Family Law
FLB Law's Family Law Practice boasts one of Fairfield County's most accomplished family lawyers, Alan Rubenstein. Alan has practiced family law for more than 30 years. During this time, he has served as counsel in approximately 1,200 divorces, involving more than 250 divorce mediations, 150 collaborative/cooperative divorces, and numerous hearings and trials.
Alan's background includes a Master of Science in counseling psychology specializing in marriage and family therapy. He approaches each case from a perspective that differentiates him from many divorce lawyers, recognizing that the end of a marriage entails "problems to be solved and not battles or a war to be fought."
Alan is a seasoned attorney who strives to resolve divorces expeditiously, thoroughly, and efficiently. His breadth of professional experience enables him to quickly recognize obstacles and determine a reasonable range of outcomes for each issue. He engages in efficient and effective settlement discussions to affect equitable and forward-looking resolutions to all divorce matters. While most divorces settle, if that is not possible, Alan has the necessary experience, skill set and tenacity to successfully advocate on his clients' behalf in the courtroom.
No Two Situations Are Alike
While divorces vary in complexity, there is one certainty: no two are alike. Hence, Alan has developed processes and methods to collect clients’ vital information to understand their unique circumstances. He then uses that information to determine how to best resolve divorces in a manner that is in the best interests of his clients and their children who are significantly impacted by the dissolution of their parents’ marriage. Areas that are addressed in divorce agreements include:
Parenting Plan: The parenting plan details how the school year, holidays, vacations and co-parenting parameters are addressed post-divorce. The parenting plan is unique to each family and takes into consideration the physical, developmental, and emotional needs of the children, as well as each parent’s availability and abilities.
Alimony & Child Support: While certain parameters and norms are often applied to these calculations, they are not set in stone. Given the available options, each family’s unique circumstances and needs are factored in to determine what makes the most practical sense for the parties. Some expenses fall outside of alimony and child support, such as the children’s extracurricular activities and uninsured health care expenses, which must be accounted for and agreed on in the parties’ agreement. These additional costs are typically provided until a child reaches age 23 or graduates from college, whichever occurs first.
College Education: Payment for the children's college education expenses is usually included in the Separation Agreement, the document that becomes the Orders of the Court. If the children are young, the parties may elect to defer that decision until a later date.
Marital Residence: Determining the disposition of the marital residence can be difficult and emotional. Alan discusses the physical and logistical needs of the family and the parties’ finances to determine if the home can be maintained and financially supported post-divorce, or if it should be sold and the equity included in the allocation of the marital estate.
Distribution of Assets: Alan collects a detailed list of a couple’s assets, including retirement and non-retirement accounts and personal property acquired before and during a marriage, to discuss and create an equitable allocation of the marital assets.
Medical Insurance: Typically, the parent who provides the family’s medical insurance will continue providing it for all eligible children post-divorce. The other parent is entitled to obtain health insurance through COBRA for up to three years or may elect alternative coverage.
Life Insurance: The parties’ financial obligations to each other and the children are usually insured with a party’s life insurance in an amount commensurate with outstanding obligations post-divorce.
Debts: Just as assets are divided equitably so is a couple’s debt, including credit cards, loans, bank accounts, and any debt to third parties.
Tax Returns: The parties’ Separation Agreement includes a provision that provides for the allocation of costs related to an audit of a joint tax return and refunds associated with a joint tax return.