New York Divorce & Family Law Attorney

David W. Teeter

Divorce attorneys proudly serving New York in Long Island's Nassau and Suffolk counties as well as Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn

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New York Divorce Lawyers

Serving Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan (NYC).

The Law office of David W Teeter is a boutique New York divorce law firm located on Long Island in Uniondale, NY. We concentrate our practice exclusively in the areas of family and divorce law, and serve clients in the greater New York City area, including Long Island, and other nearby counties such as Nassau, Suffolk. Recognized among divorce law firms in New York, our New York Law office offers all three options for divorce: litigation, collaborative law and mediation.


Emphasizing comprehensive, compassionate, and cutting-edge service, our New York family law attorneys offer expertise in professional trial advocacy, litigation, negotiation, collaborative law, mediation, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, child custody and support, spousal maintenance, property division, and modifications  and  enforcement of court orders.


We Are Prepared to Handle All Types of Divorce Cases

How Can We Help You With Your Case?

Seasoned representation and mediation in Long Island and beyond.

Our Law Office is in Uniondale Long Island so we can be accessible to our clients in Nassau and Suffolk as well as Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. Our Long Island  attorneys focus on litigation, collaborative divorce, and mediation  services, offering custom strategies and solutions for our clients. Our team is well-versed in the unique needs of the Long Island communities, as well as the procedures and rules governing divorce. Contact us today to learn more.

Our uniquely focused practice and decades of combined experience in all aspects of New York divorce law ensures that we have the skill and capacity to provide the best service for our clients’ needs. We have significant experience handling these cases and are highly skilled at preparing effective prenuptial and postnuptial agreements as well as protecting our clients’ property, assets, and interests upon divorce.


Representing individuals in intricate financial matters requires sophisticated financial understanding and in-depth knowledge of the law. At the law office of David W Teeter, we pride ourselves on quality work and achieving positive and highly satisfactory results for our clients. Our skilled New York divorce lawyers are fully committed to offering each of our clients:


  • Personal attention
  • Prompt responses to individual needs and inquiries
  • Thorough and clearly stated explanations of your options
  • Creative solutions to difficult and complex problems
  • An extensive menu of legal processes, including litigation, negotiation, mediation, and collaborative law

Divorce and other family law issues may be particularly fraught with tension, but even divorce does not need to be emotionally devastating. A New York family law attorney from our firm can help individuals navigate complex and delicate matters, always working to minimize stress and strain on families. In certain select situations, mediation or collaborative law may be the right answer to resolve issues to everyone’s advantage and in other situations, there is no choice but to litigate and go to court. With our experience in all three process choices, we can help clients figure out what process is right for them.

Call The Law Office of

David W. Teeter Today!

516-229-2235

Our Clients Share Their Experience

Our Divorce & Family Law Attorneys are committed to your best interests. Working with our team means we believe in your case 100 percent. Your goals are our priority. 

Mr. Teeter has been my attorney for the past 3 years and I could not have managed without him.  He fought and ultimately won my child custody case for which I will be forever grateful.  Mr. Teeter always responds promptly to all of my questions/requests...no matter how big or small.  I was extremely lucky to find wise counsel as well as someone to keep me grounded during some of the hardest times of my life.  Thank you so much!. "


- Jennifer Baik

Real Client : Garden City, NY

   

Our Individualized: Approach



1.



Personal Attention


We take the time to learn about our clients and their families.


2.


Experience



We understand our clients' specific family law issues.


3.


Solution Oriented Representation

We develop a legal strategy to help our clients achieve their goals.


4.


Together we'll decide the best way to proceed.


That's my goal for you.

Contact an Experienced, Dedicated New York

Divorce Lawyer Today

As a dedicated New York family law practice, we establish close working relationships with our clients, resulting in strong and effective representation. If you find yourself facing divorce or other family law issues, please contact our law office at 516.229.2235 to schedule an appointment with an experienced New York divorce attorney.

We will contact you to ask questions and go over your options.

Together, we will determine with you, what your best options are for the next step for you and your family to take.

We begin reviewing your case.

