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Nassau County Divorce & Family Law Attorney
“I attribute my overall success to the fact that I truly care.”
Nassau County keeps its family courts in one place. Divorces are filed with the County Clerk in Mineola and heard at the Matrimonial Center on the third floor of the Family & Matrimonial Court Complex on County Seat Drive, and Family Court sits two floors below in the same building. Chris Palermo Law practices in all of them, as part of a Long Island family law practice built on more than 30 years of combined experience.
Attorneys Chris Palermo and Riley Perry personally handle every case from the first conversation to the final order. Three of our offices sit inside Nassau County, in Mineola, Carle Place, and Elmont, so the attorney who knows your file is never far from your home or the courthouse, wherever in the county you live, from Hempstead and Garden City to Great Neck and Long Beach.
Most cases settle, and we push for the settlement that protects your money and your children before litigation is ever on the table. When court is unavoidable, we try cases, with more than 100 five-star Google reviews behind the way we do it. Your consultation is free. Call (516) 712-6703 or use the form below; calls are typically returned within 24 hours.
A large share of Nassau family cases never involve a divorce at all. A parent seeking custody, parenting time, or child support files a petition in Family Court, two floors below the divorce courtrooms in the same County Seat Drive building, and Family Court charges no filing fee, so the courthouse door costs nothing to open.
What happens next depends on the case type: support petitions go to a support magistrate, who works from the sworn financial disclosure both parents owe, while custody and family offense petitions are heard by a judge. The first court date tends to lock in a temporary schedule that everyone then lives with, so the preparation that matters most happens before anyone has ruled on anything.
When a magistrate’s support order misreads the income picture, written objections to a judge are the remedy, and deadlines on those are short. We file petitions, defend against them, and catch the numbers that deserve objecting to.
Custody RepresentationSome Nassau couples do not need a judge to divide their lives; they need a structured way to finish an agreement they have mostly already reached. That is mediation: a neutral professional, both spouses at the table, and terms the two of you author, from the parenting schedule to the property split, typically at a fraction of litigation’s cost and timeline.
The honest caveat is that mediation assumes two people negotiating in good faith on roughly equal footing. Domestic violence, hidden assets, or one spouse steamrolling the other turns the table into a trap, and when we see that, we say it plainly and recommend the courtroom instead. Because we offer both paths, the advice you get reflects your case rather than a sales pitch for either one.
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Main Nassau Office
Mineola
Our Franklin Avenue office sits in the same village as every courtroom a Nassau family case touches: the Family & Matrimonial Court Complex, the Supreme Court, and the County Clerk. When something needs to be filed or argued today, today is possible.
Mineola Office
Central Nassau
Carle Place
The Old Country Road office serves central Nassau, from Westbury and Garden City through the Willistons, minutes from the Mineola courts and a familiar first stop for clients who have worked with the firm for years.
Carle Place Office
Western Nassau
Elmont
On Dutch Broadway near the Queens line, the Elmont office serves the county’s western communities, Franklin Square, Valley Stream, Floral Park, whose family cases all belong to the Nassau courts in Mineola, not to Queens.
Elmont OfficeDivorce and Family Law Services Across Nassau County
Nassau County Divorce Roadmap
A practical guide to where your case goes, what happens first, and what to gather so the process stays controlled.
Nassau County Courts: One Building for Almost Everything
Matrimonial Center, third floor (Divorce Court): Divorce filing through divorce judgment, property division (equitable distribution), spousal maintenance, and settlement approvals and trial decisions in the divorce case.
Family Court, first and second floors: Custody and parenting time, child support, family offense matters and orders of protection, and enforcement or modification of family court orders.
County Clerk, Mineola: Where every Nassau divorce is filed to open the case.
Divorce is handled upstairs, Family Court matters downstairs, and some families have cases on both floors at once.
What the First 30-90 Days Usually Look Like
Filing + Service: One spouse opens the case with the County Clerk and formally serves the other, which also triggers the automatic orders that freeze major financial moves.
Early Court Dates: The court sets deadlines, a schedule, and a path forward.
Temporary Orders (“Pendente Lite”): While the case is pending, the court can set temporary custody and parenting time, temporary child and spousal support, who pays which household expenses, who stays in the house, and how the spouses communicate.
