Custody

The moment your child is first placed in your arms, you begin to look out for his or her best interests.  Our attorneys provide the guidance you need to reach custody agreements during a divorce.  We also help you plan for future eventualities like relocation which might affect your relationship with your child and your ex-spouse.  In some cases, litigation is the only viable option to resolve the issues.  Our attorneys are experienced and provide the legal representation and counsel you need to persevere in these difficult times.

Contested custody

Children are often caught in the middle of conflicts that arise during a divorce. Custody and timesharing plans are often contested. Our attorneys have access to child specialists who meet with your family to make suggestions about such personal issues. These specialists facilitate discussions that are in your and the child's best interests. Our goal is to reach a negotiated child custody agreement that works for both parties as well as the children.

However, when discussion fails, we are prepared to litigate for the result that is in the best interest of you and your child. We know that parenthood does not end with divorce and so we work hard to preserve your relationship with your child and the other parent.

Giving your child room to grow

Dealing with divorce can be stressful for children.  Parental guidance is needed to ease the transition from a traditional to a non-traditional family.  You set the tone for your future relationships with your children through your communications with your ex-spouse.  Our attorneys work with you to keep the lines of communication open.  We guide you through the process of making the difficult decisions that affect your relationship with your children. 

Some of the decisions are obvious.  Will one parent have sole custody or will you share joint custody?  Who will make decisions about education, camp, religion, and medical care?  Where will the children stay on weekends?  Who will get the children on holidays and vacations?  These are just a few of the questions our attorneys help you answer.

We also help you make decisions about child support and future financial expenses.  Before you know it, your children will be college bound.  You need to cooperate with your ex-spouse to plan for these contingencies.  Questions about whom will look out for your child's interests when you pass away need to be answered well ahead of time.  As your legal counsel, we help you sort through your legal options to properly secure your child's future.

Giving your child room to grow is an important part of planning for their future.  We provide the advice you need to navigate through the turbulence now and prepare for possible future disagreements.  When your child's future is at stake, you can count on us to deliver the legal advice you need.

Case studies

Case study: Disputed custody of child with learning disabilities

In this post-divorce case, the father retained us to obtain custody of his five year old son. The parties had a written agreement reached years earlier in their divorce settlement granting physical custody of the child to the mother. The mother claimed that the child suffered certain learning disabilities which she felt required his placement in special educational facilities, while the father believed that the child was fundamentally healthy and should not be stigmatized and limited by non-mainstream education. In the custody proceeding, we sought to establish that not only did a change of circumstances exist which would thereby allow the Court to review the issue of custody, but also that the child’s best interests would be served by a change of custody to the father, who would ensure that his son would be provided with greater social and educational opportunities. Notwithstanding the fact that the child had resided exclusively with the mother since birth, after a full hearing which made use of extensive forensic psychological testimony, custody was changed to the father. Since the change of custody the child has thrived in the Father’s care.

Case study:  Father seeks custody of his two girls

In another post-divorce case, the mother, a psychologist, had sole custody of the parties’ two young daughters. The father retained us to obtain a change of custody, despite the fact that the mother was available to the children while the father was a musician with an erratic work schedule. While a number of factors favored the mother’s continued custody, we successfully demonstrated to the Court that the father was more involved in the daily lives of his children and was the parent who prioritized their needs. The Court changed custody to the Father, and he successfully raised his two girls, one of whom became a matrimonial attorney herself! Interestingly, a number of years later after the mother had remarried and had children by her second marriage, she retained our firm (with the consent of her first husband) to represent her in her divorce and custody action against her second husband.

Serving the following geographic regions in New York:
Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn; Westchester and Nassau Counties