Practice areas: Family Law; view more
Licensed in New York since: 2018
Education: Brooklyn Law School
Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Punjabi
Selected to Rising Stars: 2020 - 2026 Call today:
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Details
Ankit Kapoor is a founding partner with Cohen Stine Kapoor LLP law firm in New York, New York. A top-rated lawyer and emerging leader in his field, Mr. Kapoor focuses his practice primarily on matrimonial and family law, and he provides unmatched counsel and support to clients throughout the greater New York City metro area who are going through a divorce or have some other serious legal issues affecting their families.
Over the course of his legal career, Mr. Kapoor has gained a reputation for his compassion and integrity when dealing with his clients, and he delivers the personalized counsel and trustworthy advice they need to make the best-informed decisions on the matters that will impact them and their families for years to come. Mr. Kapoor is not only a skilled negotiator, but he also a zealous trial attorney.
At all turns, he maintains an unwavering focus on protecting his clients' rights and interests, and he works hard to ensure that he has helped his clients pursue their goals and the favorable outcomes they seek as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. Honored for his outstanding professionalism and service, he has earned consistent top rankings and endorsements from his peers as well as numerous testimonials and referrals from his satisfied clients.
A 2010 graduate of Hofstra University with a bachelor's degree in political science and government, Mr. Kapoor served as a police officer in New York City for several years before deciding to pursue his legal career. He then attended Brooklyn Law School at night and obtained his Juris Doctor in 2018. During his time in law school, Mr. Kapoor continued to serve a NYPD Police Officer, and completed several externships simultaneously, including with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office trial division, and a summer associate position at Herrick Feinstein LLP.
Mr. Kapoor is a member of the New York State Bar Association, where he was appointed to the Task Force on Racial Injustice and Police Reform and was recently awarded the NYSBA Young Lawyers’ Section Trial Academy Scholarship, and he is a member of the New York County Lawyers Associations, where he has been appointed to the Matrimonial Law Committee, the New York City Bar Association, the South Asian American Bar Association of New York and the Asian American Bar Association of New York.
Practice areas
Family LawFocus areas
Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Custody & Visitation, Dissolution, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Father's Rights, Marital Property, Paternity, Prenuptial Agreements, Same Sex Family Law
- 100% Family Law
First Admitted: 2018, New York
Professional Webpage: https://csklawny.com/ankit-kapoor
Bar / Professional Activity
- Matrimonial Law Committee
- New York County Lawyers Associations
- New York State Bar Association
- New York City Bar Association
- Asian American Bar Association of New York
- South Asian American Bar Association of New York
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- L.M. v. M.A. 2023At issue: Was there or was there not a marriage? First Amendment issues regarding the testimony of a bishop and a priest (Ankit Kapoor and Harriet Newman Cohen), 2023
- HUGE WIN FOR COHEN STINE KAPOOR LLP AND OUR CLIENT. MATRIMONIAL ACTION DISMISSED! January 6, 2026 After a 21-day trial in the lower court resulting in a (erroneous) finding of a valid marriage, the Appellate Division, First Department unanimously reversed and held that the parties were not validly married under New York law. The Appellate Court rejected the lower court’s reliance on secular factors and reaffirmed that, where undisputed evidence establishes a religious denomination’s requirements for solemnization, courts must apply those neutral standards rather than disregard them to avoid constitutional concerns. Please take a moment to read this landmark decision reaffirming that secular courts may not intrude upon or redefine religious practices. This was a hard-fought matter spanning years of litigation, extensive motion practice, and emergency appeals. It is gratifying to see it reversed unanimously on the law and facts., 2026
Videos
- CSK partner Ankit Kapoor is on Court TV breaking down the latest developments in the Antonio Brown case, including the attempted second-degree murder charge tied to an alleged Miami shooting—what the state must prove, possible defenses, and what to watch next as the case moves through court. All allegations at this stage; no verdict., Court TV, Law, General Interest, 2026
