You should talk to your grandmother about filing a petition for custody in family court. After the petition is filed, an attorney should be...

What do I do about my kids father?

Unless your court order states otherwise, just because you and the father have joint legal custody, does not give him the right to take the...

Can the father of a child file a restraining order on behalf of his child?

You should first seek a consultation with an experienced family court attorney. If you feel that your child is in danger, you should file a...

Does the court always determine which parent is best to have custody of the children, or the children have the rights to choose?

The court always makes the determination; however generally speaking, the older the child is, the more say the child has in influencing the final...

You cannot refuse his visitation due to his failure to pay support. Those two issues are not related in the eyes of the court.

Owe DSS $1,891, it’s been 2 years since court. I have yet to pay the debt owed due to circumstances. What steps should I take?

If DSS set a firm amount owed, it probably was in the form of a judgment. Child support judgments in New York accrue interest in the amount of 9%...

Does child support for special needs child end at 21 or when child ages out of school or high school?

In New York, unless the other parent has agreed otherwise, child support terminates at the age of 21 regardless of whether the child is in school...

What happened with the custody agreement is broken ?

If there is a court order, you should file a domestic incident report with the police department and then consider filing a violation petition in...

Can you get sole custody without involving the father? Don’t you need both parents present in front of the judge?

You can if the father was served with court papers and didn't appear in court. If that happens, the mother can obtain sole legal custody. There is...

Does filing a petition for child support open the issue of custody as well?

If your ex-husband petitions for child support, there is no automatic change in custody. You can be compelled to pay child support, but you cannot...