Blog
Recent Blog Posts
Are Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder Married Under New York Law?
Winona Ryder dropped a reality bomb on us all this week when she claimed that she and Keanu Reeves might have accidentally married each other 25 years ago, on the set of their cult classic movie Dracula. Her evidence: they hired a real Romanian priest to perform their characters’ nuptials. (Keanu, for his part, doesn’t […]
Understanding Residential and Legal Custody of Children in New York
If you have “custody” of your children, what does that mean? If you’re just starting the process of divorce or a custody proceeding, you probably think custody is pretty simple, at least in concept – it means the children live with you, and the other parent gets to visit with them sometimes. But custody is […]
Fault-based divorce in New York: Does it still exist and how often is it used?
New York was infamously the last state in the union to institute a regime of divorce law that did not require one party to prove the other was “at fault” in some way in order to obtain a divorce. New York didn’t get around to doing this until 2010. The story of how it finally […]
BBNR Announces 2017 SuperLawyers Inductees
Berkman Bottger Newman & Rodd is very proud to announce that ten of its attorneys have been recognized by the well-respected SuperLawyers attorney rating service for inclusion on its 2017 roster. SuperLawyers utilizes a multi-phase nomination and selection process incorporating both peer feedback and review and independent research. Lawyers are not permitted to nominate themselves, […]
How Is Child Support Calculated in New York?
While we try to make this blog fun, sometimes what parents and spouses need are the straight facts. In this post, we are going to provide you with just that – here is a detailed rundown of how exactly child support is calculated in New York. The first question we often hear from clients is […]
A Separation Agreement Can Have Unintended Consequences
The internet has been abuzz with news that popular fact-checking and myth-resolving website Snopes has put out a desperate SOS asking its readers for financial assistance to keep it afloat. According to the site: “We had previously contracted with an outside vendor to provide certain services for Snopes.com. That contractual relationship ended earlier this year, […]
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT from Jacqueline Newman’s Bestseller “Soon to be Ex”
As you may have heard, Jacqueline Newman, managing partner here at Berkman Bottger Newman & Rodd and esteemed New York divorce professional, recently released a guide to the ins and outs of divorce, from when to file for it, to how to survive it: “Soon to be Ex: A Guide to Your Perfect Divorce & […]
New York Appellate Court denies separate property credit for marital home
Every few weeks it seems there is a new decision by a New York court, trial or appellate level, that speaks to the importance of obtaining a prenuptial agreement before marriage. Last month, in Klauer v. Abeliovich, the First Department (which handles mid-level appeals from Manhattan trial courts) issued just such a decision. First, some […]
Divorce on Screen: Mrs. Doubtfire
SPOILER ALERT for a very predictable movie from 1994. We all remember the 1994 classic family comedy Mrs. Doubtfire, yes? A heartwarming tale of a dedicated if absentminded dad who would do anything to spend time with his kids. Belly laughs, tears, the mom is mean, etc. Let’s take a minute to recollect the actual […]
Long Island Court: A child can have three legal parents
A Suffolk County trial court has issued a first-of-its-kind decision in a New York case: a child may have three legal parents, who all share custody. You can read the entire decision in Dawn M. v. Michael M. here, or read the more “fun” New York Post article describing it here. And the facts are […]
