Most people who seek a divorce lawyer in New York are doing so for the first time. If you fall into this category, then you likely don’t know the ins-and-outs of a divorce proceeding and what to expect throughout the process. Sitting down with your New York lawyer is important to eliminate any surprises as much as possible and to know what you can fight for, as well as what’s not worth pursuing. Here are five of the most important matters to discuss with your divorce lawyer.
Spousal Support
In most divorce rulings, the judge wants to ensure both parties continue to live as comfortably as they did prior to getting the divorce. If you make more money than your spouse, then you may have to provide more spousal support and vice versa. You may not be satisfied with this arrangement for various reasons, so it’s an important point to bring up with your New York lawyer.
Child Custody
The child custody aspect in a divorce proceeding is always the most sensitive and stressful. Talk with your divorce lawyer in New York about the difference between physical and legal custody, as well as what all your parenting rights are. You definitely don’t want to have a misstep when it comes to the welfare of your child.
Child Support
Child support goes both ways for each parent. Whether you are paying child support or you are the one receiving child support payments, you have to make a conscious effort to provide the care your child needs. There are many different ways child support can be divided out, so NYC divorce lawyers generally spend a significant amount of time discussing the options with you.
Dividing Marital Property
Being fair and being equal are two different things in a divorce proceeding. When it comes to property you used to share with your spouse, it will generally be divided fairly. This could be regarding contributions to a retirement account or other types of accounts where regular contributions are made. If you have physical property you believe you are entitled to, be sure to let your New York lawyer know about it right away so they can develop a strategy for you to keep it.
Previous Agreements and Signed Documents
You’re going to have to shuffle through a lot of paperwork during your divorce proceeding, but it will make the process go much more smoothly. Get ahead of the process as much as you can by gathering your past bank statements, tax returns, retirement accounts, insurance policies and more. These documents could be vital for the success of the proceeding, so ask your lawyer what types of paperwork they need.
Gordon & Gordon wants to earn your trust as your divorce lawyer in New York. During our initial consultation with you, we want to learn everything we can about you so we can put together the best possible case. To schedule your free case evaluation, contact us today to get the process started.