fault and traditional fault-based divorces. Most divorces use the no-fault path: irretrievable breakdown for 6+ months.