Divorce
When a marriage is coming to an end, there seem to be an overwhelming number of decisions to be made. Who gets the antique mirror that was a family gift last Christmas? How will the retirement account be divided? The furniture? What about the cars? How do you divvy up the accumulated belongings of years of marriage? An even trickier issue can be dealing with accumulated debt through credit cards and other loans.
Mark Chauvin Bezinque has years of experience in helping couples navigate the emotional, sometimes turbulent divorce process as fairly and effectively as possible. He is organized and caring yet firm, helping both parties stay focused on the important things and prioritize their needs and those of their children.
Decisions Affecting the Children
Courts will decide issues of custody and visitation of children in case parents are unable to agree. Child custody is decision-making authority, and visitation is where the children will reside from day to day.
Mr. Bezinque has extensive experience litigating these matters before Supreme and Family Court judges and referees and helping his clients negotiate agreements both in and out of court. He helps identify what is most important to his clients when it comes to how decisions will be made about the children and where the children will reside. Then he helps his clients achieve their goals.
Child Support
New York has the Child Support Standards Act. Since it went into effect in 1989, significant court decisions have explained how it is applied in different circumstances. Mr. Bezinque has participated in many litigated cases about child support, and he has helped his clients achieve an acceptable level of support both within and outside of the court system.
Spousal Maintenance
Called alimony by some, spousal maintenance or spousal support is a payment from the higher-income spouse to the other. Courts start with a formula, found here, can deviate from that formula and must determine what to do over a certain income cap, based on numerous factors. Mr. Bezinque assists his clients achieve the best cash flow arrangement given the circumstances.
Equitable Distribution
When a couple divorces, the marital assets and liabilities need to be identified, valued and then divided equitably. Each stage of the process has particular demands. Mr. Bezinque’s experience allows him to evaluate each step along the way, helping his clients understand what’s involved and obtain their goals.
Wills, Health Proxies, Powers of Attorney
In today’s world, peace of mind can be hard to come by without taking the necessary steps to create and maintain a will and other end-of-life considerations. Even a family with a modest collection of property and financial resources can significantly benefit from the clarity a will establishes regarding the wishes of a parent. Many a family disruption has been caused over disagreement of who should receive a family belonging of high sentimental value. Mr. Bezinque will help you and your family navigate through the issues, property, and issues to create the right will for you.
Even before death, today’s financial and elder care laws can make it difficult to properly take care of an aging or infirm relative. Most hospitals will substantially limit with whom they will share health information about a patient without a health proxy signed in advance. A power of attorney document gives the designee the ability to handle as wide or narrow a range of personal and financial issues desired.
Mr. Bezinque can help an individual or entire family organize their wishes into the right legal documents, giving them peace of mind knowing the right things will be done when they no longer have the ability to make those decisions.