Temporary orders have a way of becoming the routine everyone lives with for months, so they deserve real attention.
Bring These Documents to the First Meeting
Financial documents: Two years of tax returns with W-2s and 1099s, recent pay stubs, three months of bank and credit card statements for every account, retirement statements, the mortgage statement or lease, loan balances, and health insurance and childcare costs.
Family + child documents: School schedules and communications, medical providers and records where relevant, activity calendars, and any existing court orders or prior filings.
If safety is an issue: Photos, police incident numbers or reports, and full message threads rather than single screenshots.
Courts trust paper. Organized documentation produces cleaner outcomes.
Common Mistakes That Cost the Most
- Big financial moves without a documented reason, or after the automatic orders attach
- Moving out with no written parenting-time plan
- Mixing separate money into joint accounts without records
- Venting by text or social media; screenshots become exhibits
- Handshake agreements with no paper trail
- Hiding income; the credibility damage outlasts the case
Week-One Checklist
- Gather documents into one folder, digital and paper
- Write a factual timeline of dates, events, and financial changes
- Keep communications short, calm, and child-focused
- Start a parenting log: drop-offs, appointments, school events
- No revenge spending, no sudden account changes
- Do not record conversations unless counsel confirms it is lawful and worth doing
Meet Chris Palermo
Chris Palermo
Chris Palermo, Esq. has dedicated over 20 years to helping families in Suffolk County navigate complex legal matters. A graduate of Villanova University and Touro College Law School (2001), he combines a strong academic foundation with a deep commitment to his clients.
Known for his compassionate yet assertive approach, Chris has successfully guided hundreds of individuals through challenging family law cases. He is admitted to practice in all New York State courts and has earned widespread recognition, including a perfect 10/10 Avvo rating and the distinction of being named a National Top 100 Trial Lawyer.
Beyond the courtroom, Chris is an active supporter of the Suffolk County community. He contributes to causes like the Marcie Mazzola 5K Run/Walk and the St. Jude Foundation, reflecting his dedication to both his profession and those in need.
Riley Perry
When you need a trusted divorce and family law attorney in Nassau County, Riley T. Perry, Esq., brings a unique blend of expertise, dedication, and personalized care to every case. As a partner at Palermo Law, Riley has built a reputation as a tireless advocate for clients navigating the complexities of divorce, child custody, and family law matters across Long Island.
With deep roots in the local community and a proven track record, she’s here to guide you through life’s toughest legal challenges with compassion and skill.
- New York State Bar Association
- Suffolk County Bar Association
- Suffolk County Matrimonial and Family Law Committee
- American Institute of Family Law Attorneys’ 10 Best Female Attorneys
One Firm for Every Nassau Family Law Matter
Nassau is where this firm has grown. Chris Palermo brings more than 20 years of family law practice to the county’s courtrooms, and Riley Perry, a partner whose caseload centers on Nassau divorce and family law, anchors the practice here. Between them sit more than 30 years of combined experience and three Nassau offices, Mineola, Carle Place, and Elmont, with one of the two attorneys handling your case personally from intake to judgment.
Because every Nassau case converges on the County Seat Drive complex, working it weekly compounds: we know which parts move quickly, what the support magistrates want in a disclosure before they are asked, and when a submission can be decided on the papers instead of waiting for a courtroom. That is the difference between counsel who files in Mineola and counsel who works there.
More than 100 Long Island clients have left the firm five-star Google reviews, most of them written by people who started with the same free consultation you would. Call (516) 712-6703; the first meeting ends with you knowing where you stand on property, custody, and support.
Checklist:
- Same-day filings at the County Seat Drive complex
- Family Court petitions, with no filing fee
- Support magistrate hearings and written objections
- Pendente lite motions for temporary custody and support
- Uncontested submissions decided on the papers
- Counsel-fee applications for the less-monied spouse
- Enforcement and modification in both buildings
From Great Neck to Long Beach, One Courthouse
Suffolk splits its courts between Riverhead and Central Islip; Nassau concentrates everything in Mineola. A custody case from Glen Cove, a divorce from Massapequa, and a support petition from Hempstead all land in the same complex, which means distance from the courthouse never decides who gets effective representation, and an attorney based at its doorstep can appear, file, and react the day something changes.
