* Marguerite E Royer

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Matrimonial Litigation

Moses & Singer's Matrimonial Litigation Group continues its more than 75-year tradition of helping clients achieve practical and comprehensive resolutions to issues arising from a variety of family relationships. Our nationally-recognized and experienced team has a long track record of solving complex matters. The firm's matrimonial lawyers assist clients in understanding the law and aid them in being heard. By doing so, clients achieve results that allow them to focus on their futures and the futures of their children, partners and loved ones.

We counsel clients in domestic and international child support cases for children born inside and outside of traditional marriages as well as custody and access cases. Our lawyers are registered with the U.S. Department of State's Attorney Network to counsel on matters involving The Hague Convention, an international treaty that provides procedures for the prompt return of children who have been "wrongfully removed" or "retained outside" their country of "habitual residence."

Our team has access to an array of professionals, including forensic accountants; computer experts; mental health professionals; parent coordinators; financial planners; and business, real estate and property appraisers, all of whom are well-respected by the courts. We also work with other Moses & Singer lawyers who have expertise in areas such as Trusts and Estates and Wealth Preservation, Tax, Real Estate, Corporate, Business and Commercial Litigation.

The firm's comprehensive services include separation, annulment, divorce and religious divorce; same-sex and intimate partner relationships; spousal support, modification and enforcement matters; paternity, parental alienation and reproductive rights; grandparent rights, parenting plans and parenting coordinator orders; domestic violence; and post-judgment relocation.

To ensure the client receives the best possible representation, we stay abreast of and lecture and write about the ever-changing laws concerning families, marriages and children. We also offer a range of options to resolve disputes in a manner appropriate to particular clients, such as negotiation, mediation, collaborative law, litigation and appeal.

Marital Agreements

In addition to its well-recognized matrimonial litigation practice, Moses & Singer has a nationally-recognized practice in the area of Marital Agreements. Arlene G. Dubin, co-chair of the group, is author of Prenups for Lovers: A Romantic Guide to Prenuptial Agreements (www.prenupsforlovers.com) and has substantial experience with a variety of marital agreements. We are also one of only a handful of full-service firms in New York that competently represents clients in both marital agreements and divorce and custody litigation.

There are five major types of marital agreements: prenuptial, postnuptial, cohabitation, paternity/parenting and separation or property settlement agreements. While knowledge of matrimonial law is a prerequisite to negotiating marital agreements, this area also requires specialized knowledge of Tax, Real Estate, Employee Benefits and Trusts and Estates law, which few divorce litigation boutique firms have. We provide sophisticated counseling for our clients, and we negotiate and draft agreements. We can draw upon the resources of our full-service law firm, including trusts and estates, tax, real estate, employee benefits, corporate and litigation departments.

Moses & Singer is trusted by prominent business men and women, sports and entertainment celebrities and high-net-worth individuals to protect their interests. Our vast experience allows us to identify issues and possible solutions effectively, enabling us to also represent persons of more modest means or the less-wealthy party to such agreements.

We are advocates for our clients’ interests, but recognize that it is essential to create a positive atmosphere in which the underlying personal relationships are preserved rather than strained by the negotiation of a marital agreement. Our goal is to arrive at an agreement that benefits both parties. We pride ourselves on our ability to successfully negotiate marital agreements with professionalism, efficiency and sensitivity.

* Prenuptial Agreements

A prenuptial (also known as an ante-nuptial) agreement, or "prenup," is a private agreement between a prospective bride and groom that arranges their financial matters in advance in the event of future separation, divorce and death. The agreement substantially overrides the law that otherwise would apply. Increasingly, young couples are entering into prenuptial agreements to protect businesses, professional practices, careers, inheritances and credit. Older, more established couples traditionally use them to protect their nest eggs for themselves and their children from prior marriages. As a result of the high divorce rate, the changing divorce laws, the trend toward marrying later in life and greater longevity, more and more couples are recognizing the prudence of negotiating carefully tailored prenups that protect the expectations of both parties to an upcoming marriage.

* Postnuptial Agreements

"Postnups" are similar to prenups except that they are entered into during marriage. They are for couples who want to amend their prenups, who did not have a prenup when they married, but realize the need for one after marriage, or whose circumstances change after marriage. They are negotiated in contemplation of an ongoing marriage and often provide a means to strengthen the marital relationship by clarifying expectations.

* Cohabitation Agreements

"Cohabs" fulfill the functions of a prenup or postnup for heterosexual and same-sex couples who do not marry. Arguably, they are even more important than prenups, because the law generally provides few, if any rights, for cohabitants other than those embodied in a contract. The number of cohabitation agreements has grown along with the widespread prevalence of cohabitation among couples of all ages. The greater legal acceptance of same-sex marriages also has led to an increased demand for cohabs/prenups.

* Paternity/Parenting Agreements

Paternity/parenting agreements acknowledge paternity/parenting and provide protection for both parents and children. These agreements are being used more frequently as DNA testing and out-of-wedlock parenting become more common.

* Separation or Property Settlement Agreements

A negotiated separation agreement provides a cost-effective way to terminate a marriage. Our firm's expertise in complex valuation, economic, retirement plan-related and tax issues, as well as our substantial experience in negotiating and drafting such documents, makes us uniquely equipped to structure the amicable dissolution of a marital partnership.

* International Agreements

In our increasingly mobile world, more and more couples of different citizenship marry and move from one country to another. Moses & Singer has in-depth experience in handling "cross-border" marital agreements. We also maintain extensive international contacts, both through the MSI Global Alliance and otherwise, with lawyers around the globe who specialize in matrimonial law.

* Collaborative Law Agreements

We also are qualified to represent clients in the collaborative law process, an increasingly popular way to resolve family disputes without litigation.

Marguerite E Royer
Moses & Singer LLP
Chrysler Building
405 Lexington Ave - 12th Floor
New York NY 10174-1299
Tel: 212 554-7860
Fax: 212 377-6060

* Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

PRACTICE AREAS
* Matrimonial and Family Law
* Trusts and Estates

Marguerite E. (“Lily”) Royer merged her family law practice with Moses & Singer LLP in 2009 when she joined as partner and co-chair of the firm’s Matrimonial and Family Law practice. Ms. Royer has practiced matrimonial and family law for more than twenty nine years and has extensive experience as a matrimonial litigator. She handles all matters relating to divorce, separation and annulment; modification, equitable distribution, and spousal support; same-sex relationships and intimate partners; paternity, reproductive rights, post-judgment enforcement, and relocation proceedings.

Ms. Royer also counsels clients on child custody and support cases. She is registered with the U.S. Department of State's Attorney Network to advise on matters involving The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abduction. The Convention is an International Treaty that provides a procedure for the prompt return of children who have been “wrongfully removed” or “retained outside” their country of “habitual residence.”

In addition to traditional negotiation methods, Ms. Royer is a trained mediator and Collaborative Law Professional. She sits on the Collaborative Law Committee of the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the New York State Bar Association. Ms. Royer regularly assists her clients in reaching agreements, including separation, stipulations of settlement, pre-nuptial, post-nuptial and co-habitation.

Since settlement is not always possible, Ms. Royer has litigated many complex legal and financial issues as well as sensitive custody matters. She frequently appears in Supreme and Family Courts in New York, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Westchester and Rockland Counties. Ms. Royer also handles appeals to the New York State Appellate Division.

A Martindale AV® rated attorney, Ms. Royer has also received the distinction of being listed in Law & Politics’ New York Super Lawyers® for the past three years.