CHILD CUSTODY LAWYERS IN SUFFOLK COUNTY

The most important issue in any divorce or family court matter is the issue involving custody of your child or children. An agreement regarding custody or the Court’s decision on a custody matter will affect you and your children for the rest of your lives. It is important to understand that custody is a general term that includes both decision making for your child or children, as well as where your child or children will primarily reside. A determination of custody, whether it be by agreement or determined by the Court system affects where your child will live, how often they will see the non-custodial parent, what school district your children attend and every other facet of their lives.

Whether you are interested in seeking custody of your child or seeking to modify an already existing custody order, our experienced family law attorneys can help you file a petition in either the New York Family or Supreme Court. Although you do not necessarily need an attorney to file a petition in order to initiate this type of proceeding, it is recommended that you work along with a Family Court lawyer who can advise you of all of your options and rights in this difficult and complex matter. Any mistakes that are made with the filing of a custody petition, even early on in the process, can result in a significant detrimental impact to your case. This is why it is important to use one of our expert attorneys to assist you through every step of the process.

A petition for child custody should state all of the reasons why you feel as though you should have custody with your child or children or why the current custody order should be modified. A Family Court Judge or Supreme Court Judge will then review the petition submitted to the Court, making it imperative that you include extremely detailed information to ensure that all applicable points will be reviewed. One of our attorneys will guide you along this process and fill out the appropriate application with all of the relevant information to make sure that the petition does not somehow become rejected by the Court and ensures that your position is presented in the best light as possible. Custody petitions are very technical in nature and there are certain standards that must be satisfied so that your case does not become dismissed.

Once the custody petition is properly filed and served upon the opposing party, a Court appearance will be scheduled. At the first appearance in a child custody case in New York Family Court, the Judge will listen to both parties in the action to determine whether an agreement may be made without a Trial. However, if both sides cannot come to an agreement, the judge will likely appoint an attorney for the child(ren). An attorney for the child(ren) is required to meet with the children involved in the action and is required to relay the child(ren)’s position to the Judge.