NEW YORK Part 20

The combined result of the new laws can be the opposite of what the law intended, critics say.

"If you're sitting on the other end of a case where someone is paying your attorneys' fees and they're providing you with sufficient support to maintain the life you had before the divorce, and you hate the other person, you can just sit and ride out the process," said Manhattan matrimonial lawyer Juan Luciano. "I've been on both ends of that."