Attorney Natasha Meyers Helps Mother Obtain Support from Ex-Husband for Child’s College Expenses
Huntington, NY (PRWEB) April 03, 2014 -- With the assistance of Divorce Attorney Natasha Meyers, a mother who was seeking help from her ex-husband in paying their daughter’s college expenses reached an important case victory (Pasterak v. Pasterak, Docket No. F-06497-10/13BC, Family Court of the State of New York in Suffolk County, N.Y.). According to the court documents, the ex-husband made several arguments as to why he should not have to pay the college expenses, including the argument that this was not a requirement of his existing child support order and the argument that he could not afford the college costs.
Court records show that on Jan. 13, 2014, the family court modified the existing child support order, making the ex-husband responsible for paying 50% of his daughter’s college tuition costs and mandatory fees. He was not ordered to pay room and board costs since he would continue to pay child support. Attorney Meyers, the founding member of The Meyers Law Group, P.C., represented the ex-wife in the case.
According to the court documents, the ex-wife (the plaintiff) and the ex-husband (the respondent) were divorced in 2004 when their children were ages eight and six. The ex-spouses’ divorce judgment at the time did not include any provisions concerning the children’s future college education expenses. (This type of provision is not required for child support orders and can legally be sought later by either of the parents.) During the fall of 2012, the former couple’s daughter started applying for college and was later accepted into multiple universities. The college that the daughter ultimately chose cost $36,500 per year, with room and board expenses were included, court records state.
The issue of paying the college expenses became a concern for the plaintiff. According to the court documents, her daughter received Stafford loans, but she did not receive any scholarships or grants. The plaintiff was denied a Parent Plus loan, and she was unable to afford the expenses on her own. When she discussed the college expenses with her ex-husband, he stated that he could not afford the help with his daughter’s college education costs. Court records show that while the father made $76,000 a year, he was behind on mortgage payments, was trying to renegotiate his loan and he was also supporting another child from his current marriage. In addition to his argument about his finances, he also argued that he had never entered into a voluntary agreement to help pay for his daughter’s education, and that he was never included in the decision of which college she would attend.
As is explained in the court documents, the decision to award college expenses is left completely to the family court’s discretion in the state of New York. In this case, legal records state that the court decided to award these expenses to the mother based on the following factors: the parents’ income levels, the fact that both parents admitted that they themselves graduated from college, the agreement by both parents that their daughter was able to benefit from college, and the fact that the daughter was already enrolled in college at the time of the hearing. The court’s decision to order the defendant to pay half of the daughter’s tuition and mandatory fees served as a major victory for both the plaintiff and her daughter.
The Meyers Law Group is a full-service family law firm in Long Island, N.Y. that assists with all types of cases. Whether clients are dealing with divorce litigation, issues related to child custody or child support, paternity proceedings or other family law matters, the firm’s attorneys offer trusted legal counsel. The Meyers Law Group serves clients throughout Suffolk and Nassau counties. More information about the law firm is available at http://www.bestnewyorkdivorce.com.
Natasha Meyers, The Meyers Law Group, P.C., http://www.bestnewyorkdivorce.com, +1 (727) 502-6503, [email protected]
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