How Our Long Island Divorce Attorneys

Help Guide You Through the Divorce Process

The attorneys at the Divorce and Family Law Firm of Hornberger Verbitsky, P.C.: from left, AnneMarie Lanni, Esq., attorney; Robert E. Hornberger, Esq., managing partner, Christine M. Verbitsky, Esq. partner; Brenda Lynch, Esq., of Counsel.

Compassionate, Aggressive, Experienced Divorce Attorneys Help You Achieve Your Goals

Ending your marriage through divorce is never an emotionally easy process. Our respectful, empathetic attorneys recognize this and make it our number one goal to aggressively protect your interests while minimizing the stress and disruption to your normal life.

Our Long Island Divorce Attorneys Help Simplify & Guide You Through the Divorce Process

You probably haven’t gone through the divorce process before, but we have — thousands of times. This does not make us less sensitive to your needs, but more. It provides us with the experience to help lead you down the right route specifically designed for you and your family’s unique circumstances. We are committed to clear communication and transparent representation informed by more than 50+ years of experienced representation to achieve the best possible goals for our clients at reasonable rates.

High Conflict Contested or Simple Uncontested Divorce, We Have the Experience to Help You

Whether you and your spouse are on good terms and are perfect for a simple Uncontested Divorce or Divorce Mediation or you and your spouse are headed for a complex, high conflict Contested Divorce, our attorneys have the experience and know-how to craft a strategy that will help you achieve your goals and set you up for a happier future.

Compassionate, Transparent & Responsive New York Divorce Attorneys

Our attorneys are all compassionate, transparent, and committed to clearly communicate with you every step of the way. Our in-depth knowledge of New York matrimonial and family law and our experience with the judiciary and other divorce attorneys practicing in Nassau County and Suffolk County enables us to chart the clearest path forward for your particular circumstances.

Affordable Representation Will Resolve Your Divorce as Painlessly as Possible

Resolving your divorce as quickly and painlessly as possible is our ultimate goal. We understand that the divorce process is overwhelming for you and we will do our best to explain every option every step of the way in a manner that helps alleviate your anxiety and encourages you to make the best decisions for your family now and set you up for a happier, healthier future.

Get to Know Us at a Complimentary Case Evaluation

When you contact us, we will schedule a complimentary consultation and case evaluation with one of our experienced attorneys. At that in-person or virtual meeting, your attorney will listen intently to every word you say. This is your opportunity to ask questions from an expert divorce attorney. Common questions include:

• How long does a divorce in New York take to be processed?
• How much does a Long Island Divorce cost?

This is our first chance to get to know each other and for us to capture the details of your unique circumstances. We will address all of your questions you may have about:

• Division of Assets (including property and investment accounts) and Division of Debts (including mortgages and other liabilities)
• Child Custody
• Child Support
• Spousal Maintenance or Alimony

By the end of this meeting, we will have a better idea of what direction to take your divorce proceeding and make recommendations that make sense for you and your family. If we hit it off and what we say makes sense to you, we can take the next step and get started. If not, there will be no hard feelings; we’ll go our separate ways and wish you the best of luck. It’s important that you and your attorney develop an honest rapport based upon clarity, mutual respect and transparency. Be sure the attorney you hire is dedicated to serving your needs and find a new one if they are not. If you have made the choice to get a divorce, you don’t have to go through it alone. Divorce is never easy, but the right representation can get you through this difficult time. The Law Offices of Hornberger Verbitsky, P.C. will guide you through this legal process while resolving your case in the most amicable way possible.

We’ve Written the Books on Divorce

We have also published The New York Divorce Guide with all the information you need to find the divorce attorney that’s just right for you. You can download a free copy of this book with our compliments here: The New York Divorce Guide.

We’ve also published another book that can help prepare you for your divorce. Successful Divorce Strategies will help ensure a positive resolution to the end of your marriage and help set you up for a better future. You can download a free copy of this book with our compliments here: Successful Divorce Strategies.

Answers to Your Common Divorce Questions

To help get you started, we have provided the answers to some of the most common questions Long Islanders like you have asked us in the past about the divorce process. Each of the questions and answers below have a link to a more detailed article with more information.

Select a link below for answers to your questions about Divorce in Nassau County and Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.

What Is A Divorce in New York?

In New York, a divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage by the Supreme Court of the state of New York. Divorce is often called a Matrimonial Action by attorneys and other New York State court staff. As in any legal action, the person who initiates the proceedings is known as the Plaintiff while the entity on the other side is known as the Defendant.

You can learn more about the specifics of Divorce in New York here.

Divorce or Legal Separation

If you (or you and your spouse) have concluded that your relationship is over and divorce is the only solution, you need to consider your next steps. You may have questions about whether to divorce or legally separate. Did you know that there iss a difference? You should familiarize yourself of the advantages and disadvantages of both so you can make an educated decision about whether a divorce or legal separation is right for you.

You can learn more about Divorce or Legal Separation here.

Where Do I Go For Divorce

Divorce is an emotional experience for everyone involved. Even if you and your spouse agree that it is best for everyone to end your marriage, the process is fraught with many stress-inducing emotional issues for all parties involved. It’s not likely anyone ignore feelings of loss, anger and betrayal. Legally, divorce is about resolving the practical matters of dissolving your marriage so that you and your spouse can move on with your lives. Legally, a divorce is a business deal between you and your spouse. To protect your rights and assets you should seek the counsel of an experienced divorce attorney. Learn what you need to know before hiring that attorney.

