Getting a divorce under New York law has become an easier process than previous years. This is due to the fact New York has passed a law permitting no-fault divorce, meaning that a couple need not prove any instances of wrongdoing or abuse in order to file for divorce in a court of law. In New York, spouses are allowed to terminate their marriages within a period of six months after declaring that their marriage is “irretrievably” broken down. New York is the last state to adopt this stance, which officially makes the U.S. a “no-fault divorce nation”. This is one of the rare instances in which all 50 states show some sort of uniformity on an issue.

The law firm of Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C., has represented many individuals filing for a divorce in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island, and Nassau and Suffolk counties. For any questions concerning domestic relations matters, contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-800-545-4658. Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C.’s divorce website is located at www.lbdivorcelaw.com.

Under United States law, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) does not enforce the protections that prohibit discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation. However, with the repeal of the Military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, many Gay and Lesbian Organizations are hopeful that the discrimination based on sexual orientation will be prohibited in all work places. To date, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. Please visit the EEOC’s website for further information: http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/vii.html.

The attorneys at Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C., dedicate a large amount of their practice to employment discrimination claims. For any questions, contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-800-585-4658. Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C.’s website is located at www.lmblaw.com.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex in the workplace. It is unlawful to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of his/her race or color in regard to hiring, termination, promotion, compensation, job training, or any other term, condition, or privilege of employment. Please visit the EEOC’s website for more information: EEOC.

The attorneys at Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC believe that discrimination at work, or anywhere else, has no place in a free and democratic society. Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC has won precedent-setting decisions involving employment discrimination for clients represented on Long Island and throughout the New York City area. For a free consultation, please contact Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658. at One Old Country Road - Suite 347, Carle Place, NY, 11514-1851

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) does not enforce the protections that prohibit discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation. To date, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. However, there has been a lot of buzz in the federal courts surrounding gay rights. Specifically, a recent repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy and two laws restricting gay rights — the federal Defense of Marriage Act and the California ban on same-sex marriage - have been declared unconstitutional by federal judges in recent months. These three recent decisions on gay rights issues suggest that federal judges are increasingly willing to strike down what they see as anti-gay bias embodied in legislation.

The attorneys at Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C., dedicate a large amount of their practice to employment discrimination claims. For any questions, contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-800-585-4658. Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C.’s website is located at www.lmblaw.com.

Under New York Domestic Relations law, a prenuptial agreement must be fair and reasonable and not tainted with fraud, misrepresentation, coercion or imposition. In the absence of such taints, these agreements have been presumed to be valid, and the party alleging taints or defects has had the burden of proof to establish their invalidity. Domestic Relations Law (DRL) 236[B](3), enacted in 1980, provides that the subject matter of such agreements includes:

(1) a contract to make a testamentary provision of any kind, or a waiver of any right to elect against the provisions of a will;
(2) provision for the ownership, division or distribution of separate and marital property;
(3) provision for the amount and duration of maintenance or other terms and conditions of the marriage relationship, subject to the provisions of 5-311 of the General Obligations Law, and provided that such terms were fair and reasonable at the time of the making of the agreement and are not unconscionable at the time of entry of final judgment; and
(4) provision for custody, care, education and maintenance of any child of the parties.

The attorneys at Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. are experienced in all domestic relations matters, and have represented families in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island. For any questions concerning domestic relations matters, contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-800-585-4658. Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C.’s divorce website is located at www.lbdivorcelaw.com.

Approximately one in three of all first marriages in the United States end ion divorce, and 50 percent of second or third marriages end in divorce.  A prenuptial agreement is smart financial planning, legal and financial experts say.  In essence, a prenuptial agreement is a contract between two people about to wed that spells out how assets will be distributed in the event of divorce or death.  It is important to consult with an attorney if you wish to draw up a prenuptial agreement. It is vital to consult with an attorney in the event you are given a prenuptial agreement.  Often times, the agreement is filled with legal jargon that is difficult to understand, and the non-initiating spouse may not fully understand what he or she is signing.  Like all contracts, a prenuptial agreement is fully enforceable.  However, the agreement may be declared invalid if signed under duress, coercion, or undue influence.

