Jacqueline Newman - New York City Divorce Lawyer

According to a recent report, January is the biggest month of the year for couples filing for divorce.
“January is usually seen as divorce month, and part of the reason being is that a lot of people want to start the year off fresh,” Manhattan divorce lawyer Jacqueline Newman said. “You’re in the holidays, and the idea of getting a divorce stuffed in your stocking is not something anybody wants.”

The coda to the Sage Kelly divorce scandal came on Dec. 17, when the elite Jefferies investment banker resigned to “focus on family matters.”

The departure followed two months of intense scrutiny prompted by a salacious legal filing from his wife, Christina Di Mauro Kelly, that included allegations of cocaine and mushroom use, a four-person orgy involving a client and anecdotes of questionable parenting. She demanded $7 million and joint custody of their two children. The details were so juicy that it prompted international media coverage, moved two related-biotech stocks, and led to an impromptu urine test by top Jefferies executives.

Jacqueline Newman Talking about No Fault Divorce, On Point with Tomi Lahren

It is the road most traveled: You partner off. The two of you move in together, get hitched or make a Kurt-n-Goldie-style life commitment to one another. You buy some throw pillows and if you didn’t already have a pet, you go and find yourself a fur baby. Maybe after the two of you have realized you’re capable of caring for the fur baby, you upgrade to a human baby.

And then it all goes to hell. Spectacularly so. Your relationship is up in flames, the star of its own viking funeral.

I often tell my clients that “litigation is a luxury no one can afford.” It does not matter how much money one has; no one should want to spend it on litigation. The greater concern for those with significant incomes is that there are less “rules” for courts to follow. Statutes and case law often address situations of people of more modest incomes. For example, in New York, the statute that governs child support (Child Support Standards Act) caps the parties’ combined parental income at $141,000. If the combined parental income exceeds $141,000, then a court looks to numerous subjective standards to determine the appropriate amount of child support.

If the end of a marriage is looming, it can seem insane to be thinking about things like how to deal with that shared Flickr account, who the iPhone 6 contract really belongs to, and even what to tell your Facebook friends.

But treating these shared intangibles with less consideration than the traditional stuff can impact your divorce, whether it’s a Facebook venting session ultimately affecting a judge’s child custody decision or an unwiped computer allowing a vengeful ex to stalk you.

What is the difference between mediation and collaborative law?

I tell my clients there are three ways to divorce, via: mediation, collaborative law or litigation. Most people know what litigation is, as litigated cases make for good television and fun sensationalistic articles. However, few people are aware of their other options.