Contested Divorce Lawyer in Rego Park
A contested divorce lawyer in Rego Park, Queens can help when you and your spouse agree the marriage is ending but can’t agree on what should happen next. The Boyko Law Firm provides direct guidance from our managing attorney as you protect your interests, work through the conflict, and pursue terms you can realistically move forward with.
What the Numbers Reveal Before You Choose an Uncontested Divorce Attorney in Rego Park
You Both Want to Move On, but You Just Can’t Agree on one thing
You Both Want to Move On, but You Just Can’t Agree on the children
You and your spouse may already agree that the marriage is over. Neither of you is trying to save it, and neither of you is fighting about whether the divorce should happen.
Then the conversation turns to the children.
You want more time with them during the week. Your spouse wants the same thing. What started as a discussion about schedules becomes a much bigger disagreement about school nights, routines, activities, and which home can give them the stability they need.
Soon, you aren’t arguing about the divorce anymore. You’re arguing about what life with your children should look like after it.
Both Parents Can Believe They Are Protecting the Children
Your spouse may genuinely believe the children should spend more time with them. They may question whether your work schedule, living situation, or lifestyle can provide the structure the children need.
You may see the situation completely differently.
You know the relationship you have with your children. You know how involved you’ve been, what your home looks like, and what you believe is best for them.
When Neither Parent Will Give Up Time, Compromise Gets Harder
At first, you may keep trying to work it out yourselves.
You adjust for a few days. You suggest alternating weekends differently. You offer another schedule. Your spouse comes back with something that gives them more time instead.
Eventually, the same disagreement keeps returning because the issue is no longer a small scheduling problem. Both of you believe the arrangement will shape your relationship with the children for years to come.
That is often where an otherwise manageable divorce becomes contested.
A Custody Disagreement Doesn’t Mean Every Part of the Divorce Has to Become a Fight
The Boyko Law Firm can help separate the issues you already agree on from the ones that genuinely need stronger advocacy.
Our managing attorney can help you understand what matters in a custody dispute, evaluate the arrangement being proposed, and work toward a resolution that protects your relationship with your children without creating unnecessary conflict everywhere else in the divorce.
What Needs Your Attention Depends on Where the Disagreement Stands
We Agree on Divorce but the Terms Are Falling Apart
The marriage is ending, but you and your spouse can’t reach an agreement on one or more of the decisions that need to be resolved.
I Don’t Trust the Financial Picture
You can’t make informed decisions about property, support, or debt because you don’t believe you have the full financial information.
The Divorce Is Already in Court and We Need Decisions Now
The disagreement has moved beyond negotiation, and temporary issues or court deadlines now need immediate attention while the divorce continues.
If your divorce has become contested you should focus on the issues that are actually preventing agreement, protect the terms that matter most, and withhold compromising just to finish the case.
What May Be Happening
You may have started believing the divorce could be handled cooperatively because both of you agree the marriage is over.
Then one issue became harder to resolve.
You may disagree about how much time each parent should have with the children, who should remain in the home, whether support should be paid, or how property should be divided. Every new proposal seems to create another disagreement instead of bringing you closer to a final agreement.
New York Courts consider a divorce contested when the spouses disagree about the divorce or issues involving their children, finances, or other terms that must be resolved.
What May Matter Right Now
- Identify which issues are actually preventing an agreement
- Separate the terms you already agree on from the ones still in dispute
- Keep written proposals, messages, and financial information organized
- Decide which outcomes matter most rather than treating every disagreement as equally important
- Understand what you would be giving up before accepting a compromise
What To Avoid
Don’t turn every disagreement into a fight simply because one important issue remains unresolved.
You also shouldn’t agree to terms involving your children, assets or future only because you want the divorce finished. A contested issue can sometimes be negotiated without allowing the conflict to spread into everything else.
How The Boyko Law Firm May Help
The Boyko Law Firm can identify where agreement may still be possible and where your position needs stronger protection. Our managing attorney can negotiate around the disputed terms, explain the practical effect of different proposals, and prepare the unresolved issues for court when a reasonable agreement can’t be reached.
If the remaining disagreements are resolved and you ultimately reach agreement on all of the major terms, an uncontested divorce attorney can help move the case toward completion without continuing a dispute that no longer exists.
