Recent Posts in Child Support Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 22-Dec-2021 Ways to Prepare for Your Divorce in the New Year! Although we are all trying to enjoy the holidays and navigate this pandemic, some of us are using this valuable time to prepare for life moving forward as we look to a new year. Now is the time to take the necessary steps to make changes in your life ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 29-Oct-2021 Child Support Tips! 1. What Is Child Support Child support is financial support provided by the noncustodial parent. It includes cash payments based on the parent's income and the needs of the child, health insurance, payments for child care, and payments for ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 30-Aug-2021 What You Need to Know About Child Support! As a divorce attorney/mediator for over 35 years, I have been successfully helping hundreds, if not thousands of spouses obtain child support and provide financial care for their children. So what do you need to know about child support? 1. What is ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 28-May-2021 Let Us Help You Get Child Support! As a divorce attorney/mediator for over 35 years, I, and my litigation partner have successfully guided many spouses through the maze of obtaining child support. Making sure a child is protected and supported financially is an important part of the ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 11-Jan-2021 5 Things You Need Know About Child Support! As a divorce attorney/mediator for over 35 years, I have guided many spouses through the maze of child support. Making sure a child is supported financially is an important component of the divorce process. 1. What is Child Support? Child support is ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 7-Oct-2020 Taking Your First Divorce Step! When did you start thinking about divorce? Was it during the coronavirus pandemic? Was it because of finances, fighting, infidelity, control issues, social media postings, or did you simply fall out of love? Couples don’t just wake up one day ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 5-Oct-2020 What is a Statement of Net Worth? What is a Statement of Net Worth? When divorcing, a Statement of Net Worth is that annoying financial form your attorney/mediator sticks in front of you and says, “Fill it out!” You look at it, start sweating, and think, “Oh no! ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 31-Jul-2020 3 Tips for Managing Divorce Anxiety Yes, divorce anxiety is a real thing! Divorce conjures up all kinds of stress, and fear! As a psychologically-trained medical professional and divorce attorney, I can spot divorce anxiety right away. I often see the symptoms before my clients do. Why ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 22-Jul-2020 8 Tips to Reduce the Effects of Divorce on Your Children! Divorce is very difficult and an especially confusing time for children. Couples often get caught up in their own anger, drama, and the messy divorce process; the desire for revenge and the division of property and finances. But, who is looking out ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 15-Jul-2020 The 3 P's of Divorce Mediation! Positive, Productive & Peaceful For over 35 years I have served the NYC area as a psychologically-trained divorce attorney and mediator. After witnessing the pain of many couples day after day, I decided to develop a unique mediation process to address divorce in a more humane and ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 24-Jun-2020 5 Things You Need to Know About Child Support! What is Child Support: Child support is financial support provided by the noncustodial parent. It includes cash payments based on the parent's income and the needs of the child,health insurance, payments for child care, and payments for ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 17-Jun-2020 Litigation vs. Mediation: To Punish or Not to Punish? When considering divorce clients are usually familiar with going to court and fighting. More and more clients are learning there are more peaceful options. These days, during consultations clients ask more about the difference between ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 8-Jun-2020 Child Custody Challenges During the Pandemic! As a divorce attorney and mediator with over 35 years of experience, I’ve seen it all! Nothing surprises me. But divorce cases I am handling during COVID -19 have been real eye-openers. Fortunately, I have some great solutions!! A devoted dad, ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 20-May-2020 3 Tips for Handling Divorce Anxiety! Yes, divorce anxiety is a real thing. As a psychologically-trained medical professional, mediator and divorce attorney, I can spot divorce anxiety right away. I often hear and see the symptoms before my clients do. Why wouldn’t divorce be ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 18-May-2020 5 Tips to Help You Talk to Your Spouse about Divorce while in Quarantine Kevin and Laurie have been married for 15 years. They have a 6 year old daughter with behavioral problems. Kevin is a financial planner, and Laurie works part-time as a computer programmer. For the past 2 years, Kevin has been concerned that his wife ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 27-Apr-2020 4 Ways to Prepare for Your Divorce During Quarantine! Although we are all wondering when this pandemic will be over, some of us are using this valuable time to prepare for life moving forward. Now is the time to take the necessary steps to make changes in your life that you may have been putting on the ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 16-Apr-2020 Why I Suggested My Client Quarantine with His Ex-Wife and Her Boyfriend! These days, as a divorce attorney and mediator, I help clients virtually using my mediation process, which, especially now, helps clients save money, time and maintain safety. Two weeks ago, I helped a divorced couple with what is by far one of my ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 14-Apr-2020 Can a Legal Separation Help Couples Struggling During the Coronavirus Pandemic? Over the last few weeks I have spoken with couples who are really struggling with their marriages. These couples are sad, confused and not quite sure what path to take. They often say, “I don’t know what to do, I’m ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 6-Apr-2020 The Courts are Closed but Did You Know You Can Divorce Without Going to Court? That’s right! This coronavirus pandemic has drastically affected all of you wanting a divorce! But as a very skilled divorce attorney and psychologically-trained mediator I can tell you, there is a welcome solution. It’s called Mediation. ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 30-Mar-2020 Are You Living in a Miserable Marriage? It's Time to GET OUT! You may have been living in an unhappy marriage and just not gotten the courage to do anything about it. It's easy to keep putting it off because you know it will be unpleasant. But now, due to the coronavirus pandemic, you are stuck at home 24/7 ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 25-Mar-2020 Mediation: A Superior Solution for Divorcing Spouses and their Families during the Coronavirus Pandemic! As a divorce attorney & psychologically-trained mediator I am juggling tons of emails and phone calls from clients divorcing and spouses thinking of divorcing during the coronavirus pandemic. These couples’ issues began way before the ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 19-Mar-2020 8 Things to Include in Your Separation Agreement Are you and your spouse thinking of divorce? Are you familiar with a separation agreement? The first step in the process of divorce after the couple has negotiated their “deal” is the drafting of a separation agreement. This is a legal ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 4-Mar-2020 Divorce Tips for a Stay-at-Home Spouse! Are you wondering how you are going to survive financially if divorce comes knocking at your door? I received a phone call over the weekend from a devastated spouse who said, “I can’t believe it, I have been married, I thought happily for ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 2-Mar-2020 Dads are Much More than just Child Support Payments!! When a married couple goes through a divorce, one of the most contested issues is often their children. As a psychologically-trained mediator and divorce attorney for more than thirty-five years, I’ve seen countless custody disputes. For many ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 26-Feb-2020 My Best 2020 Divorce Advice! Divorce is traditionally a painful and dreaded process, but it doesn’t have to be as awful as you expect! To help you with your 2020 divorce goals, I’m sharing my suggestions for protecting yourself, your family and your finances. As a ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 20-Feb-2020 Are you sure Your Spouse is Paying the Taxes? It’s that time of year again. Dreaded tax time is coming up! Everyone is scrambling right now to get all their documents together to get them to their accountant. For those getting a divorce, taxes are the least of their worries, or so you ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 5-Feb-2020 5 Things You Should Know About Child Support! 1. What is Child Support: Child support is financial support provided by the noncustodial parent. It includes cash payments based on the parent's income and the needs of the child, health insurance, payments for child care, and payments for ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 3-Feb-2020 Tips to Avoid Divorce Disasters When people decide to divorce it is usually in the whirlwind of heightened emotion. People are not always thinking rationally in this mindset. I often caution clients not to be reactive when thinking about divorcing. I suggest they stop, think and ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 20-Jan-2020 3 Tips to Settle a Child Custody Dispute As a seasoned family law attorney, mediator, and psychologically-trained medical professional, I regularly counsel mothers and fathers going through divorce who are considering a custody action. Often these concerned parents have a fair amount of ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 8-Jan-2020 Is Your New Year's Resolution to Separate or Divorce? If it is, I’m here to keep you on track and help you meet your goal! Did you know Monday, January 6 this year was dubbed “Divorce Day”? This was the day people returned to work and decided they had enough, wanted out of their ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 6-Jan-2020 Do You Need a Postnuptial Agreement? Some couples consider a prenuptial agreement when they are getting married. But what if you weren’t one of those couples? Is it too late once you’ve been married to put something in place to address some of the important issues in the ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 20-Dec-2019 The Pros and Cons of Sole Custody of the Children! As a psychologically-trained divorce attorney and mediator it is unusual these days to see one parent asking for the sole physical custody of the children. I recently met with a client who was insisting on this. This type of request can sometimes be ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 11-Dec-2019 5 Tips for Co-Parenting During the Holidays! The greatest wish of many children of divorce during the holidays is that Mom and Dad will get back together. Even though the sad truth is that this probably is not going to happen, you as responsible parents can cooperate, and make the holidays as ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 2-Dec-2019 4 Tips for Handling Divorce Anxiety During the Holidays! Yes, divorce anxiety is a real thing. As a psychologically-trained medical professional and divorce attorney, I can spot divorce anxiety right away. I often see the symptoms before my clients do. Why wouldn’t divorce be stressful? There are so ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 27-Nov-2019 Lois Brenner's New York Divorce 101! When did you start thinking about divorce? Was it because of finances, fighting, infidelity, control issues, social media postings, or did you simply fall out of love? Couples don’t just wake up one day and decide they want a divorce. A lot of ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 13-Nov-2019 My Separation Agreement Checklist! Are you thinking of Divorce? Well, you’re not alone. With 40%-50% of all marriages ending in divorce this is not as uncommon as you think. An important part of the divorce process is developing an agreement you can both live with. An agreement ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 2-Oct-2019 To Trick or Treat? What divorcing/divorced parents can do so Halloween isn’t a nightmare! When you got divorced did you discuss Halloween as part of your visitation schedule? Probably not. After all, it’s not Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hannukkah! It is ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 16-Sep-2019 5 Co-Parenting Tips! During and after divorce it’s important to remember your children did not sign on to be your football. Many parents put their children right in the middle of their mess out of anger and pain. My advice? Don’t! Your children don’t ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 3-Sep-2019 Stay-at-Home Moms and Dads can Survive Divorce!! Are you wondering how you are going to survive your divorce financially? There are many spouses who married young or gave up lucrative careers to have children once they were married. They often spend most of their marriage helping to support and, in ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 16-Jul-2018 3 Best Methods to Settle a Custody Dispute 3 Best Methods to Settle a Custody Dispute Last week, I read that Nia Vardalos, the My Big Fat Greek Wedding (funny movie!) star, and Ian Gomez sadly filed for divorce after 25 years of marriage. They cited irreconcilable differences and asked for ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 6-Apr-2018 Are you ready to build your "Bird Nest?" Are you ready to build your “Bird Nest?” Have you all seen the new show “Splitting Up Together”? It is a new series that airs Tuesday nights at 9:30 PM on ABC. It is about a couple that falls out of love, (as many do these ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 2-Apr-2018 Can a Postnuptial Agreement save your Marriage? Can a Postnuptial Agreement save your Marriage? Getting married is very exciting! Spring is that time of year when brides are eagerly gearing up for their June weddings and all the glitz, glamour and drama that a wedding brings. But what about the ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 12-Mar-2018 ARE YOU ENTITLED TO SPOUSAL SUPPORT? ARE YOU ENTITLED TO SPOUSAL SUPPORT? Sometimes clients are confused as to how spousal support works. As a psychologically-trained mediator and divorce attorney, I often define what spousal support is and how it applies to a couple’s situation ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 2-Mar-2018 FINANCIAL DIVORCE "SMARTS" FINANCIAL DIVORCE “SMARTS” Are you financially ready to get divorced? Even if you are not quite ready to get divorced, you need to be informed and Financially Smart. Deciding to Divorce is a complex process. Deciding how easy or difficult ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 28-Feb-2018 Father's Rights: More than Just Child Support Payments Father’s Rights: More than Just Child Support Payments “The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.” - Abbé Prévost, Manon Lescaut When a married couple goes through a divorce, one of the most contested issues ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 8-Jan-2018 Divorce Without Lawyers DIVORCE WITHOUT LAWYERS What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “divorce?” “Fight!” “Hire a divorce lawyer.” For 2017 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and Janet Jackson and Wissma al Mana come to ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 30-Nov-2016 Co-Parenting During the Holidays The greatest wish of many children of divorce during the holidays is that Mom and Dad will get back together. Even though the sad truth is that this probably is not going to happen, you as responsible parents can cooperate, and make the holidays as ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 18-Oct-2016 To Trick or Treat? TO TRICK OR TREAT? What divorcing/divorced parents can do so Halloween isn’t a nightmare! When you got divorced did you discuss Halloween as part of your visitation schedule? Probably not. After all it’s not Thanksgiving, Christmas or ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois M. Brenner, Esq. 22-Sep-2016 When Should You Ask For Sole Physical Custody of the Children? WHEN SHOULD YOU ASK FOR SOLE PHYSICAL CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN? On Tuesday we heard the sad news that Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt after twelve years together, and two years married. The papers file in Los Angeles cited ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois Brenner 12-May-2015 Child Support: What You May Have Overlooked One of the topics we’ve discussed extensively is child support as part of divorce cases. The divorce process, which should only affect the couple, sadly also affects the children in the family. One of the most important parts of the process is ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois Brenner 16-Dec-2014 Holiday Co-Parenting Tips! The greatest wish of many children of divorce during the holidays is that Mom and Dad will get back together. Even though the sad truth is that this is probably not going to happen, you as responsible parents can cooperate, and make the holidays as ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois Brenner 10-Mar-2013 Father's Rights - More than Just Child Support Payments When a married couple goes through a divorce, one of the most contested issues is often their children. As a mediator and divorce attorney for more than thirty years, I’ve seen countless custody disputes. For many years, courts ruled in favor ... Continue Reading Posted By Lois Brenner 20-Feb-2013 Child Support - The Hidden "Extras" In most divorce cases in which there are children – whether the divorce is highly contested or amicably resolved through settlement negotiations – an important part of the process involves resolution of the child support issue. Your ... Continue Reading