- Ankit is a Founding Partner of the New York-based boutique law firm Cohen Stine Kapoor LLP, where he focuses on high-stakes matrimonial and family law matters, including complex custody disputes and high-net-worth divorces. Before entering private practice, he served as an officer with the New York City Police Department, bringing to his legal work a disciplined, real-world perspective. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and Government from Hofstra University, then obtained his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School while continuing his service in the NYPD. Mr. Kapoor has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star” in his field for multiple years. He is also active in professional leadership roles, serving on the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and co‐chairing its Legislation Committee, among other affiliations. Fluent in Hindi and Punjabi, he offers personalized counsel to a diverse clientele, including individuals navigating surrogacy and assisted-reproductive technology issues., Our Prenup Lawyer: Ankit Kapoor, 2026
- On March 19, 2026, Brooklyn Law School proudly welcomed nearly 300 alumni, faculty, staff, and friends for a memorable Alumni Dinner celebrating the strength of the BLS community and honoring Alumnus of the Year Larry Silverstein, ‘55 and Rising Star Ankit Kapoor ‘18 , Ankit Kapoor Honored as Brooklyn Law School's Rising Star, 2026
- Beyond the Bar podcast. Join host Denisa Tova as she introduces the remarkable legal trailblazer Ankit Kapoor, a founding partner with Cohen Stine Kapoor LLP firm in New York. Ankit, a legal powerhouse and fitness enthusiast, shares his inspiring journey from an NYPD officer to a founding partner of a firm. Discover his passion for trials, insights on courtroom presence, and tips for emerging attorneys. Plus, gain valuable wisdom on networking and technology use. Ankit's diverse interests, from triathlons to real estate, offer a unique perspective on setting and achieving goals. Don't miss this engaging conversation! 🎧, From NYPD Officer to Legal Titan, Law, 2023
- Ankit Kapoor interviewed on The Lawyer Stories Podcast, Episode 158, with host Benny Gold., The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 158, Law, 2024
Special Licenses / Certifications
- Certified Fiduciary, Special Proceedings, Guardianships, Court Evaluations
Pro bono / Community Service
- Ankit Kapoor is a former New York Police Officer who combines his expertise in law enforcement with his legal education to provide legal representation to those who cannot afford a lawyer and find themselves accused of criminal conduct, including contempt, which is punishable by incarceration. Such contempt cases arise in the family law area, Mr. Kapoor's current law practice specialty., 2025
- Appointed as a Court Evaluator by the New York Supreme Court, 2026
- Represents litigants in the areas of divorce, custody and child support for those who cannot afford a lawyer, 2025
- Appointed as Guardian for Incapacitated Person(s), 2025
Educational Background
- Brooklyn Law School, J.D.
- Hofstra University (B.A.)
White Papers
- Brooklyn Law School’s Rising Star of 2026 Ankit Kapoor ’18 broke into the field of matrimonial law as if he already owned it. He walked into a Manhattan boutique law firm, was offered an associate position, and two successful years later achieved his goal of “getting his name on the door” as a partner at Cohen Stine Kapoor. Yet Kapoor’s career as a matrimonial lawyer was far from pre-ordained. After college, he spent seven years as an NYPD police officer, serving Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant and East New York precincts. “I wanted more, and I thought I could do more with my life,” Kapoor said. “So, I went from law enforcement, enforcing the law, to interpreting the law as an attorney, from cop to counselor.” From Cop to Counselor After Law School, Kapoor worked for the City of New York as assistant corporation counsel for a year but decided to shift to matrimonial law as a practical, recession-proof practice where his people skills would shine. Through a connection with a judge, Kapoor scheduled a meeting with Harriet Newman-Cohen ’74, who had no open position but agreed to provide advice. Not long into the meeting, Newman Cohen, called in her daughter and law partner, Martha “Marti” Cohen Stine, for what turned into an extensive interview with the recent grad. “He was very charismatic, very smart, and very eager. And at the end of the conversation, I said to him, ‘So, Ankit. What's your goal?’ He said, ‘My goal is to have my name on the door.’ I looked at Marty, and she looked at me, and the two of us said in unison, ‘You’re hired.’” That was 2019, and when the mother-and-daughter team formed a new firm, Cohen Stine Kapoor. After the pandemic in 2020, Kapoor joined as partner. What Kapoor did not anticipate at first was how much his police background, where “every day, every call was different” would inform his matrimonial law career. “Most of my cases are high conflict. People call in a time of distress, and my training and experience as a police officer has helped me handle that in a more calm and empathetic manner,” Kapoor said. When cases go to court, his ability to focus and take control of tricky situations kicks in. “I love trying cases because it allows me to get the best outcome for my client. When I have a witness on the stand, whether it’s for direct questioning or cross-examination, nothing else in the world matters but me and that witness.” The “command voice” that Kapoor learned to use as a police officer elevates his courtroom elocution, he says, “whether it's arguing a motion, cross-examining a witness, or during a closing argument.” Outside the courtroom, the former officer’s friendly and authoritative social media presence has prompted strangers to greet him in restaurants and summoned clients to his door. On his Instagram reels [handle: @newyorkdivorcelawyer], his posts are helpful and matter-of-fact. “Your conversations with ChatGPT and other AI bots are Not Privileged!” he warns in one. “Does cheating affect divorce?” “Maybe,” he explains in another. The Journey to Brooklyn Law School Before enrolling at Brooklyn Law School, Kapoor used every available moment to study for the LSAT, even doing a practice exam while guarding a prisoner recovering at a hospital. After choosing Brooklyn Law School for its focus on practical experience, he enrolled in the Criminal Defense & Advocacy Clinic, completed a Kings County District Attorney’s Office externship, and served as a summer associate at a midsize Manhattan law firm. “I didn't want to be stuck inside a classroom for the next three to four years,” Kapoor said. “I wanted to be in clinics. I wanted to be in the courtroom. I wanted to do externships and internships.” After class, Kapoor’s world was quite different from most of his peers. He took the train or drove to Bedford-Stuyvesant to work the midnight shift of a job where there was no such thing as a “routine day” and where 99 percent of the 911 calls he responded to were from people in distress. Each night, the spinning wheel of misfortune would land on a different emergency: armed robberies, homicides, people with weapons, domestic disputes, missing children, car accidents, and more. “And then I would go home, sleep during the day, and wake up at a time where I had time to read before the next class. So that's how my Mondays to Thursdays went as a police officer in the NYPD, at least for the first few years of law school,” he recalled. One of Kapoor’s professors who remembers him as a standout is Hon. Timothy Driscoll, a judge in the State Supreme Court’s Commercial Division in Nassau County and an adjunct at the Law School for 28 years. “Ankit was my student in first year fundamentals of legal drafting, which is what we call the legal writing class then,” Driscoll said. “From the very beginning, he represented the best of what the evening division has to offer at Brooklyn Law School, which are students who come from all walks of life, who are looking to better themselves, not just in their own professions, but also to make the world a little bit better.” Kapoor expressed gratitude to his mentors, partners, and Brooklyn Law School for his career success and the Rising Star title. “My experience at Brooklyn Law School was transformative. It really turned a boy into a man, and it helped me see the world in a different way,” he said. “It gave me something that I’ll be able to use for the rest of my life.” , How Rising Star Ankit Kapoor ’18 Went from NYPD to Partner in a Matrimonial Law Firm, 2026
- New York Weekly From Cop to Counselor: Ankit Kapoor Brings Empathy and Grit to High-Stakes Divorce Law July 17, 2025 From Cop to Counselor: Ankit Kapoor Brings Empathy and Grit to High-Stakes Divorce LawBy: Jeremy MurphyThere’s no such thing as a routine day for Ankit Kapoor, a founding partner at the Manhattan-based law firm Cohen Stine Kapoor LLP. One moment he’s filing an emergency motion; the next, he’s in mediation or preparing for trial. It’s a pace Kapoor not only navigates but seems well-suited for—a residual mindset from his earlier career as an NYPD officer, where unpredictability was the rule. “In the NYPD, we used to say there’s no such thing as a routine job. Every call is different,” Kapoor said in a recent interview. “It’s the same with my clients. Every case is a new