Mahserjian & Mahserjian-Ortiz, PLLC

10/15/2026

Your online accounts are part of the life you leave behind. 💻 Photos, cryptocurrency, email, and business records may need attention during estate administration. An executor does not automatically gain unrestricted access to every account. New York rules, provider procedures, and your instructions can affect access.

A useful plan identifies what exists and where authorized instructions are stored. Mahserjian & Mahserjian-Ortiz, PLLC explains digital estate planning for New York families. Consider whether your estate documents account for the property you keep online.

Digital assets do not simply disappear when you die. Email accounts, cloud files, social media profiles, cryptocurrency, websites, domain names, di...

10/13/2026

A new partner may affect New York child custody when the relationship meaningfully changes a child's safety, stability, care, home environment, or parenting schedule. 🏡 Dating, cohabitation, or remarriage alone does not change an existing order; courts focus on the child's best interests and a proven change in circumstances for modification. Current orders, exchange records, school or medical changes, direct witnesses, and specific safety concerns carry more weight than general dislike of the other parent's partner. For a parenting or custody change in New York, a written record of proposals and schedule changes can reduce confusion later. 📅 Read the article to understand the next steps for a parenting or custody change in New York.

Read more from Mahserjian & Mahserjian-Ortiz, PLLC:
https://www.jeanmahserjian.com/can-new-partner-affect-child-custody-new-york/

10/08/2026

A child may be the beneficiary of a New York 529 college savings plan, while the account owner still controls withdrawals, investments, and permitted beneficiary changes. 🎓 In divorce, the account's timing, funding source, title, and any separate-property tracing can determine how it is treated in equitable distribution. A settlement can address ownership, statements, withdrawals, beneficiary changes, and how future education costs are credited. When reviewing a divorce or parenting decision in New York, children's daily needs should stay visible in every proposed change. 👪 The article gives a fuller view of a divorce or parenting decision in New York.

Full post from Mahserjian & Mahserjian-Ortiz, PLLC:
https://www.jeanmahserjian.com/who-controls-a-529-college-savings-plan-after-a-new-york-divorce/

A 529 college savings plan can become a significant financial issue in a New York divorce because the account may contain marital funds even though...

10/06/2026

New York does not automatically require divorced parents to split private-school tuition equally. 🏡 The judgment, agreement, support order, and how the school was chosen determine what each parent may owe. The wording of the agreement and how education expenses were handled before may be significant. For a divorce or parenting decision in New York, review the current order before agreeing to a lasting change in routine. 🗂️ Explore the article for the evidence behind a divorce or parenting decision in New York.

Continue reading with Mahserjian & Mahserjian-Ortiz, PLLC:
https://www.jeanmahserjian.com/who-pays-private-school-tuition-after-new-york-divorce/

Private school tuition after a New York divorce is not automatically split 50/50. Start with your divorce judgment, settlement agreement, child sup...

10/01/2026

Text messages can matter in a New York divorce when they relate to finances, parenting, or safety. 📱 Relevance, authenticity, and the completeness of the conversation are as important as a single screenshot. The source, timing, and completeness of a message thread can affect how that evidence is understood. For a divorce or parenting decision in New York, financial records and messages can clarify how a family reached its present arrangement. 📝 The complete post puts a divorce or parenting decision in New York into practical context.

Read more from Mahserjian & Mahserjian-Ortiz, PLLC:
https://www.jeanmahserjian.com/can-text-messages-be-used-evidence-new-york-divorce/

Yes. Text messages can be used as evidence in a New York divorce when they are relevant to an issue in the case, can be authenticated, and are not

09/24/2026

Estate planning mistakes rarely announce themselves in advance.

A document that was never updated, an outdated beneficiary choice, or a plan that no longer matches family circumstances may only become obvious when a crisis occurs. With holiday gatherings approaching, Saratoga-area families may have a natural opportunity to review what is in place and what still needs attention.

Mahserjian & Mahserjian-Ortiz, PLLC highlights estate-planning mistakes to address before the holidays in New York.

https://www.jeanmahserjian.com/estate-planning-mistakes-before-holidays-saratoga-new-york/

Before the holiday season becomes crowded with travel, family gatherings, year-end financial decisions, and time away from work, Saratoga families can

09/22/2026

A holiday parenting dispute can put travel plans and family traditions under strain.

If your New York schedule is becoming a source of conflict, identify the specific disagreements before the holidays arrive. Explore this topic and prepare for a focused conversation about your family's concerns.

Read more from Mahserjian & Mahserjian-Ortiz, PLLC:
https://www.jeanmahserjian.com/holiday-parenting-schedule-disputes-new-york/

Holiday parenting disputes in New York usually start with the existing custody or parenting-time order. If a disagreement reaches court, a judge may

09/17/2026

A major change in your child's routine can raise questions about an existing custody arrangement.

Is the schedule still addressing your family's needs, and what should you discuss with an attorney? Our featured topic examines changes in a child's routine and custody-modification questions in New York.

Read more from Mahserjian & Mahserjian-Ortiz, PLLC:
https://www.jeanmahserjian.com/major-change-child-routine-new-york-custody-modification/

A major change in your child’s daily routine may support a request to modify a New York custody or parenting-time order when circumstances have changed

09/15/2026

Fall routines can put a co-parenting schedule to the test.

New school hours, activities, and transportation needs may expose conflicts that were easier to manage over the summer. Explore scheduling changes for Saratoga-area families and consider which issues need a conversation before the calendar becomes even busier.

Read more from Mahserjian & Mahserjian-Ortiz, PLLC:
https://www.jeanmahserjian.com/fall-co-parenting-schedule-changes-saratoga-new-york/

Fall can change a co-parenting schedule quickly. School-day exchanges replace flexible summer routines, extracurricular activities fill afternoons and

09/10/2026

A child moving into a college dorm does not automatically end child support in New York. 🎓 For an unemancipated child, support generally continues until age 21 unless the obligation is changed through the proper legal process.

Before reducing or stopping payments, review the divorce judgment, settlement or separation agreement, child support order, and any later modification. ⚖️ The documents may address emancipation, room and board credits, college expenses, or whether those costs must be paid in addition to basic support.

College living arrangements can still matter. A child may spend most of the academic year away while the custodial parent continues paying for clothing, transportation, insurance, phone service, food during breaks, and a permanent home. 🏠 A separate room and board credit is not automatic.

Parents should also keep records of tuition bills, housing charges, scholarships, 529 funds, payment history, and the child’s residence schedule. Mahserjian & Mahserjian-Ortiz, PLLC helps families in Saratoga review these details before a support change creates an enforcement issue. 📄

See our full explanation of how college attendance can affect child support and modification questions: https://www.jeanmahserjian.com/child-support-when-child-leaves-for-college-new-york/

A child leaving home to attend college does not automatically end child support in New York. As a general rule, parents remain responsible for supporting