If the financial picture in your contested divorce seems incomplete or inconsistent you should gather the records you can access and identify what appears missing.
What May Be Happening
Your spouse may control more of the household finances, own a business, or simply have access to records you don’t normally see.
Numbers may also start changing once the divorce becomes contested.
Income appears lower than you expected. An account balance doesn’t make sense. You know an asset exists but can’t find it in the information being discussed. Or your spouse may simply refuse to provide the records you need before asking you to accept a financial settlement.
Contested matrimonial cases in New York involve compulsory financial disclosure. A Statement of Net Worth must generally be exchanged and filed no later than 10 days before the preliminary conference, and the court can address additional discovery involving financial records and other information.
What May Matter Right Now
- Gather the financial records already available to you
- Make a list of accounts, property, businesses, retirement assets, and debts you know exist
- Compare current financial information with what you remember from during the marriage
- Keep copies of tax returns, statements, pay information, and business records you can lawfully access
- Identify anything that appears missing or inconsistent
What To Avoid
Don’t guess at numbers you don’t know, and don’t accuse your spouse of hiding assets simply because you don’t yet have complete records.
At the same time, you shouldn’t agree to divide property or accept support terms when the financial picture still doesn’t make sense.
How The Boyko Law Firm May Help
Our managing attorney can help determine what financial information needs to be disclosed and where additional records may be necessary. When the numbers are incomplete or disputed, the Boyko Law Firm can use the discovery process to develop a clearer picture before important financial decisions are made.
If your contested divorce is already moving through court it's important to keep track of deadlines and be prepared to support your position.
What May Be Happening
The case may already have a preliminary conference scheduled, motions may have been filed, or one spouse may be asking the court to make temporary decisions before the divorce is finished.
That can happen when months may pass before a final resolution but important questions can’t simply wait.
The court may need to address temporary financial support, counsel fees, financial disclosure, or other issues while the case remains pending. New York’s matrimonial rules specifically allow temporary relief to be addressed during contested divorce litigation, and Queens County has a dedicated preliminary conference process for matrimonial cases.
What May Matter Right Now
- Keep track of every court date and filing deadline
- Review exactly what your spouse is asking the court to order
- Gather the records needed to support your position
- Understand whether temporary financial or family arrangements need to be addressed
- Prepare for the preliminary conference, discovery, and the issues that remain contested
What To Avoid
Don’t assume a temporary request is unimportant simply because the divorce isn’t final.
You also shouldn’t walk into a conference or respond to a motion without understanding what is being requested. Temporary orders can govern important parts of daily life while the case continues.
How The Boyko Law Firm May Help
The Boyko Law Firm can review what is already before the court, prepare your position, and help move the contested issues through the court system.
Our attorney that specializes in divorce can also help keep those immediate disputes connected to the larger case, including the decisions that still need to be resolved before the marriage can legally end.
For Rego Park residents, contested divorce matters proceed through Queens County Supreme Court, where contested matrimonial cases use preliminary conferences to identify the disputed issues and organize what needs to happen next.
The marriage is ending, but you and your spouse can’t reach an agreement on one or more of the decisions that need to be resolved.
You can’t make informed decisions about property, support, or debt because you don’t believe you have the full financial information.
The disagreement has moved beyond negotiation, and temporary issues or court deadlines now need immediate attention while the divorce continues.
From the First Dispute to the Final Resolution
Define What Is Actually Being Contested
We begin by separating the issues you and your spouse already agree on from the ones preventing the divorce from moving forward.
We also determine whether anything needs immediate attention while the case continues, including requests for temporary relief.
Prepare for the Preliminary Conference and Financial Disclosure
Contested divorce cases move into a more structured court process. A preliminary conference is used to identify the disputed issues, address financial disclosure, and establish what needs to happen as the case moves forward.
Before that conference, the parties generally exchange and file sworn Statements of Net Worth along with other required financial information.
For Rego Park residents, Queens County Supreme Court also maintains specific procedures for matrimonial preliminary conferences.
Develop the Evidence Behind Your Position
Once the disputed issues are clear, we determine what information is needed to support your position.
That can mean reviewing all evidence connected to the issues being contested. The discovery process can also be used to obtain information that isn’t already available.
