Divorce (Dissolution of Marriage)

Regina Zelonker discusses her practice.

As your COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE ATTORNEY or your COOPERATIVE DIVORCE ATTORNEY, I would be representing you and providing advice and guidance as your advocate in a:

• Collaborative divorce;
• Cooperative divorce; or
• Mediation

Every case is distinct, as the parties and issues presented are unique to each family, and may involve time sharing, parenting plans, child support, property division, alimony, and other financial issues. The following include the dispute resolution processes that are available to assist people thinking about divorce to identify their interests and to reach their goals:

Collaborative Divorce: Collaborative Divorce is a dispute resolution process that allows people to resolve a dispute constructively and respectfully, with each person represented by his and her own Collaborative Divorce attorney, usually even before a case is filed in Court. This process can be most beneficial and successful when a neutral financial professional and a neutral mental health professional are part of the team. All professionals work to guide the participants to an agreement which addresses their interests based on information and perspective, in a private, non-public setting.

Cooperative Divorce: Representation to accomplish a settlement in an effective and efficient manner, resulting in a marital settlement agreement. A cooperative divorce may involve settlement conferences, mediation, attorneys’ direct communications, or other various ways to accomplish resolution.

Mediation: When mediation has been chosen by the spouses as the option they are choosing, I can be retained to represent one of them for the purpose of the mediation. Being represented by an attorney many times allows the clients to make informed and speedier decisions, rather than being unsure of what they are doing and not getting the information they may need to reach an agreement.

Premarital Agreements

A premarital agreement is a contract entered into before marriage which addresses issues of concern to the parties. A premarital agreement can be limited or broad, applicable to one piece of property or anything and everything that can be acquired now and in the future. Representation in the negotiation, drafting, and signing of a premarital agreement is important, involving difficult conversations during what should be a joyous time.

Post Marital Agreements

A post marital agreement allows spouses to enter to make plans in many different circumstances, such as a change in a business, receipt of a family inheritance or gift, or the sale of a premarital or family home or other real property. Just as families make estate plans, they may also need a post marital agreement to ensure that financial matters have been properly considered.

Stepparent Adoptions

The adoption of a child or adult by a stepparent is one of the most important events for a family. Representing a stepparent for the adoption is a part of my practice and assumes that the birth parent agrees to the adoption or has abandoned the child, or that the person being adopted is an adult.

Please contact me for more information and to schedule a mediation or a legal consultation.