Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

The Matrimonial StrategistLJN NewslettersNewsSections

NY Appellate Court Nullifies Attorney-Fee Provision

By ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |
September 27, 2006

For the first time in New York appellate history, an appeals court in Brooklyn declared unenforceable provisions of a prenuptial agreement that barred a spouse from seeking attorney fees. The decision is the first in which an appeals court had nullified part of a prenuptial agreement concerning attorney fees, rather than the whole agreement. Kessler v. Kessler, 2004-04773.

A unanimous panel of the NY.Appellate Division, 2nd Depart-ment, said its ruling was a matter of public policy, considering the wealth of the husband ' his assets are valued at nearly $5.6 million ' compared with the wife, whose assets are valued at $160,000. It stressed, however, that it was not commenting on all such provisions in prenuptial agreements. Each similar case should be reviewed individually, the court said.

This premium content is locked for LJN Newsletters subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs Image

The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.

Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations Image

This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.