Negotiate From a Prepared Position
A contested divorce can still settle.
As the financial information and other evidence become clearer, we can negotiate the issues that remain unresolved and determine where compromise makes sense.
The goal isn’t to fight simply because the case is contested. It is to reach reasonable terms without agreeing to something that doesn’t adequately protect your children, finances, or future.
At the same time, we continue preparing the unresolved issues so you aren’t negotiating from a position where your spouse assumes you won’t go to court.
Resolve the Remaining Issues and Finalize the Divorce
Some contested divorces ultimately resolve through a negotiated agreement. Others require a judge to decide one or more remaining issues after hearings or trial.
Once every required issue has been resolved, the final terms still have to be incorporated into the documents needed to complete the divorce and obtain the Judgment of Divorce.
The Boyko Law Firm stays involved through that final stage so you understand both what was decided and what obligations continue after the marriage legally ends.
Has Your Divorce Reached the Point Where You Need an Attorney?
When you and your spouse can’t agree on important terms, the disagreement can start affecting much more than the divorce itself. Answer these three questions to see whether speaking with a contested divorce lawyer in Rego Park, Queens may help you understand what needs to happen next.
Are you and your spouse unable to agree on important parts of the divorce?
This may include custody, parenting time, property, debt, support, the marital home, or other decisions that still need to be resolved.
YESNOHave you already reached an agreement on everything that needs to be decided?
If even one major issue remains disputed, the divorce may still need negotiation, legal intervention, or a decision from the court.
YESNOWhat It Means to Have Someone in Your Corner During a Contested Divorce
I highly recommend Nataliya! She was very professional, knowledgeable, and supportive throughout all of my divorce . She always kept me informed, answered my questions promptly, and truly cared about achieving the best outcome for me. Thank you for making such a difficult process much easier.
Excellent attorney! Professional, knowledgeable and responsive throughout the entire process.
Nataliya Boyko is an outstanding attorney. She is incredibly hardworking and professional and cares deeply about her clients. If you are in Brooklyn and want the best possible representation, this is the firm to go to.
Steady Guidance When Agreement Is No Longer Simple
Before becoming an attorney, Nataliya spent two decades working directly on legal matters and helping clients through difficult situations where important decisions could affect their families and futures. Family law was part of that work, giving her years of experience seeing how quickly a disagreement can become more complicated when children and assets are involved.
After becoming a family law and divorce attorney, she took on a larger role in divorce and family law matters herself. Nataliya has now worked on 172+ family law cases, including divorces, custody disputes, support matters, and other conflicts requiring careful negotiation and legal strategy.
As a single mother, Nataliya understands that the issues being argued about in a contested divorce aren’t simply items on a court filing. They can affect your relationship with your children, your financial stability, and the life you are trying to build after the marriage ends.
That perspective influences how she handles conflict.
Nataliya looks closely at which issues truly need to be fought over, where a reasonable agreement may still be possible, and when protecting a client’s position requires stronger advocacy. The goal isn’t to create more conflict simply because the divorce is contested. It is to make sure compromise doesn’t come at the expense of something that matters to your future.
At the Boyko Law Firm, you work directly with Nataliya as the case develops. She remains involved through negotiations, court appearances, and the decisions that may ultimately determine how the divorce is resolved.
Clear Answers for the Questions That Come With a Contested Divorce
These answers cover what people in Rego Park commonly want to know when disagreements over important terms are preventing the divorce from moving forward.
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How much does a contested divorce lawyer cost in Rego Park?
There isn’t one standard price for a contested divorce because the amount of legal work can vary dramatically from one case to another. A divorce involving one unresolved issue may cost far less than a case requiring extensive financial discovery, custody litigation, motions, and experts.
In a New York matrimonial case, your attorney must give you a written retainer agreement explaining how fees will be charged. That agreement must address the advance retainer, billing rates, expenses, and what happens when the initial retainer is used.
The biggest cost drivers in a contested divorce are usually how much remains disputed and how much attorney time is required to resolve it.
That can include:
- Financial disclosure and discovery
- Custody disputes
- Motions for temporary relief
- Business or property valuation
- Depositions and expert involvement
- Settlement negotiations
- Hearings or trial
What happens if my spouse hides assets or refuses to provide financial information?