For clients, the practical upshot is simple: pick the office that fits your life, Mineola by the courts, Carle Place in the county’s center, or Elmont on the Queens line, and the courthouse logistics are ours to worry about.
Dividing What Nassau Families Own
Nassau divorces tend to be property cases: a house that has appreciated for decades, retirement accounts built over a career, sometimes a business or professional practice. New York divides it all equitably, which means fairly rather than automatically in half, and separate property, what you brought in or inherited, stays yours if the records prove it. We handle contested divorce at every asset level and prepare uncontested divorces where the split is already agreed.
Maintenance rides alongside the property division: the spousal support formula runs on the paying spouse’s income up to $241,000 as of March 1, 2026, with duration tracking the length of the marriage. The two fights trade against each other, and negotiating them together is where cases get won.
Parents in the Same Building
Custody and support petitions run through Family Court downstairs from the divorce parts, and child custody turns entirely on the best interests of the child. We represent both sides of that gender-neutral standard, with dedicated father’s rights and mother’s rights practices for the fights each side actually faces.
Child support applies fixed percentages to combined parental income up to $193,000 as of March 1, 2026, which makes the real dispute what counts as income, especially where a parent is self-employed, paid in cash, or suddenly earning less on paper. Orders of protection, CPS matters, paternity, and adoption round out the Family Court work.
Answers for Nassau Families
How long does a divorce take in Nassau County?
In Nassau County, an uncontested divorce usually takes between six months to a year. Complex or contested cases, particularly involving custody or financial disagreements, can take more than a year to finalize.
What's the difference between contested and uncontested divorce?
An uncontested divorce means both spouses agree fully on all divorce terms, including custody arrangements, asset division, and support payments. A contested divorce involves disagreements that require mediation, negotiations, or court involvement to resolve.
How much will a divorce cost in Nassau County?
The court’s own charges come to $335 no matter who you hire: $210 to purchase the index number, $95 for the Request for Judicial Intervention, and $30 for the Note of Issue. Legal fees are the variable, rising with each contested issue, and New York’s counsel-fee presumption lets the lower-earning spouse ask the court to shift fees in contested cases. You leave the free consultation knowing the retainer.
How is property divided during a divorce in Nassau County?
Nassau County follows New York's "equitable distribution" rule, where marital assets and debts are divided fairly, although not always equally. Factors considered include the length of the marriage, each spouse's contributions, earning capacity, and individual needs.
How does Nassau County determine child custody?
Child custody in Nassau County is decided based on what's best for the child. The court evaluates factors like parental fitness, stability, the child's existing relationships, the child's own preferences (if mature enough), and each parent's capability to provide emotional and financial support. Our child custody page covers the process in depth.
Do I go to Family Court or Supreme Court in Nassau County?
In Nassau, the answer is the same building. Only the Supreme Court can grant a divorce, through the Matrimonial Center on the third floor of the Family & Matrimonial Court Complex in Mineola, while custody, support, paternity, and orders of protection outside of a divorce are filed in Family Court on the floors below. Some families have matters on both.
Am I eligible for spousal support (alimony) in Nassau County?
Eligibility is not automatic; it turns on the income gap. The statutory formula runs on the paying spouse’s income up to $241,000 as of March 1, 2026, advisory duration ranges track the length of the marriage, and judges can deviate where the formula produces an unjust result. Our spousal support page explains the moving parts.
How is child support calculated in Nassau County?
Nassau applies the same statewide math as every county: combined parental income up to the $193,000 cap (as of March 1, 2026) multiplied by 17 percent for one child, 25 for two, 29 for three, 31 for four, and no less than 35 for five or more, then divided between the parents by income share. Health insurance, child care, and certain educational costs ride on top of the basic obligation. Our child support page walks through the math.
Can I modify my divorce agreement in Nassau County later?
Yes, you can request modifications to your Nassau County divorce agreement if significant life changes occur, such as losing a job, relocating, or experiencing major income shifts.
Do I Have to Go to Court for a Divorce in Nassau County?
Not always, no. It is all dependent on the kind of divorce you're seeking and whether both parties can come to a resolution.
Learn more about going to court for a divorce in Nassau County here.
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