Meltzer v. Meltzer, 255 A.D.2d 497 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dep't 1998). · Go Syfert
Meltzer v. Meltzer, 255 A.D.2d 497 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dep't 1998). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
15 citation events (10 in the last 25 years) across 1 distinct court.
Cited for
At page 497 Analyzing cruel and inhuman treatment standard for divorce2 citing cases�In an action for a divorce and ancillary relief, the plaintiff appeals from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Corrado, J.H.O.), dated March…opening of page *497 (no citing court says what it cites this page for)
  • Nicodemus v. Nicodemus, 45 A.D.3d 546 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dep't 2007).published
    Here, the plaintiff demonstrated through his testimony, the testimony of other witnesses, and documentary evidence that the defendant’s behavior so adversely affected his mental well-being that it became improper for him to cohabit with th…
  • Shagoury v. Shagoury, 39 A.D.3d 527 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dep't 2007).published
    Contrary to the husband’s contention, the wife presented evidence which, if believed, would support the Supreme Court’s finding of cruel and inhuman treatment (see Hessen v Hessen, 33 NY2d 406, 411 [1974]; Meltzer v Meltzer, 255 AD2d 497,…
At page 498 pursuant to Domestic Relations Law § 170 (1), a divorce may be granted based upon a showing that the “mental well being” of the complaining spouse is…1 citing caseopening of page *498 (no citing court says what it cites this page for)
  • Cordoves v. Cordoves, 11 A.D.3d 504 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dep't 2004).published
    Contrary to the defendant’s contention, the plaintiff demonstrated, through her own testimony and that of her psychologist, that the defendant’s behavior so adversely affected her physical and mental well-being that it became improper for…
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Marie Meltzer
v.
Stanley Meltzer
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
Nov 23, 1998.
Published opinion
255 A.D.2d 497
1998 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 12673
Cited by 15 opinions  |  Published

—In an action for a divorce and ancillary relief, the plaintiff appeals from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Corrado, J.H.O.), dated March 11,1998, which, upon the granting of the defendant’s motion made at the close of the plaintiffs case to dismiss the complaint for failure to establish a prima facie case, dismissed the complaint.

Ordered that the judgment is reversed, on the law and the facts, with costs, the motion is denied, the complaint is reinstated, and that the matter is remitted to Supreme Court, Queens County, for a new trial.

The plaintiff presented evidence which tended to establish that on June 1, 1996, the defendant violently pushed her to the floor. That act resulted in police intervention, and in the issuance of numerous orders of protection excluding the defendant from the marital residence. As a result of the incident the plaintiff suffered bruises which are graphically depicted by photographs submitted in evidence. Other evidence tended to establish that the incident was the culmination of months of tension, during which the parties “fought every single day”, and the defendant continually berated the plaintiff, and called her offensive names.

The Supreme Court dismissed the plaintiffs action for divorce, which was based on allegations of cruel and inhuman treatment (see, Domestic Relations Law § 170 [1]), at the close of her case. The court stated that “one or even two acts of physical cruelty in a long marriage does not satisfy the level of cruel and inhuman treatment required under the law” under Hessen v Hessen (33 NY2d 406) and Brady v Brady (64 NY2d 339). We reverse.

In Hessen v Hessen (supra), the Court of Appeals stated that[*498] pursuant to Domestic Relations Law § 170 (1), a divorce may be granted based upon a showing that the “mental well being” of the complaining spouse is endangered by conduct on the part of the defendant spouse which renders “cohabitation ‘improper’, though not necessarily ‘unsafe’ ” (Hessen v Hessen, supra, at 410). The Court of Appeals added that objective proof of physical or mental injury is “not a prerequisite” (Hessen v Hessen, supra, at 411).

The standard defined in Hessen v Hessen (supra) permits the issuance of a divorce pursuant to Domestic Relations Law § 170 (1) in cases where the plaintiffs mental well-being is endangered by the defendant’s misconduct, even if such misconduct involves only one act of overt physical violence (see, M. M. v E. M., 248 AD2d 109; see also, Allwell v Allwell, 252 AD2d 683; Chiarello v Chiarello, 51 AD2d 1089), or no overt physical violence at all (see, Blaise v Blaise, 206 AD2d 715; Pfeil v Pfeil, 100 AD2d 725; Bulger v Bulger, 88 AD2d 895). Considering all the circumstances here, including but not limited to the evidence presented concerning the June 1, 1996, incident, the plaintiff established a prima facie case in accordance with this standard. The judgment appealed from must therefore be reversed, and the matter remitted for a new trial. Bracken, J. P., Miller, Ritter and Thompson, JJ., concur.