A spouse generally can’t avoid financial disclosure simply because providing the information hurts their position. Contested divorces involving equitable distribution allow broad financial disclosure, and the court has tools to address missing records, discovery violations, and assets that may have been hidden or improperly transferred.
Sometimes the first sign isn’t proof that something was hidden. It may simply be that the numbers don’t make sense.
New York matrimonial cases require compulsory financial disclosure, and discovery can be used to examine the nature and value of marital assets and uncover potential hidden assets.
When a party fails to comply with disclosure requirements or court orders, available consequences can include:
- Additional disclosure orders
- Attorney fees or costs
- Preclusion of certain evidence
- Adverse inferences
- Other sanctions authorized by the court
New York’s matrimonial rules specifically tell courts to address potential sanctions and other remedies when disclosure obligations aren’t followed.
The law also allows courts to consider the wasteful dissipation of assets and certain transfers made in anticipation of a matrimonial action without fair consideration when dividing marital property.
You don’t need to accuse your spouse of hiding money simply because you have questions.
How are child custody disputes decided during a contested divorce?
When parents can’t agree on custody, the court decides based on the best interests of the child rather than automatically favoring either parent. The child’s health and safety are paramount, and the judge looks at the circumstances of the particular family instead of relying on one single factor.
That is why a custody dispute isn’t simply a competition over which parent wants more time.
The court may consider things such as:
- Who has historically provided most of the child’s day to day care
- Each parent’s parenting ability
- Work schedules and child care plans
- Each home environment
- The physical and mental health of the parents
- The child’s relationships with siblings and other family members
- Domestic violence and safety concerns
- The child’s preferences when age and circumstances make that appropriate
- Each parent’s willingness to support the child’s relationship with the other parent when it is safe to do so
New York Courts identify these among the factors that can be considered when determining the child’s best interests.
That connects directly to the kind of disagreement we described earlier on this page.
One parent may genuinely believe the children need to spend more time in their home because their routine, work schedule, or lifestyle provides greater stability.
The other parent may believe the exact opposite.
Should I move out of the marital home during a contested divorce?
There isn’t one answer that is right for every contested divorce, so moving out is a decision worth discussing with your attorney before you make it when circumstances allow. Leaving the home doesn’t automatically erase your ownership interest, but it can change the practical situation involving possession of the home, expenses, and where the children are currently living.
The ownership question and the occupancy question aren’t necessarily the same.
Domestic Relations Law §234 allows the court to determine questions involving title to property and also to make separate orders about who possesses property during or after the divorce based on the circumstances of the spouses.
Children can add another layer.
When custody is disputed, New York Courts identifies factors such as:
- Which parent has been the primary caretaker
- The quality and stability of each home environment
- Where the child is currently living and for how long
- Each parent’s ability to provide for the child’s emotional and intellectual needs
That doesn’t mean you should remain in a home solely because you are afraid leaving will hurt your divorce.
If living together has become unsafe or genuinely unmanageable, safety and the immediate circumstances need to be considered first.
Can we settle some issues and let the court decide the rest?
Yes. A contested divorce doesn’t require you to fight every issue through trial. You and your spouse can resolve some disputes by agreement and leave only the remaining issues for the judge to decide.
In fact, New York’s current preliminary conference form is structured around identifying which individual issues are already resolved and which remain unresolved.
This happens in actual contested cases.
In a 2026 matrimonial decision, the spouses entered into a partial settlement resolving some financial issues while reserving the remaining disputes for trial.
That can be an important way to keep a contested divorce focused.
You might agree about:
- The divorce itself
- Most property
- Child support
- Certain parenting terms
The Boyko Law Firm’s approach isn’t to turn every disagreement into litigation simply because one issue is contested. The better strategy is often to lock down what can reasonably be resolved and concentrate your time, evidence, and resources on the issues that truly require a fight.
Can I get temporary child support or spousal maintenance while the divorce is still pending?
Yes. You don’t necessarily have to wait for the final divorce judgment to address financial support. A court can award temporary child support and temporary spousal maintenance while the divorce is pending when the legal requirements are met.
This matters because a contested divorce can continue while the expenses of everyday life continue too.
