Equitable Distribution in New York
How Marital Property Is Divided in a New York Divorce
When a divorce is granted in New York, the state’s equitable distribution law will guide a determination on property settlement through division of the marital property. This law considers that a marriage is, among other things, an “economic partnership” to which both parties contribute – whether that contribution is made as a spouse, parent, wage earner and/or homemaker.
It is important to understand that equitable distribution does not always result in an equal, 50/50 division of assets; rather, the law will look to what is “fair.” A couple’s property will be categorized as marital or separate, the value of the property will be determined and the property will be distributed in a manner that is hopefully fair and equitable to both parties.
At the present time, property can include:
- Art collections
- Medical degrees / licenses
- Law practices / licenses
- Stock options
- Business interests
- Airplanes
- Equine interests and farms
- Civil service assets
- Pensions, 401(k)s and retirement plans
- Teaching licenses
- Professional certifications
*The law in this area is changing.
The Difference Between Separate Property & Marital Property
Separate property can be described as any property that belongs to one spouse only. The manner in which property is categorized as marital or separate will vary from state to state. It is also important to note that separate property can be considered marital property if it has been co-mingled with marital assets or it has appreciated in value during the marriage due to the efforts of the other spouse.
In New York, separate property may include any of the following:
- Property acquired before the start of the marriage
- Property acquired by bequest, devise or gift from someone other than your spouse
- Property described as separate property in a written agreement
- Property acquired in exchange for separate property
- Financial compensation received for personal injuries
Disclosing Financial Information During Your Divorce
Under New York’s Equitable Distribution law, when seeking a divorce, both parties are required to disclose all information about their respective finances so the court can make a fair determination about the distribution of their marital property – as well as appropriate levels of support. To ensure full disclosure, the law requires both parties to exchange sworn financial statements accompanied by a current paycheck stub and their most recently filed state and federal income tax returns.
If you have questions about how your property would be divided in a divorce, please contact our New York divorce lawyer, Lois M. Brenner, Esq. You can reach our office 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 had read about Lois’ unusual divorce method in one of her blog posts. It was refreshing to see someone was working with the psychological issues in divorce. My husband is bipolar and getting him to agree to a divorce and commit to the process was tough. When we met with Lois she really understood him. She immediately identified his mental health issues, and because she has a psych background, she was empathetic to his needs and was skillful at guiding him through her divorce mediation process. It took a while but she really got us to a point where we could actually discuss things without my husband blowing up. Her method is unique and it really helped in our situation. She actually recommended a great psychiatrist who changed my husband’s meds at her urging (she has a medical degree too), and my husband is coping much better. We can’t thank her enough for her compassion and advice! If you need a divorce attorney, especially if mental illness is a part of the fabric of your marriage, go see Lois! Thanks Lois - Lorna P.
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Lois acted as the mediator in my divorce, and she was absolutely excellent. It was a very difficult time for me personally, but Lois made the process as easy and painless as it could possibly have been. She listened to each of us separately, and made thoughtful and helpful suggestions. She is fair, and seemed to genuinely care about finding a solution that was best for both parties. Lois is perfectly qualified to handle this type of situation, given her background in psychology. She truly understands people, and used this ability to keep my ex-husband and I calm, and smoothly navigate a few tricky situations. I felt very understood by Lois, and think that she not just a top-quality attorney, but also a very decent person. She is responsive, and answered my emails within a couple of minutes every time. Highly rated!
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You two are really the dynamic duo! I can’t thank you both enough for the incredible job you did on my case. As a young career woman and working mother of a toddler I could not have been in better hands. You really toughened me up and guided me when I was feeling really lost. I was afraid of my husband’s clever antics but you worked hard on my case and encouraged me to fight. The settlement I received exceeded my expectations. You both listened, always returned e-mails, phone calls and even reached out to me on the weekends when I was having trouble. If anyone is going through a divorce and needs the best people to fight for you call Lois and Matt. It was the best thing I ever did. There are no words to express how grateful I am.- Tara P.
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“First, you were so easy to talk to and second, you really know what you are doing!”- Sharon
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"Like at First Sight!" We consulted Lois on the best, most cost-effective way to get divorced. First, she extended a free in-office consultation to us. It was supposed to be one hour; it was an hour and a half. She was gracious, didn’t rush us, explained thoroughly all the ins and outs of going to court, and answered thoroughly lots of our questions. She also shared lots of great information on divorce mediation, which we really knew nothing about, and now we have decided mediation will be the best route for us. We knew in the first 10 minutes that we really liked and trusted her. We are starting our mediation process with her next week. We are really looking forward to working with her. We feel strongly she is the best person for us.- Jen
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When my daughter was sideswiped and served with a summons by her husband we called Lois Brenner. I had met Lois when she was giving a seminar on Marriage and Finances. I thought she was really smart. I never dreamt I would be calling her to help my daughter. When we went to see her she put our minds at ease. We immediately knew she was the attorney for us. She managed to negotiate a really good settlement with my son-in-law’s attorney. She was tough and always returned our phone calls and responded immediately to our emails. We even heard from her on weekends!! She was determined to keep us out of court and guided us every step of the way. She was our Angel!!! Mary B.- Mary B
