A common point of confusion about Ardsley starts with the railroad timetable, not with the courthouse. The Village’s official FAQ states that there is no Ardsley train station, and that the Metro-North stop called Ardsley-on-Hudson refers to a neighborhood in Irvington — not to this Village. That distinction matters for daily travel. It does not change where a divorce is filed.
The court that can grant a divorce is the New York State Supreme Court for Westchester County, at the Richard J. Daronco Courthouse, 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, White Plains, NY 10601. Village Hall, at 507 Ashford Avenue, is the center of village government. It is not the divorce court.
A Greenburgh village with its own hall, not its own divorce docket
The Village’s official About page describes Ardsley as one of the incorporated villages in the Town of Greenburgh. Many municipal services — police, sanitation, and public works among them — are provided by the Village, according to that page. Village government and Village Court are associated with 507 Ashford Avenue, Ardsley, NY 10502, the address used on the Village’s official site.
Village Court cannot dissolve a marriage, grant an annulment, or issue a judgment of separation. The Town of Greenburgh also has a Town Court, at 188 Tarrytown Road, White Plains, NY 10607, on the Town’s official courts directory. That court has the same limitation. Neither address replaces Supreme Court in White Plains.
People who live in the Village of Ardsley can discuss a divorce or a related family matter with Gregory Salant, a partner at Harold, Salant, Strassfield & Rotbard, LLP. There is no firm office in Ardsley. Consultations are scheduled at 81 Main Street, Suite 205, in White Plains, the city where Westchester County divorce cases are heard.
What the Ardsley-on-Hudson name actually refers to
The Village’s official FAQ puts the point directly: despite what a Metro-North timetable may suggest, there is no Ardsley train station. The scheduled stop, the Village explains, relates to a small neighborhood in Irvington, just due north and behind Mercy University (formerly Mercy College). The MTA’s station listing for Ardsley-on-Hudson is on the Hudson Line.
A railroad timetable does not select the court that hears the divorce.
School district lines that run past the village boundary
The same official About page states that the Village of Ardsley is part of the Ardsley School District, and that the district is much larger than the Village. It includes areas in nearby communities, some of which have other postal addresses. The district for a particular home should be confirmed by address. A postal address or a district line does not decide custody.
Custody, parenting time, and child support, when they arise in a divorce, are ordinarily decided in the Supreme Court action. The court uses the best interests of the child as the standard. A child’s present school can be one fact among others. There is no rule that the child must remain in Ardsley School District, and no automatic award of equal parenting time. See the child custody and parenting time page for a fuller discussion.
Starting the action, and the ground that is often used
The first step is not a filing at 507 Ashford Avenue. New York begins a divorce with a summons with notice, or a summons and verified complaint, and with service of those papers. A petition for dissolution is not the New York method.
Whether New York may hear the case also depends on residence rules in Domestic Relations Law § 230. The facts of residence have to be reviewed in the particular matter.
A frequently used ground is in Domestic Relations Law § 170(7). Under that provision, one spouse states under oath that the relationship has been irretrievably broken down for at least six months. A judgment on that ground is withheld until the economic terms, and any terms involving children, are resolved or determined and appear in the judgment. Section 170 lists other grounds as well. Background on the statewide framework is on the Westchester divorce and White Plains divorce pages.
Classifying property before it is divided
Before a court divides anything, it has to classify it. Domestic Relations Law § 236(B) then directs an equitable distribution of marital property — a fair division, not a community-property formula, and not necessarily an equal split. Separate property is identified first.
For a household in Ardsley, the marital residence is often a central asset, along with pensions, deferred compensation, and any closely held business; among the statutory factors is a custodial parent’s need to occupy or own the marital residence. The village boundary, or the fact that a home has an Ardsley postal address while school-district lines extend farther out, does not itself determine classification or each spouse’s share. The high-net-worth divorce page discusses substantial estates in more detail.
An agreed case, or a trial on what remains
Spouses who have settled every issue can often proceed on an uncontested basis. Proceeding that way is often more efficient after the issues have been resolved. That is not a statement about cost. A contested case, by contrast, may be decided at trial if the remaining issues cannot be settled.
Family Court is a different forum
Family Court may hear support, custody, or family-offense matters, but it does not grant divorces. The county currently maintains Family Court in three places: 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, White Plains; 131 Warburton Avenue, 3rd floor, Yonkers; and 26 Garden Street, 3rd floor, New Rochelle. Which location hears a particular matter depends on the case. Questions connected to the divorce are often taken up in Supreme Court.
Asking for a meeting
Call (914) 683-2500, or use the contact page, to request a meeting with Gregory Salant. Wait to share sensitive facts until the conversation is underway. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.
A useful set of materials, when they exist, is a short timeline of the marriage, statements for retirement and brokerage accounts, information about a privately held interest if there is one, and notes on school enrollment and after-school care.
Schedule a consultation · (914) 683-2500
Gregory Salant, Partner, Harold, Salant, Strassfield & Rotbard, LLP
81 Main Street, Suite 205, White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 683-2500 · gsalant@haroldsalant.com
Frequently asked questions
Is Ardsley-on-Hudson in the Village, and does that station change the divorce court?
No. The Village’s official FAQ states that there is no Ardsley train station, and that the Ardsley-on-Hudson stop refers to a neighborhood in Irvington. The location of a railroad station does not determine the court that hears a divorce.
Can Village Court at 507 Ashford Avenue grant a divorce?
No. Village Court at 507 Ashford Avenue has no authority to grant a divorce. The case is brought in Supreme Court, at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in White Plains.
The school district is larger than the Village. Does that decide custody?
No. The Village’s official About page states that Ardsley School District is much larger than the Village and includes areas in nearby communities. Confirm the district by address. A best-interests analysis may take the child’s present school into account, but it does not require the child to stay in that district.
Is Ardsley its own town?
No. Ardsley is a village in the Town of Greenburgh. Living in the Village, rather than in an unincorporated part of the Town, does not change the court that grants a divorce.
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