Given the ongoing COVID-19 emergency, New York City has seen court closures, the increased reliance on remote court services, court delays, and rescheduling. If you are planning to file for divorce in Brooklyn, New York, you may have many questions about how COVID-19 might impact your case. In light of court closures for nonessential functions, many in-person divorce cases have been rescheduled for a later date. People who are in the process of filing for divorce or those who have recently filed for divorce will need to prepare to be patient and expect that things may take a little longer.
Because the emergency is ongoing, the court has set up systems whereby documents can be submitted online, and where individuals may be able to have their divorce matters handled via virtual court. It is important to note that essential functions of New York’s Family Court System remain open for in-person hearings and cases. These essential functions include child protection proceedings, juvenile delinquency hearings, emergency support orders, family offenses, and requests for orders of protection. Ultimately, how your divorce case will move through the New York court system in the era of the coronavirus will depend on the type of family law case you have, whether you need to use the court for child protection services, and whether you need to file for an order of protection. Urgent and life-threatening matters will still be heard by the court and will receive as much urgency as possible given current services.
COVID-19 has changed how many of us go to school, do business, and even how we get divorced. If you have questions about how your divorce might be able to move forward during the era of COVID-19, having a lawyer by your side can be helpful. The Elliot Green Law Offices is a divorce law firm in Brooklyn, New York that may be able to help you navigate changes in the divorce court system due to COVID-19. Staying in touch with your divorce lawyer about rescheduling and other matters is important when it comes to getting updates about your divorce hearing.
COVID-19 and Your Divorce: Other Things to Keep in Mind
COVID-19 is an emergency that is affecting not only the economy, but also parents, families, and even child custody. If you plan to get divorced during COVID-19, it is important to take into account these changing circumstances. For example, in some cases, couples had reached a divorce agreement, but hadn’t finalized it before COVID-19, and then, because of changes that have taken place due to COVID-19, some families have had to rethink these plans and also take another look at their divorce settlement before it is finalized. Some things to keep in mind are matters involving selling a family home during a pandemic, current real estate markets, dividing retirement accounts or valuating investments during a time of great volatility in the markets, as well as difficulties in business valuation at a time when many businesses are struggling, and child custody agreements at a time when many parents may be working from home and many children may not be attending in person schools. While keeping these matters in mind as you move forward with your divorce, it is also important to note that a child custody plan should also be flexible enough to accommodate changing circumstances, especially if your parenting plan was drafted during the pandemic. What may seem like a reasonable arrangement now, may not be so reasonable in a few years when we hopefully have a vaccine.
Many parents who had made parenting plans before the pandemic have had to reassess and sometimes even revise these plans. Keeping all these factors in mind as you navigate your divorce is wise. The Elliot Green Law Offices is a divorce law firm in Brooklyn, New York that can help you navigate some of the great challenges that individuals and families are facing when getting divorced during a pandemic.
Because of these challenges, some couples are choosing to separate and postpone divorce until after the emergency has passed. But if you plan to do this, it may still be wise to put a strong separation agreement in place to protect your rights and interests because the decisions you make during your separation can also have a major impact on your divorce, especially if you plan to live apart from your partner or if one partner will care for the children. Contact the divorce lawyers at the Elliot Green Law Offices in Brooklyn, New York today to learn more about how we may be able to help you navigate your divorce. Or reach out to USAttorneys.com to get matched with a lawyer at the Elliot Green Law Offices in Brooklyn, New York. We are here to help you.
