When your family faces a legal dispute, the choices you make have a lasting impact. A divorce, custody disagreement, or child support case directly affects your finances, your living situation, and the time you spend with your children. To protect your assets and your parental rights, you need an attorney who will give you clear guidance and pursue a fair outcome based on the facts, the family’s priorities, and applicable New York law.
The Law Office of Ryan Besinque represents individuals and families across New York City. From our Manhattan office, attorney Ryan Besinque listens to your goals, answers your questions, and speaks up for you and your family’s rights. Our legal team handles cases throughout Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs, covering everything from property division to child custody disputes. We regularly represent clients in the New York County Family Court and the New York State Supreme Court on Centre Street.
This page explains how divorce, custody, child support, spousal maintenance, marital agreements, family offense petitions, and order enforcement work under New York law. To schedule a consultation with a Manhattan family law attorney, call The Law Office of Ryan Besinque at (929) 251-4477.
Family law covers many distinct areas, and a single case often touches several at once. Our firm offers representation across the full range of family legal needs so you can address related issues with one attorney.
Key Takeaway: One family law case in New York City often involves divorce, custody, and support at the same time. Working with a single attorney across these related issues keeps your strategy consistent.
Call Manhattan attorney Ryan Besinque at (929) 251-4477 to discuss which issues apply to your case.
Any New York divorce requires a couple to resolve certain issues before a judgment can be granted.
Before a final divorce judgment can be entered, the spouses must resolve, or the court must decide, the required issues, which may include:
New York law recognizes both contested and uncontested divorces. For couples who mutually agree on the terms, an uncontested divorce is a less expensive and faster option. A Manhattan family law attorney can help couples negotiate any lingering items, meet the legal requirements, and file the appropriate documents with the New York County Supreme Court on Centre Street.
A divorce is contested when the spouses have not resolved every issue required for judgment, even if only one issue remains. A contested case can still settle through negotiation, mediation, or a written agreement; the judge decides only the issues that remain unresolved.
New York requires you to have a legal reason to end your marriage, known as your grounds for divorce. The specific reason you choose determines how you file your paperwork and how your attorney protects your interests. When spouses cannot resolve property, support, custody, or other terms, a contested divorce attorney can manage disclosure, negotiation, motions, and trial preparation.
Under New York Domestic Relations Law § 170, a couple may divorce based on the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. A divorcing spouse can claim the marriage has been irretrievably broken for at least six months. This no-fault option allows a couple to end the marriage with less animosity than a fault claim requires.
Depending on your situation, a fault-based ground may provide specific legal advantages. If you are considering a divorce, Manhattan attorney Ryan Besinque can help you evaluate your options and choose the appropriate ground for your case. Reach out to our office at (929) 251-4477 to plan your next steps.
Resolving child custody requires careful legal consideration during a divorce. In New York, courts decide custody based on the best interests of the child. A New York child custody lawyer can explain how courts evaluate parenting time, legal decision-making, safety, and the child’s best interests.
Courts weigh factors such as:
New York law recognizes three main custody arrangements. A New York child custody lawyer can explain how courts evaluate parenting time, legal decision-making, safety, and the child’s best interests.
| Type of Custody | What It Means | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Sole Custody | One parent has legal authority over major decisions affecting the child's life and welfare. | Controls decisions about schooling, medical care, religious upbringing, and where the child lives. The other parent may still have visitation. |
| Physical (Residential) Custody | Determines where the child primarily lives. | The residential parent handles daily decisions such as meals, routines, and bedtimes. The other parent may receive visitation. |
| Joint (Shared) Custody | Both parents share rights in making major decisions for the child. | Parents collaborate on education and major medical decisions, even if the child lives mostly with one parent. |
Custody and support of children in a divorce action are governed by New York Domestic Relations Law § 240. Whenever possible, we can help parents negotiate a parenting plan that works for both them and their children so a judge does not have to decide.
Key Takeaway: New York custody law separates legal custody (decision-making) from physical custody (where the child lives). A parent can share one without sharing the other, which is why the specific arrangement matters more than the label.
In New York, both parents share the financial responsibility of supporting their children after a separation or divorce. Child support obligations can still apply in shared custody arrangements, depending on each parent’s income. A New York City child support lawyer can explain income, statutory percentages, add-on expenses, modifications, and enforcement options.
When parents share custody, the primary custodial parent typically receives child support payments from the noncustodial parent. When the child spends equal time with both parents, the higher earner usually pays support to the lower earner. Couples can also reach agreements outside these typical scenarios, so it is important to understand your rights before agreeing to anything.
New York calculates support under the Child Support Standards Act, Family Court Act § 413, which applies a percentage of combined parental income based on the number of children:
| Number of Children | Percentage of Combined Parental Income |
|---|---|
| One child | 17 percent |
| Two children | 25 percent |
| Three children | 29 percent |
| Four children | 31 percent |
| Five or more children | At least 35 percent |
Support typically covers basic needs such as food, housing, and clothing, plus add-ons such as health insurance, medical bills, and education expenses. A New York City child support lawyer can explain income, statutory percentages, add-on expenses, modifications, and enforcement options. Call Manhattan attorney Ryan Besinque at (929) 251-4477 for help calculating a fair support order.
Ryan Besinque is the founding attorney of The Law Office of Ryan Besinque. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2012, where he received the CALI Award for Family Law and served as President of the Phi Delta Phi Legal Honors Society. He also holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in Psychology and Law from the University of Southern California, and he received the Outstanding Service Award from the Legal Aid Society of San Diego. He is admitted to practice in both New York and California and began his career in Los Angeles representing private clients and providing pro bono services to domestic violence victims.
