Broome County Family Law Blog

For people in New York beginning a relationship, physical attraction to a new partner may be one of the most compelling aspects that bring two people together. However, some couples have wide differences in their levels of attractiveness, at least insofar as they are perceived by others. While people have widely variant understandings of which traits are the most physically attractive, social standards of beauty may have a significant impact on how people are treated in romantic relationships. Several researchers have conducted studies to examine how an attractiveness gap may affect the happiness or longevity of a relationship.

Some researchers found that couples with a wide gap in attractiveness were more likely to break up later on. One study noted that tensions arise in these relationships when the partner considered less attractive develops jealousy or controlling tendencies. Another study found that women who reported that they were much more attractive than their male partners were more likely to flirt with others and lack commitment to the relationship. Since that study relied on self-reported attractiveness gaps, however, it may also illustrate serious relationship problems, dislike and contempt. All of these factors are often present in case of a divorce.

Emotions and realities about money can make some divorce-related decisions difficult. In particular, choosing what to do with the family home can be a challenge. Whatever a New York couple decides, it's important that they avoid two common errors.

First, many people fail to realize that they cannot afford the home however much they want to live in it. In some cases, the decision to sell the home is often not agreed upon by the couple but ordered by a judge. Some couples may compromise by waiting a year or two until the market improves or a child is out of school. In an amicable divorce, they might try a nesting arrangement in which the children live in the home and the parents switch in and out.

Individuals in New York who have recently been divorced could see their tax deductions drop dramatically. While marriage does include a lot of nice tax breaks, it's possible for divorcees to save money by filing as a head of household instead of as single.

Filing as head of household requires a person to be single and have a qualifying dependent (such as a child) live with them for over half the year. The taxpayer must also have contributed the majority of support toward maintaining a household during the last year.

Should you and your New York same-sex spouse decide to call it quits, you may discover that getting a divorce by means of litigation is not in your best interests. Why? Because while New York like all other states recognizes same-sex marriages, the divorce laws may favor heterosexual couples.

This unfortunate situation arises because of the landmark 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. This was the case that legalized same-sex marriage throughout the United States. The justices did not, however, mandate the states to accordingly update their divorce laws. As a result, laws have been slow to change and a mediated divorce may work better for you and your spouse than a traditional litigated one.