There have been times where a serious accident affecting one spouse’s ability to work or earn what they did before causes a personal injury claim pursued by an attorney while the divorce case addresses the financial circumstances affecting temporary support.
Temporary support can help address the period between the beginning of the divorce and the final resolution.
For child support, New York law provides that a court can order temporary child support without requiring the parent seeking it to prove an immediate or emergency need. The order can be made even when complete income and asset information isn’t yet available, although more complete financial information can affect the calculation.
Temporary maintenance follows statutory guidelines as well. The court can consider the spouses’ incomes and other circumstances, and the temporary award ends no later than the judgment of divorce or the death of either party. A temporary maintenance award also doesn’t automatically determine what post divorce maintenance will ultimately be awarded.
So if one spouse has suddenly stopped contributing to household expenses or there is a serious income imbalance while the divorce is pending, you don’t necessarily have to wait until the end of the case to address it.
What happens to the marital home during a divorce?
There isn’t one automatic outcome for the marital home. Depending on the ownership, equity, and overall property settlement, the home might be sold, one spouse might keep it, or one spouse may remain there for some period while other issues are resolved.
For many Rego Park families, the home may be a co-op or condo as easily as a traditional house. Either way, the first questions usually involve how the property was acquired, whether it is marital or separate property, and what each spouse can realistically afford.
A resolution might involve:
- Selling the property and addressing the proceeds
- One spouse retaining the property while the other receives value elsewhere
- A buyout of one spouse’s interest
- Temporary possession while the divorce remains pending
New York law gives the Supreme Court authority to determine property rights between spouses and make orders concerning possession when appropriate. Marital property is then subject to equitable distribution as part of the divorce.
How is child custody decided during a divorce?
If parents can’t agree on custody, a New York court decides based on the best interests of the child. There isn’t an automatic rule favoring the mother or father simply because of gender.
Custody has two major components: responsibility for important decisions involving the child and the child’s physical care and living arrangements.
When parents can’t agree, a judge may consider factors such as:
- Each parent’s history of caring for the child
- Parenting ability
- The child’s health and safety
- Each parent’s physical and mental health
- Work schedules and child care arrangements
- Domestic violence
- The child’s relationships with siblings and other family members
- Each parent’s ability to meet any special needs
There isn’t one factor that decides every custody case. New York Courts expressly describes the child’s health and safety as paramount concerns and explains that the court evaluates the facts of the individual family.
That is also why custody disputes deserve their own strategy instead of being treated as just another box to check during a divorce.
How is child support determined during a divorce?
New York uses statutory child support guidelines that consider parental income and the number of children being supported. The basic calculation is only part of the picture because health care, child care, education, and other qualifying expenses can also matter.
The basic statutory percentages are currently:
- 17 percent for one child
- 25 percent for two children
- 29 percent for three children
- 31 percent for four children
- At least 35 percent for five or more children
Those percentages are applied through the statutory calculation and the parents’ respective shares of income. New York also periodically adjusts the income cap used in the guideline calculation.
Additional obligations can include certain child care, medical, and educational expenses.
The online number someone gets from a calculator can therefore be a useful starting point, but it doesn’t always tell the whole story.
Will I have to pay or receive spousal maintenance after divorce?
Spousal maintenance isn’t automatic in every divorce. New York uses statutory guidelines, income information, and other factors to determine whether maintenance may be appropriate. Once maintenance is found to be appropriate, they then decide how much may be paid and how long it may continue.
There can also be a difference between temporary maintenance while the divorce is pending and post divorce maintenance after the marriage ends.
Depending on the circumstances, relevant considerations can include:
- Each spouse’s income and earning ability
- The length of the marriage
- Age and health
- Time spent outside the workforce
- Education or training needs
- Child care responsibilities
- The availability and cost of health insurance
New York’s current law includes guideline calculations as well as circumstances that can justify an adjustment when the guideline result would be unjust or inappropriate. The courts also provide current maintenance worksheets and calculators.
So whether someone calls it alimony or maintenance, it shouldn’t be assumed that one spouse automatically receives it simply because the other earns more.
You Don’t Need to Resolve the Conflict Before You Call
Tell the Boyko Law Firm what you and your spouse still can’t agree on so our managing attorney can help you understand what needs attention, where compromise may still be possible, and when stronger legal action may be necessary.