story, new people, new emotions.” Kapoor specializes in matrimonial and family law—an area that deals with, as he puts it, “the two most important things to anyone: their children and their money.” His practice spans complex divorces, custody battles, and the increasingly evolving field of fertility and surrogacy law. And while the legal issues are complex, Kapoor is just as focused on the human toll they take. “I often joke that I’m a very expensive therapist,” he said. “Clients are going through some of the most challenging moments of their lives. I tell them, ‘I may not be able to fix everything emotionally, but I will never add to your anxiety. I’ll try to bring a sense of calm, not add to it.’” Kapoor’s journey into law wasn’t conventional. After earning a degree in political science from Hofstra University in 2010, he joined the NYPD and later attended Brooklyn Law School at night, while still serving as an officer. He credits his time on the force with shaping his ability to gather facts, build trust quickly, and remain calm under pressure. “Being a police officer, you learn to assess a situation fast—who needs help, what’s the ideal course of action,” he said. “Those instincts serve me well in law, especially in the emotionally charged environment of family court.” Kapoor’s client list includes high-net-worth individuals and public figures, often with multi-jurisdictional complications. During the pandemic, while many couples found themselves stuck in small apartments, Kapoor’s clients fled to homes in Connecticut, the Hamptons, or Florida, keeping his calendar busy with cross-border custody and property disputes. But not all cases involve just people. Kapoor recalled one unusual situation in Miami where he was hired to supervise dog visitation between a client and his ex. “She didn’t trust him with the dogs,” Kapoor said. “So I supervised the visit, just like you would with a child custody case. That was a first—even for me.” While some clients come to Kapoor seeking retribution, he’s candid about the limits of the law and the costs, both financial and emotional. “I tell clients, ‘You have to get beyond the rage and turn the page,’” he said. “If you want to spend $700 an hour to go after your ex, I’ll support you in that. But if I think it’s not in your best interest, I’ll advise against it. That hasn’t happened yet because my clients usually trust my advice.” Kapoor’s legal work is not confined to traditional divorces. He is one of a growing number of attorneys addressing fertility law, a rapidly expanding area thanks to advances in reproductive technology and shifting family dynamics. New York’s 2021 Child Parent Security Act, which legalized gestational surrogacy, has opened the door to complex legal arrangements between intended parents and surrogates. “It’s a huge shift,” Kapoor said. “With gestational surrogacy, you can now pay someone to carry a child who’s not biologically related to them. That wasn’t legal in New York just a few years ago.” Kapoor helps clients navigate both gestational and traditional surrogacy contracts and is quick to point out the legal nuances between the two. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate provides her own egg and retains parental rights unless formal adoption procedures are followed. Courts don’t always honor pre-signed contracts, which makes expert counsel particularly important. His mastery of the law is matched by a near-obsessive commitment to staying up-to-date. “I get alerts on every major case in my field,” he said. “That’s how I can give my clients the most current, relevant advice. Strategy depends on knowing where the law stands today, not last year.” For Kapoor, the rewards of the job come not in courtroom theatrics but in personal victories. He recently helped a father win custody of one of his children after a long battle. “He was overwhelmed with gratitude,” Kapoor recalled. “Moments like that resonate deeply.” Kapoor currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and co-chairs its Legislation Committee. He’s also active in diversity-focused groups, including the South Asian Bar Association and the Asian American Bar Association of New York. Fluent in Hindi and Punjabi, Kapoor represents a new generation of attorneys—deeply empathetic, highly specialized, and relentlessly committed to doing what’s right, even when it’s not easy. “Being a lawyer is not just about knowing the law,” Kapoor said. “It’s about knowing people—and knowing how to help them when they need it most.”, New York Weekly Profile, 2025
