Helene Bernstein, Esq. on the Financially Every After Podcast

I recently had the opportunity to join Stacy Francis on the Financially Ever After podcast. As we discussed on the show, COVID-19 is having a profound impact on the world of divorce. Here are a few highlights discussed on the program:

A key point to consider is that the court systems are not operating at normal capacity. Family Court is operating in emergency-mode, and newly contested divorce cases are being referred to mediation. Because New York City courts are not at full capacity, parties in NYC are opting to file divorce papers in an upstate New York counties.

Children should be a top consideration in any separation process, but especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online learning is a significant stressor for both parents and their children, requiring significant coordination. Separation agreement must include COVID-19 provisions to deal with parenting, schooling, relocation out of New York City.

Child support agreements may be difficult to enforce during this period and may need to be modified temporarily after assessing the family’s budget and needs which may look differently during this lockdown period.

Mediation is a great option for parents going through separation and divorce. The zoom platform is a great communication tool to discuss issues of child custody, parenting arrangements, child support, maintenance, equitable distribution of assets and divorce, while keeping safe and maintaining control of our environment.

Please give the podcast a listen and let me know what you think. And, of course, thank you to Stacy Francis of Francis Financial, a divorce financial planning and investment firm, for having me on the podcast!