Family Law Flashcards
Marvin relationship
NY allows K for variety of services, BUT NOT sexual relations.
Types of marriage
Ceremonial: recognized in NY. requires license + solemnization (1 witness, 1 officiator). License requires:
- 18 OR 16-17 + parental consent OR 15 + parental consent + court consent.
- must wait at least 24 hours.
- blacks must get sickle cell anemia test.
- reasons to deny: already married, closer relation than 1st cousins, sham, incapable of understanding the act (drunk).
Common law: NOT recognized in NY, but will recognize if in other state.
Heart balm actions
NOT available in NY.
BUT gifts in anticipation of marriage are recoverable.
Annulment
Marriage is considered valid up until date of annulment decree, when it ends.
- void marriage
- not recognized for any purpose EXCEPT child legitimacy.
- grounds: bigamy, incest, life sentence, enoch arden (5 years presumed dead).
- voidable
- necessary consents for age not obtained. BUT once age of majority reached, no longer voidable. ONLY parents of minor spouse may use this ground.
- physical incapacity to have children, if other party was unaware.
- fraud or misrep: 3 years SOL.
- mental illness at least 5 years.
Separation Agreement
Signed + writing + notarized.
- grounds: all fault grounds for divorce + failure to support.
- cannot obligate giving up support otherwise entitled to.
- if same attorney for both parties, court will take “hard look.”
- if apart for 1 year, can then get conversion divorce, in which case the separation agreement either:
1) merges with divorce decree. only judgment remains, enforceable as judgment.
2) incorporated: agreement remains separate, enforceable as K. - agreement will only be changed under “extreme circumstances.”
No-fault divorce
“Irretrievably broken” at least 6 months.
All issues must be resolved before divorce is granted.
Fault grounds for divorce
1) Adultery
- 5 year SOL from discovery
- recrimination defense available.
2) Cruel and inhuman treatment
- harmful to physical or mental health + cohabitation unsafe.
- 5 year SOL from last occurrence.
3) abandonment
- leaves for at least 1 year, with no intent to return.
4) Imprisonment 3+ years
- 5 year SOL once inmate is released
Defenses to divorce action
1) Recrimination
2) Consent
3) Condonation
4) Collusion
5) Provocation
6) Justification
NOT religious difference.
Equitable distribution
- in Supreme Court.
- Marital property = everything acquired during marriage, EXCEPT:
1) acquired before marriage.
2) specific agreement.
3) gift or inheritance.
4) acquired by exchange of separate property.
5) passive appreciation.
6) personal injury compensation
7) social security. - Included in marital property:
1) professional license: career enhancement value.
2) Retirement plans and pension benefits that have VESTED.
3) commingling of income = intent to created marital property.
4) stock plans to the extent of being payment for work during the marriage.
Factors in distributing marital property
1) income at time of marriage and divorce.
2) loss of inheritance.
3) age and health.
4) duration of marriage.
5) need for custodial parent in marital residence.
6) spousal support.
7) tax
8) any fact touching on value of property
9) future inheritances not part of marital property.
Spousal maintenance
1) Pendant life - during proceedings.
2) Short-term (preferred)
3) Long term
- standard of living during marriage.
- Modification
- if not separation agreement, then “significant change in circumstances” required to modify.
- if separation agreement, then “extreme circumstances” needed to modify.
- Spousal maintenance ends with:
- Death or remarriage.
- NOT cohabitation.
Arrears
Child support: NEVER modifiable.
Spousal support: NOT discharged by death or remarriage, BUT for showing of good cause, can be modified.
-MAY suspend spousal maintenance as retaliation for withholding visitation rights.
Jurisdiction over family matters
Property distribution and dissolution of marriage, separation agreements –> Supreme Court ONLY.
Child support, child custody, spousal maintenance –> family court OR supreme court (UNLESS parties were never married, in which case family court).
SMJ over marriages
- Both parties have continuous residence in NY for over 1 year + 1 of 3 factors:
1) married in NY
2) resided in NY as husband and wife
3) cause of action arose in NY - one party has resided continuously in NY for 2 years.
Personal Juris.
- over out-of-state resident when:
1) NY was matrimonial domicile before separation
2) defendant abandoned plaintiff in NY
3) claim for relief accrued under NY law
4) claim pursuant to agreement concluded in NY.