David Shapiro

Yes, you can include expenses like tuition in your calculation of spousal maintenance, and require that maintenance last at least until you’ve achieved a particular educational goal, like graduating with a bachelors or other degree, or landing a job in your field. Spousal maintenance is designed … [Read more...] about I Worked To Support My Spouse’s Education In Queens And Now We’re Divorcing. Can I Include College Costs In A Settlement?

It’s unlikely that a request like this will meet approval from either a court or your former spouse, but one option for structuring maintenance, especially in younger couples who still have strong earning potential, is to set maintenance to a particular time frame that that will allow your spouse to … [Read more...] about My Spouse Refused To Work During Our Marriage, So Can My Maintenance Be Contingent On My Spouse Working At Some Kind Of Job?

How you proceed depends on the quality of the relationship you currently have with your ex, and what you mean by “bad influences.” First and foremost, if you believe that your children are in an unsafe environment where they are being neglected, abused, or worse, contact the attorneys at … [Read more...] about My Ex Is Living With Relatives In Queens Who Are Bad Influences On My Kids. What Can I Do?

It’s very likely that if you can show that your spouse emptied a jointly held account without your permission, the court will insist that your share of the funds be returned to you. The difficulty for you is that you know you’re dealing with a spouse who is willing to steal from you, which means … [Read more...] about My Spouse Emptied Our Joint Savings Account The Day Before Filing. Can Judges In Queens Make Sure I Get My Share Of The Balance That Was There?

Unfortunately, it’s extremely common for a spouse who has decided to file for divorce to abuse joint financial instruments with the expectation that you’ll be stuck with half the debt they've accrued. This is one area where a good divorce attorney can make all the difference in your case. … [Read more...] about What Do I Do When My Spouse Maxed Out Our Joint Credit Cards Ahead Of Filing For Divorce In Queens?

Yes, financial instruments like retirement accounts are typically - at least in part - marital assets whose disposition has to be negotiated as part of the final divorce settlement. If you have been contributing to a 401(k) for longer than the duration of the marriage, the court will likely … [Read more...] about Is My 401(k) From Work Considered A Marital Asset In Queens Divorce?