Legal Question in Family Law in New York

These rights are ancillary to a divorce action. In layman's terms, this means that you will have to file a divorce action to enforce most of your rights, including equitable distribution of the marital assets, contribution toward the household bills during the pendency of the divorce action, and possibly other relief such as spousal maintenance, medical benefits, counsel fees, etc. Also, if there are children under 21 years of age then he will have to pay child support. You should consult with a lawyer on your rights.