Legal Question in Family Law in New York

Marital Residence Changing Locks

My wife & I have separated. By agreement, she has moved to another state and I live in the marital residence. We are seeing a mediator and working out a financial agreement where I will buy her out of her half of the house. She is no longer contributing financially to the marital residence in anyway, although we have yet to work out the formal final details with the mediator of money changing hands. She still has the keys (I do not have the keys to her place) and came into the house the other day, basically unannounced with a vague attempt at trying to reach me. Can I now change the locks?


Asked on 9/26/08, 10:41 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Joel Salinger Law Office of Joel R. Salinger

Re: Marital Residence Changing Locks

Can you change the locks? Yes you can if you want to create tension in what has so far been a relatively easy separation according to your posting. I would bring this up to the mediator and see if you can negotiate a final agreement on the house so that you can change the locks without giving your wife a reason to become adversarial.

If you would like a consultation, you can contact me at 516.746.4747 or [email protected]

Joel R. Salinger, Esq.

Law Office of Joel R. Salinger

114 Old Country Road, Suite 440

Mineola, New York 11501

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Answered on 9/26/08, 4:29 pm


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