The Municipal Building at 7 Maple Avenue houses the Village Justice Court. That court may hear civil cases, traffic matters, and lower-level criminal matters, and it may conduct preliminary hearings. It does not hear divorces. Gregory Salant, family and matrimonial attorney and a partner at Harold, Salant, Strassfield & Rotbard, LLP, represents people who live in Hastings-on-Hudson. The village is an incorporated village in the Town of Greenburgh. His office is at 81 Main Street, Suite 205, in White Plains, the city where Westchester County divorce cases are filed. There is no firm office in Hastings-on-Hudson.
This page offers general information about New York matrimonial law and about which court hears a divorce. It is not legal advice for your situation, and it does not predict a result.
The Municipal Building, and the courts that do not grant a divorce
The Village of Hastings-on-Hudson is an incorporated village in the Town of Greenburgh. The Municipal Building and the Village Justice Court are at 7 Maple Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706. The village’s official court page describes the local docket noted above. Village Court does not grant divorces, annulments, or judgments of separation.
Greenburgh Town Court, at 188 Tarrytown Road, White Plains, NY 10607, also does not grant those judgments. They are brought in 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. The town’s official site lists Hastings-on-Hudson among six incorporated villages. This page is written for people in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson.
The village’s own school district, and parenting time
Hastings-on-Hudson has its own public school district, unlike Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, which share a district. Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District, based at 27 Farragut Avenue in the village, is the local public school district for many families in Hastings-on-Hudson.
If there are children, custody, parenting time, and child support are usually decided in the Supreme Court divorce case. The court applies a best-interests standard. There is no special rule that a child must remain in a particular school or district, and no automatic award of equal time. Where each parent will live, how a schedule fits the school calendar, and how the child’s existing school and community are taken into account can matter in a particular case; they do not dictate a result. A longer discussion is on the child custody and parenting time page.
The village transportation page and the Hudson Line
The village’s official transportation page states that Hastings is on the Hudson Line. That is Metro-North’s river line, not the Harlem Line, which is the Metro-North line that also has a White Plains stop. Because the lines are different, a Hudson Line trip is not a one-line ride to the courthouse at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, or to the office at 81 Main Street, Suite 205, where conferences and meetings with counsel typically occur. No travel time is given here, and no particular route to White Plains is required by this page. The filing court remains Supreme Court in White Plains regardless of how you travel.
How the divorce itself is commenced
A Westchester case is typically begun by filing and serving a summons with notice, or a summons and verified complaint. Residency requirements also have to be considered; whether they are satisfied depends on the facts and can be reviewed in a consultation.
The ground used in many New York cases is Domestic Relations Law § 170(7), often called no-fault: an oath that the relationship has broken down irretrievably for at least six months. Even then, the court does not grant a judgment until the financial and parenting issues have been resolved or determined and incorporated into the judgment. The statute lists seven grounds. More on the statewide framework is on the Westchester divorce and White Plains divorce pages.
The marital home and other assets
Who stays in the house while the case is pending, whether it will be sold or one spouse will buy out the other, and how the mortgage, taxes, and carrying costs are paid are recurring questions. They depend on title, any separate-property contributions, the equity and debt, and the rest of the marital estate. The house is not automatically awarded to one spouse.
Domestic Relations Law § 236(B) requires equitable distribution: a fair division under statutory factors, not a mandatory equal split, and not community-property treatment. A custodial parent’s need to occupy or own the marital residence may be considered. It is one factor, not a promise.
Some Hastings-on-Hudson divorces involve professional-practice or business income, deferred compensation, or equity awards. There is no single dollar test in the statute for calling a case “high-net-worth.” See the high-net-worth divorce page on how those interests are identified, classified, and valued.
An agreed case, or a contested one
If the issues that must be resolved are already agreed, or nearly agreed, the matter may be able to proceed as an uncontested divorce. Papers are still submitted to Supreme Court in White Plains, which may ask for more information or an appearance. When the issues are resolved, this path is often more efficient than litigating what remains open. It is not a lesser or discounted form of representation.
If parenting, the home, other property, or support is still disputed, the case is contested. Contested Westchester matters often move through commencement and service, a preliminary conference, financial disclosure, temporary applications, settlement discussions, and, if needed, trial in White Plains. Some settle; some are tried. There is no typical timeline or result.
Family Court’s role, and its limits
Family Court cannot grant a divorce, an annulment, or a judgment of separation. Westchester County Family Court currently has courthouses in White Plains at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard; in Yonkers at 131 Warburton Avenue, 3rd floor; and in New Rochelle at 26 Garden Street, 3rd floor. Confirm the location for a particular Family Court matter with the court. This page does not assign Hastings-on-Hudson or Greenburgh residents to one of those three.
If custody or support is part of the divorce, those issues are generally handled in the Supreme Court case in White Plains. Family issues that are not part of the divorce may be heard in Family Court.
Requesting a consultation
To discuss a Hastings-on-Hudson divorce matter with Gregory Salant, schedule a consultation or call (914) 683-2500. Avoid sending confidential or detailed case information through an unreviewed website form. Use of this website, without more, does not create an attorney-client relationship.
It is helpful to bring papers you have received, existing agreements or court orders, and a short list of questions. Recent tax returns, a deed or mortgage statement, pay or equity-award documents, account statements, and, if relevant, business or practice financials can be useful. You can still ask for a consultation if some records are missing.
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
Do I start a divorce at 7 Maple Avenue?
No. The Village Justice Court at 7 Maple Avenue does not grant divorces, even though it may conduct preliminary hearings in criminal matters and hears other local cases. Greenburgh Town Court also does not grant divorces. The case is filed in Supreme Court at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in White Plains.
Is Hastings-on-Hudson a town?
No. It is an incorporated village in the Town of Greenburgh. A Westchester divorce for a village resident is filed in Supreme Court in White Plains.
The village transportation page says Hastings is on the Hudson Line. Can I take that line to the courthouse as a same-line trip?
No. The Harlem Line, not the Hudson Line, is the Metro-North line that also serves White Plains. This page does not state a travel time or a required route.
Does Hastings-on-Hudson share its public school district with Tarrytown?
No. Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District, based at 27 Farragut Avenue, is the local public school district for many families in the village. Parenting decisions are made under a best-interests standard. A child is not required to remain in a particular district.
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