If you or a loved one have been injured because of someone’s negligent conduct, you may have the right to take legal action to recover damages. On the other hand, if you are going through a family law matter such as divorce or child custody, having legal representation is the best way to protect your rights and interests.

These are two of the most emotional areas of law precisely because they can affect your family, your finances, and your well-being for years to come. You need a committed law firm by your side that will advocate for you each step of the way. Count on the Queens personal injury and family law attorneys of The Saul Law Firm, LLP.

Serving Your Personal Injury Needs

Personal injury is a broad area of law that involves seeking monetary compensation from negligent individuals, businesses, and others that cause harm. We represent clients in many different types of cases.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle crash in Queens, you may be eligible for damages to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and more. We assist with the following cases:

  • Car Accidents: The most common causes of these wrecks include drunk or drugged driving, distracted driving, and accidents resulting from automobile malfunctions.
  • Truck Accidents: These are often catastrophic due to the size, weight, and speed of large and commercial trucks.
  • Motorcycle Accidents: Seeking compensation can sometimes be difficult due to insurance and jury biases against motorcycles, but our firm stands up for victims.
  • Pedestrian Accidents: If a vehicle hits you while crossing the street or walking down the sidewalk, you could have significant damages.
  • Bicycle Accidents: Queens bicyclists have the right to use the roads without worrying about a negligent motorist striking and seriously injuring them.
  • Rideshare Accidents: Accidents involving Uber and Lyft vehicles are different from other motor vehicle accidents, so let our legal team help.

Premises Liability

This area of law concerns property owners, managers, and other responsible parties who allow unsafe property conditions to injure guests and visitors. A few of the premises liability cases we handle in Queens involve:

  • Slips, Trips, and Falls: When people slip, trip, and fall due to various hazards like icy surfaces and uneven steps, they can take legal action.
  • Negligent Security: Negligent security refers to the failure to take reasonable steps to keep visitors and guests safe from crime.
  • Dog Bites: If a dog bites or otherwise attacks and injures someone, the victim may hold the owner or other responsible party liable for medical bills and more.
  • Swimming Pool Accidents: A swimming pool owner who doesn’t adopt measures to prevent drownings and other accidents may be liable for injuries or death.

Workplace and Construction Site Accidents

If you’re injured on the job in Queens, you have the right to claim workers’ compensation. But you may also have a third-party claim against a third party like a property owner or subcontractor. We can help you with the following:

  • Construction Site Accidents: These typically result from OSHA and other safety violations or defective machinery and equipment.
  • Industrial Accidents: Equipment failures, chemical spills, and burns are a few examples of industrial workplace hazards.
  • Slips, Trips, and Falls: An employee who slips, trips, or falls on someone’s residential or commercial property may have a claim against the owner.

Wrongful Death

Wrongful death occurs when someone loses their life due to another party’s negligence. In many ways it’s an extension of personal injury law, so the types of cases are similar to those above. Survivors of the decedent (deceased victim) in Queens may be able to seek such damages as:

  • Funeral, burial, cremation, and related expenses
  • The decedent’s final medical bills
  • The decedent’s pain and suffering prior to death
  • The decedent’s lost future wages and other earnings
  • The loss of inheritance the decedent would have provided to beneficiaries
  • Loss of companionship, parental care, and guidance

How We Help Queens Family Law Clients

Nobody wants to go through a messy divorce or emotionally trying child custody battle, but these and other family law cases frequently end up in litigation. Where possible, you may be able to settle such matters outside of court. The Saul Law Firm represents plaintiffs and defendants in various types of cases.

Legal Separation and Divorce

During each stage of the separation and divorce process, you must be mindful of your personal and financial interests. Our dedicated attorneys can provide counsel for the following:

  • Separation Agreements: To be legally separated, you must have a written agreement with your spouse that addresses custody, child support, spousal support, and more.
  • Uncontested and Contested Divorce: An uncontested divorce is one that the spouses resolve on their own terms, while a judge must decide a contested divorce.
  • High-Asset Divorce: This type of divorce involves complex marital property like family businesses in Queens, and we are prepared to handle your unique legal needs.
  • Mediation: Mediation can save you time, money, and stress, and it can settle your outstanding divorce and other family law issues.

