Glen Cove Family Law Attorney - David Mejias

The Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality has had many a happy outcome, but we are still seeing the lasting effects of bigotry that cannot be undone by one decision. As we debate Justice Antonin Scalia's successor, we must all remember that these seemingly far-off politics have very real and very lasting effects within our own day-to-day lives. Furthermore, someone's conservative or liberal beliefs are not the only determining factors when it comes to the American justice system. Despite your truest beliefs, sometimes our justice system produces unfair outcomes. Recently, a Florida woman, Peggy Willis, found her appeal denied a hearing in the Supreme Court after claiming that Florida's initial ban on same-sex marriage caused her to lose her parenting rights since she was not afforded the same privileges as hetero married couples. She argues that, had she gone through the split with her former partner after the June 2015 ruling legaliz...

North Carolina's recent discriminatory law regarding public restroom usage has been labeled as anti-gay and caused a widespread boycott of goods and services within the state and a civil rights lawsuit against the state filed by the Justice Department. The law in question requires people to use public toilets according to the gender determined on their birth certificate. Assuming you and I don't pee with our birth certificate in hand, the law could lead innocent bystanders’ gender and sexual preference to be questioned based on appearances alone — the very definition of prejudicial profiling. North Carolina may seem far geographically, but ideologically that prejudice seeps into every community — no matter how seemingly progressive. Long held as the bastion of protection for the LGBT community, New York City only allowed legalized same-sex marriage in 2011 under the guidance of Gov. Cuomo. On May 4, I attended LGBT Network's "Studio 54" gala as both h...

Today, social media is a part of nearly every facet of our lives. Did it really happen if you didn’t post it? Unfortunately, this activity has lead to some very unsuccessful outcomes for many divorcing spouses. Sounding off to the world about your spouse and your marriage during a separation or divorce can have costly consequences. We frequently see examples of this at Mejias, Milgrim & Alvarado when handling the legalities of a divorce. Read on for some tips on what to avoid. Attacking Your Estranged Spouse If the split wasn’t amicable, you’re likely harboring some feelings of anger, even rage. Don’t give in to your impulse to rant about it on Facebook or Twitter. This is damaging to everyone involved, especially if you have children. It can also be used against you in child custody negotiations. The court wants to see and believe that you can work together and not disparage one another to the kids. Those angry posts may convince the judge otherwise. Sharing Too Muc...

This past month, cities nationwide celebrated the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that state-level bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. In honor of that anniversary, and the gains our country has made towards participating in open conversations regarding LGBTQ, I wanted to share the evolution of marriage. Marriage can be a joyful union filled with love and respect, as much as it can be a political tool, business tactic or method of survival. Up until the 12th century, marriage was a system of economic and diplomatic tools meant to establish power structures. With the turn of the 12th century, we saw the first formalized marriages where the couple’s consent was more important than family approval, though the bride’s consent was still not valued more than the groom’s consent. Couples were required to give their verbal consent and marriage was not considered finalized until the couple consummated, thus setting the foundation of the ...

As a general area of practice, family law is as personal as it gets. It requires serving clients when they are at their most vulnerable. An attorney who can bring about resolution while maintaining personal sympathy for the parties involved makes for success. Long before he became a three-term Nassau county legislator, long before he started the firm of Mejias Milgrim & Alvarado, Dave Mejias’ early childhood shaped who he would become. The loss of his father was an unforgettable tragedy—the injustice of which still informs his practice today. Mejias has been cited as saying that for him, the business of law is personal. It is this principle that distinguishes his conduct in this area of practice.

A Nassau County judge dismissed Monday charges that had been filed against a former lawmaker who was accused of stealing a pocketbook from his ex-girlfriend’s East Garden City home three months ago. David Mejias, a county legislator and one-time congressional candidate, had initially pleaded not guilty to charges of grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. Prosecutors said that the 35-year-old woman did not want to pursue the case, prompting Judge Douglas Lerose to reduce the felony charges to misdemeanors and then dismiss them, according to reports and court documents. The judge also vacated a restraining order for Mejias to stay away from the woman. “I am grateful that these outlandish charges have been dismissed,” Mejias said in a statement. “There was never any truth to the charges and as an attorney I appreciate that the legal system worked and the truth has prevailed.” Police had arrested the 44-year-old Glen Cove-based attorney after he was accused ...

Criminal charges have been dropped against former Nassau County Legis. David Mejias, who was accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend while running for a New York State Senate seat last September. Stalking and menacing charges were dismissed in December while a reckless endangerment charge was dropped last Friday, according to Queens prosecutors who were appointed to handle the politically explosive case in Nassau County court. “The charges were completely dismissed, I have been vindicated,” said Mejias, a divorce attorney with Glen Cove-based Mejias Milgrim & Alvarado, P.C. “The system works.” The 39-year-old Farmingdale resident was trying to unseat state Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) when he was arrested. Francesca Carlow went on to win the Democratic primary after Mejias dropped out of the race. Hannon was re-elected in the general election. Oscar Michelen, Mejias’ Mineola-based defense attorney, said the charges were “blown out of proportion.” He said Mej...