Few family law issues are more important to a parent than determining where a child will live, who will make important decisions for the child, and how each parent will remain involved in the child’s life. If you are facing a custody dispute, divorce, disagreement over parenting time, or an attempt to change an existing custody arrangement, working with an experienced lawyer can help you understand what the court will consider and how to protect your relationship with your children.
New York courts decide custody based on the child’s best interests. Judges look at stability, each parent’s ability to provide for the child, the child’s own wishes when age-appropriate, and each parent’s willingness to foster a relationship with the other parent. This article walks through each factor in turn, with practical examples drawn from the kinds of matters we see every week in practice, and closes with the questions you should bring to your first consultation.
