David Shapiro

Fraud is the foundation for most annulment petitions in New York, but not any fraud will suffice to win an annulment. When one spouse has lied or concealed something that is essential to the marriage contract, they may have committed a fraud that can cause the marriage to be voidable. … [Read more...] about What Types Of Fraud Make A Marriage Voidable?

For the purposes of annulment in New York, there are two types of qualifying marriages. A void marriage is one that was never legitimate in the first place, such as a marriage entered into between persons who share too much of a blood relationship, such as siblings and some other relatives. … [Read more...] about What’s The Difference Between A “Void” Marriage And “Voidable” Marriage?

When one parent follows a career or family obligations outside of New York, it is necessary to modify custody orders to ensure that they are able to have an ongoing relationship with their children. Family Court handles these petitions all the time, but clients do best when they have a well … [Read more...] about If I’m Moving Out Of State, Can I Modify My Order To Have My Kids During The Summers?

Alimony is a slightly antiquated term for what New York calls “spousal maintenance,” and many people refer to as “spousal support.” By any name, they are the same concept though, and create an ongoing financial relationship from the higher earning spouse to the lower earning spouse, as a way of … [Read more...] about What’s The Difference Between Spousal Support And Alimony?

When a divorce remains contested, yes, the ultimate end will be in a trial where a judge will decide the ultimate disposition of your assets, debts, property, and other terms of your divorce. This is the most difficult way spouses to end their marriages, and also the most expensive, so the … [Read more...] about Does A Contested Divorce Have To Go To Trial?

Sometimes, a marriage has eroded so much that there’s simply no way to avoid an ugly divorce. The costs of these actions, in terms of money and emotional energy, can be significant, but when your spouse is out to hurt you or soak you financially, it may impossible to do anything but get through … [Read more...] about My Spouse Wants To Hurt Me. How Can I Avoid A Messy, Contested Divorce?