What Happens After You Reach Out


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Family Law Blog | DWT


12 Mar, 2019
Many people have heard that using a mediator to help in a divorce is a less expensive alternative to litigation, but they are not sure what mediation is or how it works. While mediation may not be right for every divorce, when it does work, the parties will likely feel more empowered, more satisfied with the outcome, and more committed to following through with the settlement in the future. The job of a mediator in a divorce is to help the parties identify what is most important so that they can find solutions that work for both of them—a win-win scenario. In a divorce, emotions run high. People feel anger, recrimination, and fear. These emotions are real, and they are important, but they don’t help lead to a solution. Only by identifying the source of the emotions can solutions be reached. In a mediation, one parent may threaten to take the children away, never to let the other see them again. If a threat like this were aired in court, it could lead to months of litigation and cost tens of thousands of dollars. In mediation, we seek the source of that anger. Is the mother making the threat because she is afraid that she won’t have enough money to support herself? Good. How do we divide the available funds so that she is able to support herself? Is the father making the threat because he is afraid that he won’t have enough time with the children to maintain a meaningful relationship? Good. How do we structure the time so that both parents have meaningful time with the children? During the mediation process, the mediator rarely if ever suggests a solution. Instead, the mediator draws the parties out, asking them to identify their underlying needs. In a successful mediation, the parties will suggest solutions that work best for them. They will collaborate to reach a resolution that is finely tailored to their needs. This can be especially important for observant families. Most often, a judge who has been randomly assigned to handle a divorce will not fully appreciate the needs of observant litigants. By mediating the issues, the parties themselves can fashion an agreement that is sensitive to such matters as apportioning time on the chagim, paying for yeshiva tuition, deciding on an appropriate yeshiva in Israel following high school, when the get will be given, which beit midrash will be used, and many more. Once the mediation reaches a successful conclusion, the parties will need to have an agreement written for them. For this reason, it pays to use an attorney well versed in divorce law as a mediator. The agreement, usually called a stipulation of settlement, must meet stringent requirements in order to pass muster with the court. If it does not, the court will not issue a judgment of divorce. Mediation is not right for every case. If there is domestic violence in the marriage, mediation will not succeed, because of the obvious power imbalance between the parties. Also, where one party has an addiction or substance-abuse problem, mediation is not appropriate unless the person with the problem has admitted it and is fully committed to treatment. If there are hidden assets or income, mediation is unlikely to help, since there is no mechanism to compel a party to disclose such information. Divorce is a difficult, anxiety-filled time. The sooner the issues in the divorce (custody of the children, parenting time, child support, etc.) can be resolved, the better. Mediation, when done correctly, can be a powerful tool to help parties resolve these issues in a timely and cost-effective manner. David Teeter has practiced law for over 20 years and has children at Rambam Mesivta and Yeshiva Har Torah.
11 Mar, 2019
What does this mean, kosher divorce? Divorce is one of the most stress-filled times in a person’s life. However, even during a divorce, the parties have an obligation to act in an ethical manner, to treat each other with respect, and to make a kiddush Hashem. Problems in a divorce usually arise when the parties act out of anger. The husband moves out of the house and stops paying the bills because he is angry at his wife. The wife cannot pay the bills and is forced to run to court for an emergency order of financial support. Or the wife is angry at the husband, and refuses to let him see the children. The husband is bereft without the children, and now he has to run to court for an emergency order of parenting time (visitation). When these clients come to an attorney for help, they want a solution as soon as possible, and justifiably so. The current situation cannot continue for another day. The attorney then prepares papers for court, characterizing the other spouse in the worst possible light. Their motion papers are served on that spouse, who is only further upset and often enraged at the characterization of him or her in this official court document. And the cycle continues. This is the opposite of a kosher divorce. In a kosher divorce, both the husband and the wife make decisions based solely on the best interests of the entire family, putting aside their individual interests. This is easier said than done, because you must do so even when you know that the other one is not doing the same. Thus, even if the husband stops paying the bills, the wife must not stop him from seeing the children. And even if the wife does not let the husband see the kids, he must still continue to pay the bills. Why not punish your spouse when you know that he or she has done something to harm you? Because people see what you are doing. The judge will see it and will assign equal blame to you as to your spouse. Your children will see it and will be hurt to see their parents act poorly toward each other. The community may hear of it, and may feel forced to take sides. But equally important, it is a chillul Hashem. None of this is meant to suggest that one must be a pushover. Each spouse should zealously advocate for himself or herself. Neither should leave the negotiating table or the courtroom feeling that he or she did not make the best case possible. It simply must be done ethically, honorably, and without anger or a desire for recrimination. It is unfortunate when two people who had the best intentions could not make their marriage succeed. A divorce is the sad recognition of that fact. It is also an opportunity to do right by your spouse, your children, your community, and yourself. David Teeter is an attorney practicing in Garden City, New York. He can be reached at David@DWTFamilyLaw.com.