You can learn more about Where to Go for a Divorce here

How Do I Start a Divorce Case?

Divorce cases begin with the preparation of the legal papers and the filing of these papers with the appropriate Nassau County or Suffolk County clerk. Your divorce attorney will help you fill out and file these papers for you. The courts require a fee to file this official legal paperwork.

The next step is to let your spouse know that you have filed for divorce from them. This must be completed in person by the serving of divorce papers from the “plaintiff” (the person who filed the divorce papers) to the “defendant” (the spouse receiving the papers” in person. Your divorce attorney will normally arrange for this to be handled by a process server.

You can learn more about How to Start a Divorce Case here.

How Long Does It Take To Get a Divorce

The simple answer is: it depends. It depends upon how complex your divorce is and how willing you and your spouse are to compromise and agree on the terms of your divorce. Learn about the many complex issues that that need to be resolved and how that may effect the length of time it takes to complete your divorce. The quicker you can resolve these with your spouse, the sooner your divorce can be over and you can move on with your life.

You can learn more about How Long It Takes to Get Divorced here.

Do I Need a Lawyer to Divorce?

Stricktly speaking, no, however you would be wise to consult with an experienced divorce attorney even if you think you and your spouse are in complete agreement on the terms of your divorce. You’ll want to protect yourself now, and for your future. Even Uncontested Divorces can be very complex and missing one issue can have negative ramifications for years and years. Even if you believe you any your spouse are in total agreement, an experienced divorce lawyer can help you prepare the forms required to apply and finalize your divorce and ensure you are legally protected.

You can learn more about If You Need to Hire a Divorce Attorney here.

How To Hire the Right Divorce Attorney

Even the simplest divorce is not easy. It is an emotional journey for both you and your spouse. Hiring the right divorce attorney is critical to protect your rights and ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible for you.  The best attorney for you will help you every step of the way and ensure your divorce is kept as amicable as possible. Learn how to find a divorce and family law firm that is experienced in all kinds of divorce options, including Contested and Uncontested divorce matters, mediation, Collaborative Divorce and Child Custody matters.

You can learn more about How to Hire the Right Divorce Attorney here.

Should You Represent Yourself in Your Divorce?

Everyone knows attorneys cost money. This is their profession, after all, and they deserve to be compensated for their time and effort. Many people believe they can save money by representing themselves in their divorce. This is especially true if they believe that they and their spouse both want the divorce, they don’t have children together and they don’t have a lot of assets to split up, so they think their divorce will be simple.

In our experience, this is possible, but extremely rare. Often, spouses who both believe their divorce will be uncontested and uncontentious, turn so once it comes to down to dividing up their marital property. If you have children, it’s even less likely because of issues like child support, custody, visitation and the like.

Of course, we believe that every couple splitting up should have some kind of legal representation. A marriage is, in essence and actuality, a legal contract between you and your spouse. Ask yourself: would I attempt to sever any other legal contract without representation?

Of course, if you and your spouse are both on amicable terms and you believe you agree on most of the terms of your divorce, you may be able to utilize an alternative dispute resolution method like divorce mediation which doesn’t involve an attorney for each spouse, but one divorce mediator to go over all the terms of the divorce, help resolve any minor issues and prepare and file the legal paperwork.

You can read more about Representing Yourself in Your Divorce here.

Grounds for Divorce

In 2010 New York state became the last state to allow what is known as a No Fault divorce. This means that you do not have to prove your spouse is at fault to file for divorce.

You still can, however, file for a Fault divorce and there are seven separate “faults” that are grounds for divorce in New York. In fact, even a No Fault divorce has to have the grounds or claim that the marriage has been “irretrievably broken” for at least six months.

You can learn more about the Grounds for Divorce in New York State here.

What Is An Annulment?

Under certain, very specific, circumstances, a marriage can be ended through an annulment, rather than a divorce. Essentially, an annulment has the legal effect of declaring that, for a number of reasons, the marriage never occurred. Again, the legal obligations for a marriage to be annulled are very specific. You can read more about How an Annulment Differs from a Divorce here.

Legal Separation Versus Divorce

A Legal Separation is essentially a “trial period” for couples who believe that they want to get divorced. In a legal separation agreement, you and your partner enter into a contract with the help of your divorce attorney.

Under the terms of this contract, which is a legally binding agreement when filed with the county clerk, you and your spouse will likely agree to maintain separate residences, decide issues of child custody and support, and settle the responsibility of bills and other monthly expenses. Once both you and your partner sign the agreement, and it is notarized, the legal separation is official.

One of the significant differences between a legal separation and a divorce is that legal separations are reversible, while divorces are not. You can end a legal separation and go back to being married by invalidating the legal separation agreement. You cannot do this with a divorce. In order to end a finalized divorce you would have to remarry your ex-spouse.

You can read more about the difference between Legal Separation and Divorce here.

For more information on divorce visit this page: Divorce Lawyers Answer Questions about Long Island Divorce

Divorce Options