Long Island Child Custody Attorneys

Over 50+ Years of Experience Protecting Parents in Custody Battles

If you are involved in a child custody case in Suffolk County or Nassau County Family Court, you must have an experienced family law attorney to make sure that your rights are protected. Our Long Island child abuse attorneys at Laurence Silverman & Associates have over 50 years of experience protecting the rights of parents in child custody battles.

The question of who is to have custody of the children is one of the most difficult problems the parents face. You cannot trust that your best interests or the best interests of the children will be protected unless you have an experienced and caring attorney present your case to the courts.

Some important things for you to consider:

• Stay-at-home parents have no greater rights to custody than those who work for the success of the family.
• Decisions by the Courts about custody can affect future child support payments.
• Your future relationship with your children can be hurt by a bad outcome in a child custody case.

Are you looking for legal representation for your child custody matters? Call Laurence A. Silverman & Associates today at (631) 816-2684 or get in touch online and schedule a free consultation with our child custody lawyers in Long Island. 

New York Child Custody Laws

A custody order determines which parent is responsible for their child’s care and how they are cared for. In New York, such orders only last until the child turns 18 years of age.

The following are several types of child custody in New York:

Legal custody – This gives one or both parents the right to make important decisions about a child’s major life decisions (e.g., education, medical care, religion, etc.). If the judge awards one parent sole legal custody, he/she is the only one who could make important decisions on behalf of the child.

Physical custody – Commonly referred to as residential custody, this gives one or both parents the responsibility of providing a child with actual physical care and supervision. Joint physical custody means the child lives with each parent equally, while sole physical custody means the child lives with one parent more than 50 percent of the time, and the noncustodial parent is granted visitation rights.

Temporary custody - When a custody case is filed in New York, the family courts award temporary custody to one or both parents. When the case is resolved, the courts will issue a custody order based on the ones mentioned above that will take the place of the temporary custody order.

How is Child Custody Determined?

New York judges will make their decisions regarding custody based on the “best interests of the child” rather than the parents.

Common factors that relate to the child’s best interests include:

• Where the child primarily lives
• How long has the child been living with either parent
• The child’s special needs
• Domestic violence in the family
• Drug or alcohol use by one or both parents
• If one parent is more suited to provide emotional and intellectual care
• If one parent will be more cooperative with the other
• If an older child has a preference about which parent he/she wants to live with
• Each parent’s home environment
• The bond between child and parent
• The work schedules of each parent
• Each parent’s mental and physical health

Contact Our Child Custody Lawyer in Long Island Today

If you have to go to family court in Suffolk County or Nassau County because of a child custody case, our legal team at Laurence Silverman & Associates can protect your rights as a parent. Do not hesitate to let us fight for you inside and outside the courtroom.

Contact us today to get started with our Long Island child custody attorneys.