Learn More About Divorce and Family Law in Our Library

This is a one of a kind annotated resource of information for lawyers, couples and families as well as anyone looking to see what’s going on in our justice system with Divorce and Family law cases. 

  • Who Can File For Divorce in NY?

    Either the husband or the wife can file for divorce.  Grounds for divorce are no longer necessary to obtain a divorce in New York.  Either party can allege that there has been an irretrievable breakdown in the marriage.  A divorce may be filed in New York as long as the parties have been living in New York for at least one year.

  • How Does an Uncontested Divorce Work?

     An uncontested divorce just means that all of the issues (financial, child custody, child support, division of property) have been decided and all that needs to be done is file the appropriate paperwork to obtain a judgment of divorce.  In most cases, before filing the uncontested papers, you should also have a legally binding Stipulation of Settlement drafted and signed.

  • How is child support decided in New York?

    Child support is generally determined by a formula set forth in the law, called the Child Support Standards Act.  The formula requires the non-custodial spouse (the parent who does not have residential custody of the children) to pay a percentage of his/her income (less FICA withholdings) to the custodial spouse.  The percentage varies depending on the number of children: one child 17%, two children 25%, three children 29%.   If the parties' combined income exceeds a certain threshold, child support may or may not be awarded on the income above the threshold.  Also, the parties can voluntarily agree to an amount of child support different from that calculated by the formula. 

  • What is permanent spousal support or alimony?

    There is a legally mandated formula for calculating spousal support (alimony).  Generally speaking, the formula works such that the greater the difference between the parties’ income, the greater the amount of support that will be mandated.  The formula is gender neutral, so if the wife earns more than the husband, she may, in fact, be ordered to pay support to the husband.  There are fifteen (15) discretionary factors, however, which allow the judge to deviate, awarding an amount different than the formula would otherwise require.

  • How is property divided in a New York Divorce?

    New York is an “equitable distribution” state, meaning the judge has the discretion to divide the parties’ property fairly, not necessarily equally.  Most marital property, however, is divided equally in most situations.  The main exceptions are separate property that was either owned prior to the marriage or inherited during the marriage, and small businesses, whether started before or during the marriage.

  • What am I entitled to in a divorce in NY?

    You are entitled to a fair (not necessarily equal) division of the marital property; reasonable time with the children, whether as the custodial parent or non-custodial parent; child support for the custodial parent; and spousal maintenance for the lower earning spouse.  The most important point, however, is that there is more than one way to decide a case, so having the right representation is crucial. 

  • What does a prenuptial agreement cover?

     A prenuptial agreement can cover more or less ground, depending on your needs.  The simplest prenuptial agreement just addresses one issue, such as keeping a premarital business separate in the event of a divorce.  But the prenuptial can cover how the bills will get paid, whether or not separate accounts will be kept, or what to do if the parties purchase real estate or make investments.

  • What happens if you don't pay child support in New York?

    Child support can be enforced several different ways.  The payor's salary can be garnished to pay support as well as accumulated arrears (back-due support).  A court can enter a money judgment which can be enforced against a bank account or other assets in the payor's name.  A court can suspend the payor's driver's license or other professional license or certification.  Finally, under certain circumstances, a court can find the payor in contempt and sentence the payor to jail unless he pays a certain amount by a set date.

David W. Teeter is a sought after New York Family Law and Divorce attorney with over 20 years of experience helping New Yorkers resolve their marital differences, gain custody of their kids and move on with their life.


Give yourself the best option, Call Us Today!   

516-225-2235


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