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 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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Amazing, Skillful Mediator!!!! We went to see Lois Brenner for a mediation consultation. We had pretty much decided our marriage was over. We just wanted to end things fair and amicably. Lois Brenner spent so much time with us, and gave us great insight as to how the process would help us, we hired her on the spot. Our sessions thereafter were stealth. She organized us, helped us identify and address all the issues. She showed us how to communicate effectively throughout the process. We were able to address all our issues, especially property and finances, arrive at a comfortable settlement agreement, and now we are waiting for the judge to sign our divorce. What an extraordinary process. I highly recommend Lois Brenner and mediation. She’s super, and mediation really works.- Maggie & Josh
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Finding my way to Lois was the best thing that could have happened during my very contentious divorce. Lois took on my case with a level of care that has been above and beyond. She has been an incredible advocate for me, both legally, guiding me through this difficult process with knowledge and wisdom, and also personally, helping give me strength and support to stand up to my very aggressive ex husband. Lois is a gift, and I am so grateful to her and for the future she is helping to make possible to myself and for my son.- SC
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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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What a gem! Lois Brenner is the best out there by far... She got my husband and I right away. Listened, guided, let me cry, and never gave up on us during our mediation sessions. It was not easy but she made it possible. Even my husband liked her and agreed to mediate after we had lots of arguments. Thank you Lois. I already recommended you to my cardiologist. Have a happy, productive New Year.- Bernie A.