Four Important Documents for Recent Divorcees

The process of getting a divorce can be long, drawn-out and draining on both your time and emotions. As with any big life change, you must remember that this is also an important time to review and if necessary update your legal documents. Below is a list of legal documents you should review again as soon as possible after the divorce.

Why Should You Get a Cohabitation Agreement?

A recent study done by the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys shows that matrimonial lawyers are seeing increasing numbers of clients whom are choosing to cohabitate and combine assets without first getting married.

As a long-time family law attorney, I know that just as it can be beneficial for couples who are planning to marry to sign pre-nupital agreements beforehand, it can also be beneficial for couples who are planning to move in together to sign a cohabitation agreement.

Cohabitation agreements are legal documents that a couple draws up in order to protect both persons' assets and define expectations in case the relationship does end. For couples who are living together without the legal protections and procedures of marriage, cohabitation agreements can minimize the financial repercussions of a bad break-up.

The Importance of a Will: Protect your Life Savings!

Throughout my years as a lawyer, I've noticed one commonality. Here’s the scenario: A beloved parent dies after a long illness. After a few days, the smoke clears and the children are suddenly left to deal with Mom or Dad’s Estate. Unfortunately, Mom and Dad never thought about making a will because they always thought that their possessions would just pass to their children automatically, but everyone is now realizing that that isn't necessarily true.

Cue the calls to my office.

I don’t mean to make light of such a difficult situation, but simply point out the importance of having a Will drawn up. The fact is, without a Will, when you pass away you are legally known as “intestate”. This means the fate of your estate depends entirely on the Court’s decision. What will occur is that the Court will hold a hearing to decide who the rightful heirs to your estate are and then decide accordingly. Unfortunately, this sometimes results in your estate not being split the way you intended.

How can you avoid this?