Ryan relocated to New York City in 2018 and has since represented hundreds of families across Manhattan in divorce, custody, support, and family offense matters. He regularly appears before the New York County Family Court and the New York State Supreme Court on Centre Street, and he serves on the Manhattan Assigned Counsel Panel, providing legal assistance to clients who cannot afford representation. His approach is open communication and negotiated resolutions that protect both parties, and he moves to litigation when the other side is not negotiating in good faith.
Depending on the circumstances of a marriage, alimony or spousal support may be awarded by the court. Support can be either temporary or longer term, and the court weighs a range of financial and personal factors. A New York City spousal support attorney can explain temporary maintenance, post-divorce support, modification, and enforcement.
Those factors include:
If you are considering divorce and will need spousal support, a New York City spousal support attorney can explain temporary maintenance, post-divorce support, modification, and enforcement.
A maintenance order may be modified only under the governing order or agreement and New York law. Remarriage generally ends post-divorce maintenance, but cohabitation alone does not automatically do so; Domestic Relations Law § 248 addresses habitual cohabitation coupled with holding out as spouses, and the payor must apply to the court for relief.
A lawyer can review your situation and explain your options under New York’s Domestic Relations Law. Contact our team at (929) 251-4477 to find out if your current situation qualifies for a legal adjustment.
Learn More
Marital agreements let couples decide in advance how they will handle property, debt, and support if the marriage ends. In New York, these agreements are enforceable when they are in writing, signed, and acknowledged, and they can prevent costly disputes later.
A prenuptial agreement is signed before marriage and typically addresses how assets and debts will be divided and whether either spouse will receive support. A postnuptial agreement covers the same issues but is signed after the couple is already married. Both are useful for professionals, business owners, and couples entering marriage with significant separate property.
New York Family Court hears family offense petitions when one household or family member is accused of conduct such as harassment, assault, stalking, or menacing. These proceedings are separate from any criminal case and focus on protecting the petitioner. A domestic violence divorce attorney can help coordinate safety concerns, protective relief, divorce, custody, and support strategy.
When a family offense petition is filed, the court can issue an order of protection that directs the other party to stay away from the petitioner, refrain from contact, or leave a shared home. Family offense matters often overlap with custody and divorce cases, and the outcome can affect parenting time. A domestic violence divorce attorney can help coordinate safety concerns, protective relief, divorce, custody, and support strategy. Ryan Besinque represents both petitioners and respondents in family offense matters across Manhattan.
If a parent violates a custody or support order, you can file a contempt petition. Following a court hearing, a judge can impose fines, require the non-compliant parent to pay your legal fees, or order jail time until they comply. For unpaid child support, an income execution is often faster. Once served, the parent’s employer deducts the support payments directly from their paycheck.
Court orders can also be modified when circumstances change. Under the Child Support Standards Act, you can seek an upward or downward modification if there is a substantial change in circumstances, if three years have passed since the last order, or if either parent’s gross income changes by 15% or more.
New York City’s court system is organized by county, and each borough has its own Family Court. Much of our work is centered in Manhattan, but we assist clients throughout the city.
Our firm serves clients in:
Our legal team appears most often in lower Manhattan courts, including the New York County Family Court at 60 Lafayette Street and the New York State Supreme Court at 60 Centre Street.
Divorce, custody battles, and support disputes carry massive personal and financial stakes. The decisions you make right now will affect your children, your property, and your financial security for years to come. You need a clear strategy from a team that knows the New York court system inside and out. Before the first consultation, gather any existing court orders, recent financial records, a timeline of important events, and the questions you need answered first.
At The Law Office of Ryan Besinque, our focus is entirely on protecting your interests. Whether we are drafting a prenuptial agreement, resolving a dispute at the negotiating table, or fighting for your rights in a Manhattan courtroom, we provide the straightforward answers and strong advocacy you need to protect what matters most.
Call The Law Office of Ryan Besinque at (929) 251-4477 to schedule a consultation. Our office is located at 115 W 25th St, 4th floor, New York, NY 10001, and we serve clients throughout New York City’s five boroughs.
An uncontested divorce in New York can be finalized in a few months once all paperwork is filed and residency and grounds requirements are met. A contested divorce takes longer, often a year or more, because the court must resolve disputed issues such as property division, custody, and support.
State guidelines dictate that support is based on the parents’ combined income. A specific percentage is applied depending on the size of the family, starting at 17 percent for an only child. Judges may also require parents to share additional costs for medical care, tuition, and daycare.
You are not required to have a lawyer, but Family Court cases involve deadlines, evidence rules, and outcomes that affect your children and finances. New York provides assigned counsel to eligible people who cannot afford an attorney in certain Family Court matters under Family Court Act § 262.
Yes. A New York court can modify a custody order when there has been a substantial change in circumstances since the last order, and the change serves the child’s best interests, such as a parent’s relocation or safety concerns. You start the process by filing a petition in Family Court.
Yes. Since 2010, New York has allowed no-fault divorce under Domestic Relations Law § 170 based on the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage for at least six months. Couples can still pursue fault-based grounds when those apply, but most divorces now proceed on the no-fault ground.
Legal custody dictates who gets to make important life choices for the child, such as schooling and religious upbringing. Physical custody refers to the child’s primary home environment. It is common for parents to share decision-making authority even if the child resides with one parent most of the time.
Family law fees in New York City vary based on whether your case is contested, the issues involved, and the time required. An uncontested divorce costs less than a contested case that goes to trial. Ryan Besinque discusses fees during your consultation so you understand the expected cost before you decide.