- Super Lawyers Magazine - How Ankit Kapoor Went from Cop to Family Lawyer Extraordinaire When police officers trade in badges for bar memberships, many go into criminal defense. Not Ankit Kapoor. He went from working the night shift in one of Brooklyn’s busiest precincts to practicing in one of the busiest areas of law. “When someone calls 911, they’re in a stressful situation. When someone calls a matrimonial attorney, they’re usually in a stressful situation as well,” he says. “So I figured this area of the law would be a good fit for me.” , NYPD, J.D., Legal, 2023
- Gay Divorce: Not So Different Than Straight Divorce OUT SFL Magazine, October 9, 2023 Alimony is not out of the question. Nor is a fight over kids or homes or cars. “I’ve even seen fights over pets,” high-profile New York City divorce attorney Ankit Kapoor said of his experience negotiating divorces between same-sex partners. Though Kapoor conceded, “It was a unique situation,” that’s just the thing about divorces, gay or straight: while no two are exactly alike, they are abundantly similar in how they are conducted under the law. And they can be either really easy or really hard, depending on the circumstances. In Kapoor’s case, they are usually of the latter variety. He represents high net worth and celebrity clients where, as he said, the “stakes are high and there’s a lot to lose.”, Gay Divorce, Legal, 2023
- If people don’t know you are, they can’t buy what you sell! All lawyers should have a social media presence and people should know what you do for a mindset. Obscurity is not good for business, at least our business. The legal field is known to be extremely competitive. Lawyers are often smart, ambitious, and highly educated. That being said, what does it take to stand out and become a “Top Lawyer” in your specific field of law? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Become A Top Lawyer In Your Specific Field of Law”, we are talking to top lawyers who share what it takes to excel and stand out in your industry., The Five Things You Need to Become a Top Lawyer In Your Specific Field of Law, Legal, 2021
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Gay Divorce: Not so Different Than Straight Divorce Michael Anguille Published: 09 October 2023 Photo by RF._.studio, via Pexels. Alimony is not out of the question. Nor is a fight over kids or homes or cars. “I’ve even seen fights over pets,” high-profile New York City divorce attorney Ankit Kapoor said of his experience negotiating divorces between same-sex partners. Though Kapoor conceded, “It was a unique situation,” that’s just the thing about divorces, gay or straight: while no two are exactly alike, they are abundantly similar in how they are conducted under the law. And they can be either really easy or really hard, depending on the circumstances. In Kapoor’s case, they are usually of the latter variety. He represents high net worth and celebrity clients where, as he said, the “stakes are high and there’s a lot to lose.” “We’re talking about extensive real-estate holdings, investment interests, businesses … I have a case right now where there’s 20 different LLCs owned between the divorcing couple,” Kapoor said. Custody, spousal support, child support — all are commonly litigated issues in Kapoor’s practice no matter the sexual orientation of the uncoupling partners. In the case of custody, specifically, Kapoor acknowledged that there are intricacies unique to same-sex couples, where surrogacy is common and both partners cannot be genetically related to the same child. In these cases, universally applied legal principles make reaching a resolution less complex and time-consuming. “In the eyes of the law, there is really no difference between a gay divorce and a heterosexual one,” Kapoor said. “Under New York Law, the standard for custody is what’s in the best interest of the child. So, if one parent is more stable financially, emotionally, or travels less, say, for work purposes, they would likely be named the custodian regardless of biology.” The rules are similar in Florida. State statute 61.13 cites the “best interest of the child” as the main determinant of custody. It adds an emphasis on “children benefiting from continuing and frequent contact with both parents,” a concept that New York Law also supports. “In most cases, the law wants to see both parents involved in their children’s lives.” Kapoor said. “And it’s usually for the best.” In 2022, there were about 690,000 divorces in the U.S., according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Statistics on how many of these were homosexual are not readily available nor is a figure for how many same-sex divorces involved custody disputes over children. Data is sparse because same-sex marriage is still relatively new. Same-sex marriage only became legal across the U.S., including Florida, in 2015. Massachusetts became the first state to offer marriage equality in 2004. On the whole, contested divorces — whether it’s children, property, or assets in dispute — are the exception rather than the rule, according to Forbes Magazine. The publication estimates that only 10% of divorces are not settled amicably. Those that are settled amicably sometimes don’t involve lawyers at all. Such was the case for Amancio Paradela, 38, who divorced in 2022, and utilized a lawyer only briefly, and in a mostly advisory capacity. “Ultimately, we did a simplified divorce,” Paradela, a grant writer for O Miami, said of his divorce from his husband of 10 years. “There was a packet of paperwork we filled out, submitted to the clerk, and then we were assigned a court date. Within a couple months, it was all done.” While not an option in all states, a simplified divorce is one in which both parties agree on the terms of the separation, including the division of assets. There can be no children involved, under Florida Law, and neither party can request spousal support. A final hearing, which must be attended by both parties, is required to conclude the process. “We did it on Zoom,” Paradela recalled of the “10-minute” affair. “The judge looked everything over, and then we signed off as divorced men. It was really uneventful.” It’s a stark contrast to contested divorces, like those Kapoor handles, which can take a year or more to complete — and which sometimes require a trial that’s exhausting for all involved. “At the end of the day, no one wants to get dragged through an ordeal like that,” Kapoor admitted. For this reason, Kapoor, like most divorce attorneys, works hard to negotiate settlements on behalf of his clients. And even then, he conceded, “not everyone always ends up happy.” Even Paradela, for all the ease of his divorce, didn’t necessarily find “joy” in the process: “Just because you both agree and it’s an easy process legally, doesn’t mean it’s not challenging. Divorce is not something you hope for ever.” He added, “But at least I had the opportunity to do it.” It underscored the reality that even in situations like divorce, which are inherently negative, there is still room for gratitude — for same-sex couples, especially. “It’s what we fought for all those years,” Paradela said. “It wasn’t just about the right to marry. It was about wanting to be treated just like every heterosexual couple.” And in the end, “Being able to get divorced is part of that.” , Commentator, Gay Divorce: Not So Different Than Straight Divorce, Out SFL Magazine, Legal, 2023
- What happens when the AFC believes that the child’s wishes are contrary to the child’s best interests and finds himself/herself at a crossroads with the child? The AFC must then decide whether it is permissible to use substituted judgment. Topics include: Substituting Judgment in Cases With Parental AlienationHow To Substitute Judgment ProperlyDangers in Improperly Substituting Judgment This article discusses the substitution of judgment—proper and improper. It tells a cautionary tale about the pitfalls for the AFC who substitutes judgment without strictly adhering to the rules set forth by 22 NYCRR §7.2—in form as well as substance. It revisits the controversial nature of claims of parental alienation and the rejection of the parental alienation syndrome, while, nevertheless, recognizing that children found to have been influenced by their mothers are not infrequently deemed incapable of exercising knowing judgment, thereby justifying the substitution of judgment. When all is said and done, representing children can be incredibly rewarding and should not be eschewed. However, attorneys who represent child clients need to be wary and should not rush in where angels fear to tread., author, Substituting Judgment: Beware, Attorney for the Child, NEW YORK LAW JOURNAL, Law, Divorce, Custody, Attorney For The Child, Matrimonial, Complex Divorce, 2021
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Ankit Kapoor chosen to be honored as Brooklyn Law School's Rising Star alumnus of the year at annual Alumni Gala Dinner in 2026, 2026
- Awarded the New York State Bar Association Young Lawyers' Section Trial Academy Scholarship, 2021
Honors
- Super Lawyers: Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2025
- Mr. Kapoor co-chairs the Legislation Committee of the New York State Bar Association., Legislation Committee Co-Chair, NYSBA, 2025
- Mr. Kapoor sits on the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) and Co-Chairs its Legislation Committee. , Executive Committee, Family Law Section, NYSBA, 2025
- Task Force on Racial Injustice and Police Reform, New York State Bar Association, 2020
Industry Groups
- Appeals and Post-Divorce Matters
- Custody
- Divorce
- High Net Worth Family Law Cases
Selections
7 Years Rising Stars
- Rising Stars: 2020 - 2026
