Divorce lawyer in New York searches tend to happen late at night, after a hard conversation or a decision you’ve been weighing for months. Questions pile up fast. Who keeps the apartment? How will custody work? What happens to a business, a retirement account, or a family home in the Hamptons? The right lawyer will answer those questions and help keep a painful year from also becoming a financially ruinous one.
New York divorce law rewards preparation and punishes guesswork, so experience matters. The five lawyers below were chosen for long careers in matrimonial law, leadership roles in groups like the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and consistent recognition from Best Lawyers. Between them they cover high-asset cases in Manhattan, families on Long Island, and newer issues such as surrogacy and international prenups.
1. Robert Stephan Cohen, Cohen Clair Lans Greifer & Simpson
Robert Stephan Cohen graduated from Fordham Law School in 1962, where he served on the Law Review. He co-founded his first firm in 1969, chaired Morrison Cohen for 19 years, and is now senior partner at a 21-person firm devoted entirely to family law.
He has taught divorce law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School since 2003 and wrote Reconcilable Differences, a book about keeping marriages together. Forbes named him one of America’s Top 200 Lawyers in 2024. His partner Bernard Clair, a past Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year,” practices at the same firm.
Office address: 919 Third Avenue, 34th Floor, New York, NY 10022
2. Allan E. Mayefsky, Aronson Mayefsky & Sloan
Allan Mayefsky earned his law degree at Harvard in 1979 and has spent more than four decades on matrimonial cases. Best Lawyers has listed him since 2003 and named him New York City’s Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” twice, in 2015 and 2019.
He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. That matters if your spouse lives abroad or some of your assets are held in another country.
Office address: 12 East 49th Street, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10017
3. Nancy Chemtob, Chemtob Moss Forman & Beyda
Nancy Chemtob founded her firm and still runs it as managing partner. She studied at Syracuse University and the University of Miami School of Law and was admitted to the New York bar in 1992. Crain’s New York Business named her a Notable Woman in Law in 2021, and Spear’s has listed her on its family law index three years running.
Lawyers in other states retain her as a consultant on complex matrimonial cases, and she has testified as an expert on New York divorce law outside the state. The firm also has a Hamptons office.
Office address: 527 Madison Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022
4. Eric I. Wrubel, Warshaw Burstein
Eric Wrubel chairs Warshaw Burstein’s matrimonial group and co-chairs its fertility law practice, a combination few divorce lawyers offer. In 2023 he was elected president of the New York Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, where he has been a Fellow since 2005.
His work includes a leading New York case on foreign prenuptial agreements and a surrogacy case that confirmed the legal rights of genetic parents. He is a strong choice for same-sex couples, IVF families and couples whose marriage crosses borders.
Office address: 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022
5. Elena Karabatos, Karabatos Rosenkrantz DeMarco Schoenfeld
Elena Karabatos has practiced since 1986 and is a past president of the New York chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Best Lawyers named her Long Island’s Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” in 2019, 2023 and 2025.
She also teaches as adjunct faculty at Hofstra Law School. For families in Nassau and Suffolk counties, a local lawyer who knows the county courts well is a real advantage.
Office address: 200 Garden City Plaza, Suite 301, Garden City, NY 11530
How New York Handles a Divorce
- No-fault is available. You can file by stating that the marriage has broken down irretrievably for at least six months.
- Residency comes first. Most couples need one to two years of New York residency before filing, depending on their ties to the state.
- “Equitable” doesn’t mean equal. Courts divide marital property fairly, which is not automatically 50/50. Property owned before the marriage usually stays separate.
- Child support follows a formula. It starts at 17% of combined parental income for one child and 25% for two, and the percentage rises with each additional child.
- Automatic orders apply once the case is filed. Neither spouse can drain accounts, cancel insurance or sell major assets while the case is underway.
- Legal fees can be shifted. Courts presume that the higher-earning spouse will pay the other spouse’s legal fees.
FAQs
Q1. How much does a divorce lawyer cost in New York?
A: Most experienced Manhattan matrimonial lawyers bill hourly and ask for a retainer up front. Contested cases cost far more than uncontested ones.
Q2. How long does a divorce take in New York?
A: An uncontested divorce can be finished in a few months, while contested cases often take a year or longer.
Q3. Do I need a lawyer for an uncontested divorce in New York?
A: It’s not required, but a lawyer can make sure your agreement on property, support and custody holds up later.
Q4. Is a prenup enforceable in New York?
A: Yes, if it is in writing, signed by both spouses, and acknowledged before a notary in the same way as a deed.
Q5. Who gets the house in a New York divorce?
A: That depends on whether the house is marital or separate property and on the children’s needs, not on whose name is on the deed.
