The Coronavirus is impacting all aspects of life, including divorces in New York State. Why is that?
On March 13th and 15th, 2020, the New York State Unified Court System issued Memoranda (explained below) rightfully minimizing court appearances and suspending trials in civil cases – including divorces – in order to keep the Coronavirus from spreading. As a result, this is an ideal time to make an out of court divorce settlement. This can be accomplished as follows:
1. Divorce mediation, in which the only participants are the divorcing couple and a neutral divorce mediator (three people).
2. Collaborative divorce, in which the only participants are often limited to the divorcing couple and each spouse’s collaborative divorce lawyer (four people).
Divorce mediators and collaborative divorce lawyers have training and experience that can optimize your chances of obtaining a fair and reasonable divorce settlement. And, at the same time, by attending meetings of only three or four people, you will minimize your chances of contracting the virus.
We can do such meetings with social distancing at my White Plains, New York offices, where I have a large conference room.
The recent Memoranda of the New York State Unified Court System was sent to all judicial and non-judicial personnel, which includes New York judges and lawyers, who are officers of the court. These Memoranda state, among other things, the following that impacts New York divorces:
1. Effective 5 PM on March 16th, all non-essential functions of the courts shall be postponed until further notice.
2. Effective 5 PM on March 16th, all essential functions of the courts, like the completion of pending civil trials, shall continue. However, no other civil trials shall commence until further notice. This means that no trials shall commence in divorce cases in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties until further notice.
3. Concerning essential applications, including essential motions in divorce cases, judges will exercise judicial discretion in a manner designed to minimize court appearance and traffic in the courts.
4. A dedicated 800 emergency telephone number will be established for all questions from the public related to court operations, and judges will be given information on their assignments from their Administrative or Supervising Judge.
I am available Monday through Friday, and on Saturday mornings, to help people settle their divorces out of court by serving as a collaborative lawyer or neutral mediator at my White Plains, New York offices. To make an appointment, just give me a call at (914) 949-1095 (office) or (914) 260-5806 (mobile).
© 2020 Arnold D. Cribari
