Fans of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt may have felt their hearts break when the couple announced that it would end its marriage. However, divorce is not an unfamiliar topic for many New Yorkers who have experienced it firsthand or vicariously through friends and relatives. Though the laws related to a litigated divorce are relatively consistent throughout the state, the specific facts that each marital situation brings to the table will cause every divorce to have its own personality.
For example, in New York, some couples may attempt to resolve the ends of the unions through mediation. If mediation or collaborative divorce fails, they may find themselves engaging in the traditional method of securing a divorce through litigation, which involves working with attorneys and a judge to tie up the loose ends of their marriages. Litigated divorces can look very different and depend on the circumstances of the couple’s marriage.
The sharing of children can significantly complicate the process of ending a marriage. Decisions related to child custody and child support can weigh heavily on the minds of parents who no longer wish to be bound to their children’s other parents. Also, complex or poorly managed financial schemes may be difficult for couples to separate as they seek to leave their marriages with some money to their names.
In sum, couples who are planning to divorce should remember that their processes will be unique to the facts that were established during their marriages. Divorce attorneys can be valuable assets for those who wish to end their marriages as such professionals can discuss with their clients how the laws will affect the specific circumstances present in their cases.
Source: The New York Times, “How Rich Couples Who Aren’t Pitt and Jolie Manage Their Divorces,” Paul Sullivan, Sept. 30, 2016