The attorneys at Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. are experienced in all domestic relations matters, and have represented families in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island.  For any questions concerning domestic relations matters, contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-800-585-4658.  Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C.’s divorce website is located at www.lbdivorcelaw.com.

Effective March 14, 2011, Nassau County is enforcing a mandatory one-time mediation session, free, for every couple filing for divorce in their jurisdiction. This program comes after the passage of no-fault divorce in New York state, which has created an influx of divorces in the county. The program was developed by the state’s Office of Court Administration and Robert A. Ross, the supervising judge of the matrimonial section of State Supreme Court in Nassau County. The purpose is to encourage less animosity and reach speedy resolutions.

The law firm of Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. has represented clients in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island. If you are facing a divorce proceeding, it is important to hire lawyers that are capable of advocating your needs. For any questions, contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit our divorce website at www.lbdivorcelaw.com.

It is vital for single parents to have their affairs in order. They must plan for their children. It is advisable for single parents to have a Last Will and Testament, with provisions of who will care for their children should they pass. A Last Will and Testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death. Included in the Will is provision of Guardianship. A parent may nominate who will look after their child should they pass without another parent alive. Also, a single parent can arrange to provide for their children’s health, education, maintenance, and support in a trust. The trust will hold the money for the child until he/she turns a certain age. Distributions may be staggered, so that the child receives 1/3 of the estate at age 25, 1/3 at age 30, and 1/3 at age 35. It is important to consult with an attorney about your affairs. No estate is too small to be excluded from estate planning.

For questions regarding estate planning, please contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit the firm’s website at www.lbestatelaw.com.

Under New York Domestic Relations Law, in order to be able to seek a divorce decree from the NY courts, the petitioner must satisfy a residency requirement in order for the NY court to have jurisdiction over the marriage. Under New York law, a petitioner would need to prove a spouse had some kind of permanency in NY. The petitioner or respondent must plead and prove to be a NY domicile before he or she is able to plead a prima facie matrimonial cause of action, as well as avoid a civil practice, CPLR 3211(a)(7), motion to dismiss the case for failure to state a cause of action. There are 3 ways to satisfy the NY residency requirement:

1. Allege that either spouse has been a NY resident for a continuous two year period, immediately before commencement of the action

2. Where both spouses are NY domiciliaries when the action is commenced, and the matrimonial cause of action arose in NY? In this case, there is no minimum residency requirement.

3. Petitioner can simply allege that either party has been a NY resident for one continuous year before the commencement of the matrimonial action and both parties were married in NY, or the matrimonial cause of action arose in NY, or both parties resided in NY as husband and wife.

Note that domicile and residency are used synonymously in this statute (See Domestic Relations Law Section 230).

Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. seeks to obtain divorce judgments which will be most favorable to their clients. Our attorneys have represented clients in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island. For any questions, contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-585-4658. Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C.’s divorce website is located at www.lbdivorcelaw.com.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, children and forced laborers produce 130 kinds of goods in 71 countries, and over 12 million people are victims of forced labor. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is administered by the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) which contains the standards for minimum wages, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor. Every employer covered by the FLSA must keep certain records for each worker. The records should be kept at the place of employment or in a central records office. Additionally, an employer must maintain records of information such as the employee’s full name, address, including zip code, birth date (if younger than 19), sex and occupation, time and day of week when employee’s workweek begins, hours worked each day and total hours worked each workweek, the basis on which employee’s wages are paid (e.g., “$9 per hour”, “$440 a week”, “piecework”, and the regular hourly pay rate to name a few. Employers are required to preserve payroll records for at least 3 years, collective bargaining agreements, and sales and purchase records. Records of wage computations should be retained for two years (such as time cards and piecework tickets, wage rate tables, work and time schedules, and records of additions to or deductions from wages). For a full listing of the types of records an employer must maintain, see the Wage and Hour Division Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping Requirements Under the FLSA.

If you or someone you know is not being fully compensated for all the time you work, or your employer has improperly calculated your hours worked, you may be entitled to overtime and additional compensation. Our office focuses on disputes dealing with overtime claims and wage and hour law violations, including violations resulting from improper wage and overtime calculations. For a consultation, contact Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658.