Child support is intended to provide for a child’s needs such as food, shelter and other basic necessities as well as support their standard of living. In New York, parents are required to support their children financially until they are 21 years old, which includes...
Child Custody
Best interests of the child are priority for family courts
Many parents mistakenly believe they need to stay together in order for their children to thrive. However, children often benefit from seeing their parents happy, even if the parents have to separate to find happiness. If you and your spouse are unable to work out...
Understanding physical and legal custody in New York
If a couple decides to divorce and they have children together, they will need to determine custody of the children. While the couple may generally be familiar with the term custody, they may not know that there is more than one type or be aware of the factors the...
Child custody and the primary caretaker standard
Child custody is an issue riddled with emotion. The courtroom can seem like a cold and unfeeling place to decide the fate of your child. To someone fighting for custody, it may appear like there’s nothing you can do to improve your chances of winning that battle. But...
When can a parent relocate with a child?
Parental relocation is a significant concern for divorced and unmarried parents. It is important for parents to understand the circumstances when a parent can relocate and how the process of requesting to relocate works. The basics of parental relocation Relocation...
Be aware of the dangers of parental substance abuse
Drug use continues to plague the New York area. This means that parents who are responsible for the care of young children are oftentimes under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If you’re worried that your child is being exposed to parental substance abuse, whether...
Rights of unmarried fathers
When married parents in New York get divorced, they expect to come to a child custody arrangement with one another that firs their situation. While some parents might find that joint physical and legal custody works best for them, others might use another strategy. At...
Don’t overlook the importance of a father in a child’s life
It’s an unfortunate reality that society tends to view mothers as more important than fathers when it comes to child custody matters. The fact of the matter, though, is that fathers have rights that are recognized by the courts, and judges understand that men and...
Can a court order parents to share joint custody?
It isn't easy for courts to decide issues of child custody. They must balance the interests of both parents, but first and foremost comes their determination of the child's best interests. New York law recognizes that in most cases it's in a child's best interests to...
Child custody: physical vs. legal
Addressing child custody may seem like an easy endeavor, but it can actually be quite complicated. Emotions are often intensified during custody disputes can give rise to difficult arguments which could potentially cause the subject child's interests to get lost in...