Divorce/Family & Related

SUSAN E. RIZOS, Attorney at Law

Susan E. Rizos, Esq.

22-55 31st Street, Ste. 206B Astoria, New York 11105
Phone: 718-777-5750

Fax: 718-777-5756

The Law Office of Susan E. Rizos handles numerous types of cases within the divorce and family area. This page is designed to give you some general information. Click on the links below for more detailed information on each of the following topics:

Courts

Divorce and Separation matters are handled in the Supreme Court and include all ancillary issues such as child custody, visitatio and support, division of assets, alimony/maintenance, etc.

The Family Court has concurrent jurisdiction to handle custody, visitation and support issues when there is no divorce pending.

Orders of Protection can be obtained in Supreme Court as part of a divorce proceeding; Family Court or Criminal Court.

Tax Implications in Divorce/Separation

Attorney Susan Rizos can advise you generally about the tax consequences of the financial terms of your divorce or separation. For example, as a general rule, alimony (maintenance) payments are tax deductible for the payor spouse and must be claimed as income for the payee spouse. On the other hand, a lump sum payment would not be tax deductible. In addition, child support is not tax deductible and does not have to be claimed as income.

A settlement must take tax implications into account so that both parties are treated fairly in terms of economics. Certain language must be included in a settlement agreement or separation agreement to ensure that the anticipated tax consequences are in fact achieved.

For more detailed assistance with tax related issues in divorce, the attorney refers clients to a certified public accountant.

Bankruptcy & Divorce

When you enter a divorce settlement, you must always think about the possibility of a bankruptcy filing by the payor spouse. The changes to the bankruptcy laws which took effect in 2005 have made it more difficult to obtain a discharge of a domestic support obligation. Therefore, you will want to make sure that the language in your agreement is such that the payor spouse will not be able to discharge his or her payment obligations to you. At the office of Susan E. Rizos, attorney Rizos is an experienced bankruptcy practitioner fully versed in this area so that you can feel confident that this issue will be appropriately addressed in your agreement.

Susan E. Rizos, Attorney at Law | 22-55 31st Street, Ste. 206B, Astoria, New York 11105
Tel 718-777-5750 | Fax 718-777-5756

The information contained in this web site is provided for entertainment and/or informational purposes only. No attorney-client relationship is established by and between attorney Susan E. Rizos and persons using this site. No assurances of confidentiality or privilege are made to those submitting requests or questions. For more information, please read the Disclaimer.

This office is a debt relief agency as designated by Congress. We proudly represent individuals with bankruptcy filings under the United States Bankruptcy Code.

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