Divorce Lawyer in Syracuse, NY Area
Experienced divorce attorney handles all types of divorces
Divorce is a highly stressful process regardless of the type of divorce. When contemplating a divorce, you need the guidance of an experienced, knowledgeable, and understanding divorce attorney. Syracuse family lawyer Richard J. Bombardo handles the full range of divorce and family law matters for clients throughout Central New York State, including—
- Uncontested divorces
- Contested divorces
- No-fault divorces
Attorney Bombardo has assisted many clients in the Syracuse area to complete divorce proceedings successfully. He also offers skilled counsel on all the issues that may accompany a divorce, such as child custody, child visitation, child support, and spousal support, or maintenance.
His approach to family law cases is understanding, tough, and individualized. Knowing how difficult divorce can be on the people involved, he is attentive and caring as he guides clients through the process. While fighting relentlessly to achieve optimal results, he gives each client the needed mixture of aggressive representation and emotional support.
Uncontested divorce—what is it?
An uncontested divorce is one where neither spouse opposes the divorce in any way. These types of divorce usually only deals with the issue of divorce itself, because other issues have already been settled by formal agreement or court orders. An uncontested divorce can occur in a variety of ways:
- A "conversion divorce" is the most common method by which an uncontested divorce can be granted. This occurs
- when one year has elapsed since the signing of a separation agreement between the parties (or)
- when there is a Judgment of Separation, so that one of the parties can sue the other for divorce based on compliance with the terms of the separation agreement for one or more years.
- In other types of uncontested divorce cases, there must be specific grounds for divorce which are not contested. One can sue for divorce on grounds and incorporate an existing separation agreement.
- A "default divorce" can be granted when the served party does not bother to respond to any papers served.
The key advantages of an uncontested divorce are lower relative cost, lack of animosity, and privacy.
Representing clients in contested divorces
A divorce is contested when the spouses cannot come to an agreement on issues such as the division of marital assets or child custody. Situations in which spouses cannot agree, they go before a Court, and the Court makes the final decision on the contested issues. A contested divorce can be a lengthy process. It involves some or all of the following steps—
- Meeting with an attorney
- Serving a divorce petition upon your spouse
- Spousal response to divorce petition
- Discovery
- Settlement
- Trial motions
- Appeals
Offering guidance for no-fault divorces
On August 15, 2010, Governor David Paterson signed no-fault divorce into law in New York. The law went into effect in October 2010, making New York the last state in the country to adopt a no-fault divorce policy.
No-fault divorce means that a couple need not prove any instances of wrongdoing or abuse to file for divorce in a court of law. Under the new law, spouses are allowed to terminate their marriages six months after declaring that their marriage is "irretrievably" broken. Previously, couples wanting a divorce in New York without proving fault had to be separated for at least one year before becoming eligible to file.
The new law also permits couples to split without assigning blame for the marriage’s collapse. The new no-fault divorce law eliminates long, bitter court battles over who is to blame when a marriage fails.
Freed of the requirement to provide artificial substantiation of grounds, all parties are able to concentrate on the genuinely important issues. Attorney Bombardo can now focus on helping clients settle issues that actually matter to them, such as—
- Alimony
- Child support
- Child custody arrangements
- Child visitation
Providing skilled legal counsel and attentive client service
Contact the Law Office of Richard Bombardo, PC at 315-488-5544 for a free consultation and let Mr. Bombardo answer your questions about divorce. In-office and telephone consultations are available Monday through Friday during normal business hours and by appointment after hours and weekends. You can also contact the firm online by submitting the intake form on this website. Flexible payment options are available for clients who meet certain criteria.