Child Custody and Visitation

Judges in Queens and elsewhere in New York must prioritize the child’s best interests in all custody and visitation decisions. We are experienced litigators who can represent you in cases that involve:

  • Custody Disputes: These concern both physical custody (which parent the child lives with) and legal custody (how the parents will make significant decisions that affect the child).
  • Visitation and Parenting Plans: The court will usually award visitation time to the parent who doesn’t have primary custody, under a parenting plan.
  • Parental Relocation: A parent who has custody and wants to move outside of Queens or New York must either get permission from the other parent or ask the court to allow it.
  • Modification: Courts retain jurisdiction over custody, visitation, and parenting plans, and the Courts can revisit and modify the terms as circumstances change.
  • Contempt and Enforcement: A judge may hold a parent who is violating a custody or visitation order in contempt and use various enforcement tools to ensure compliance.

Child and Spousal Support

Whether you are the parent or spouse who needs support, or the one from whom support is sought, we can represent you. Our lawyers assist clients with:

  • Child Support: Judges in Queens usually decide child support amounts according to a set of guidelines that take into account the parents’ incomes and other factors.
  • Spousal Support: Various criteria such as the length of the marriage and income are relevant to spousal support determinations.
  • Modification: A client may also seek to modify child support or alimony, or oppose a modification request.
  • Contempt: Contempt and enforcement options are also available when parents and spouses do not pay child support or alimony as ordered.

Property Division and Asset Protection

One of the most financially significant aspects of divorce is property and debt division. Courts in Queens follow principles of equitable distribution, which means they try to divide property fairly (not necessarily equally). Spouses must either decide between themselves how to address the items below, or have the judge make a decision.

  • The former marital residence
  • Vacation homes and other real property
  • Vehicles
  • Personal property
  • Family businesses
  • Investments
  • Bank accounts
  • Retirement accounts
  • Credit card and other debts

We take care of all aspects of equitable distribution, from the classification and valuation of marital property to determining which spouse will own or be responsible for the assets and debts.

Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

These are marital contracts that allow engaged and married couples to protect their rights and financial interests.

  • Prenuptial Agreement: A couple who is planning to get married may sign a prenuptial agreement, which settles (among other issues) how property division and alimony will work if they get divorced.
  • Postnuptial Agreement: A prenuptial agreement is signed after the marriage begins and is similar to a prenuptial agreement.

Domestic Violence

If you or someone you care about has been a victim of domestic violence, help is available. We can work with you to:

  • Obtain orders of protection (also known as restraining orders)
  • Ask for emergency court intervention
  • Protect your safety and rights, and those of your children

Contact Our Queens Personal Injury & Family Law Attorneys

Our objective at The Saul Law Firm, LLP is to ensure that our clients’ personal injury and family law matters are in good hands. We know the importance of these issues for you and your family, and we will work for the best possible outcome in your case. Give our office a call or complete our online contact form today to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions About New York Personal Injury & Family Law

In a personal injury case, should I talk with the at-fault party’s insurance company?

No, you should not communicate with the insurer or sign any documents without first consulting an attorney. Insurance companies are not looking out for your best interests, and will try to either settle your claim for as little money as possible or deny it if they can get away with it. Our attorneys can handle all communications with the insurer.

How can mediation help my legal matter?

Mediation can save you time, money, and stress by allowing you to negotiate and settle most family law and personal injury cases without having to go to trial. A mediator cannot give you legal advice, but an attorney can make and receive offers and counteroffers and explain the consequences of various settlement terms.

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Queens?

You must generally file a lawsuit within three years of the accident or injury, thanks to a deadline known as the statute of limitations. If you don’t, the judge can dismiss the lawsuit. There are variations and exceptions to the three-year deadline, but it’s best to consult legal counsel as soon as possible to make the strongest case.

Can a court award attorneys’ fees in a custody case?

Many parents are hesitant to take legal action to obtain a custody order or enforce one due to legal costs. However, judges in Queens can award attorneys’ fees in certain circumstances. We encourage you to call our office to discuss your rights and options.