Separation Agreements in New York
What Issues Can Be Addressed in a Separation Agreement?
In New York, the Domestic Relations Law permits married parties to enter into an agreement (outlining their respective rights and responsibilities in a divorce.
A separation agreement permits the parties, without intervention of the court, to arrive at a settlement that they deem most appropriate for their individual circumstances. There should be full financial disclosure of each party’s assets, and each party should be represented by separate counsel unless they are mediating.
A complete separation agreement may address the following issues and others as appropriate:
- Separation
- Separate ownership
- Responsibility for debts
- Equitable distribution of marital property
- Spousal alimony / rehabilitative maintenance
- Division of retirement accounts, pensions and deferred compensation
- Child custody, parenting arrangements, and child’s residence
- Child support
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Religious divorce
- Tax consequences
Discuss Your Case with Our New York Matrimonial Lawyer
If you are ready to discuss your options with a New York divorce attorney, please do not hesitate to schedule an initial consultation with our firm. As a talented divorce strategist, litigator and mediator, Lois Brenner has been representing NYC families for more than 35 years.
To learn more about separation agreements, call Lois M. Brenner, Esq. at (646) 663-4546.
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I met with Lois Brenner nine months ago, and my life has been changed for the better! She and her legal team really encouraged me to leave a very abusive husband. They gave me the knowledge and courage to take the necessary legal steps. My parents were helping me and found Lois to be smart, and compassionate. My whole family felt really comfortable having her handle my case. I am finally divorced, away from an abusive man and ready to start a new life. I can’t thank Lois and her legal team enough for all the support I received. I got a much better settlement than I expected because they were relentless in locating money my husband had hidden. Thank you so much!- Kim B.
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I met Lois Brenner at a networking group. She spoke on divorce and mediation. At the time I was not in need of a divorce attorney but was so impressed I kept her information. Two years later I hired Lois Brenner and I am finally separated from a man who nearly destroyed my life. Although we were able to do this with her in mediation, it was not easy for me. She really kept me strong, and on top of myself. She was helpful with both of us, and encouraged each of us when needed. It was much better than going through the court system. It took a lot less time and saved us money too. I can’t say enough about her. She is a special attorney. I tell everyone who will listen how special she is.- Pilar
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We have Lois Brenner to thank for turning our marriage around. We hired Lois as our mediator when we were considering divorce. When we started working with her and she realized we wanted to try to keep our marriage together she suggested a postnuptial agreement to get our marriage back on track. Having the postnuptial agreement made us both accountable when it came to our issues. Having this doc in place is clearly helping us redefine our marriage in a better way. I don’t know if we will never get divorced, but for now we are respecting each others’ boundaries and are aware of the consequences if we don’t! It was really cool that Ms. Brenner suggested this method as an option. Most divorce attorneys would not have suggested a way for us to try to stay together. She is very talented and unusual in the best possible way. If we choose to take the divorce path eventually we will definitely hire her again. In the meantime we are making it work. She is amazing.- Joseph M
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Lois Brenner is a remarkable attorney and compassionate advocate for dads. She guided me when I was confused and didn't know what to do to get shared custody of my daughter. She encouraged me to stay strong and to fight, and she negotiated a much better custody arrangement than my previous lawyer. What great attorney. Thank you Ms. Brenner- Christoff
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I had a complicated situation wherein I had to get a divorce through publication as my husband and I had not been in contact for 5 years and I was out of the US for a few years. (it was an abusive marriage) I reside in Buffalo and I spoke with several attorneys locally but I did not feel that any of the local attorneys were able able to understand my situation. Some suggested that I locate my husband, and each one of them wanted to start by identifying and listing the assets. Unsatisfied, I started looking for attorneys in NY city, and I found Ms. Brenner through Avvo. During the consultation, she was extremely kind and understanding and agreed to take on my case. Ms. Brenner helped me get a divorce through publication and she/her team took care of everything. All I had to do was provide her with documentation. I am grateful to Ms. Brenner for helping me get out of a sticky stressful situation. I would definitely recommend her to anybody in a similar situation. Thank you, Ms. Brenner.
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When I first decided to hire a divorce attorney, I thought a male attorney would be best. Lois Brenner really surprised me. Although she has written a divorce book on women’s rights, she is totally an advocate for men as well. She really understood how much I loved my kids, and listened and understood all the horrible things my wife was doing to destroy their relationship with me. She didn’t miss a beat and really went to bat for me. She reached out to my wife’s attorney every time my wife made any attempt to disrupt my visiting our kids and always demanded the best results. She made herself available, even when she was on vacation! Lois has been there every step of the way in these difficult circumstances. I highly recommend her.- Sam
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