Mother’s Relocation to Florida Denied

Mother's Relocation to Florida DeniedA mother had brought a Family Court case seeking to relocate to Florida. She wanted to bring her child with her to Florida. The father had opposed this application. The mother lost her application in the Family Court. She thereafter appealed the denial of allowing her to relocate to Florida.

The Appeals Court Decision

The Appeals Court also denied the mother’s request to relocate and affirmed the prior decision of the Family Court. The Appeals Court took note the record did not show the mother’s plan to relocate was a real plan. The record was insufficient to establish the child’s best interests would be served by allowing the mother and the parties’ child to move to Florida.

The Mother’s Circumstances

The mother was unemployed. She had no family members or extended family in Florida. There was no information as to her having a job in Florida, what town she wished to live in and where the child would go to school. The mother claimed the father would be able to visit the child in Florida. However, the father’s work schedule and personal life were likely to prevent him from having any significant contact with his child if the mother was able to move with the child to Florida. It was also unlikely the child would be able to come back to New York to spend substantial time visiting with the father.

The mother claimed her financial and economic situation would greatly improve if she relocated to Florida. However, she did not show even if she received economic benefit, the parties’ child would benefit from this relocation.

Conclusion

If one parent seeks to relocate and the relocation has a negative impact on the other parent, the relocating parent must present a very detailed case as to how the relocation will benefit the child of the parties.

schlissel-headshotElliot S. Schlissel is a father’s rights lawyer representing fathers in custody, relocation, visitation, support proceedings throughout the Metropolitan New York area. He can be reached for consultation at 800-344-6431 or e-mailed at Elliot@sdnylaw.com.

Mother’s Parental Access Suspended

Mother’s-ParentalActing Supreme Court Justice Stacey Bennett sitting in Nassau County had a case before her in 2013 where a father filed an emergency proceeding seeking to suspend a mother’s parental access. In addition, he sought to suspend all communication and contact with their daughter of every type and nature. Judge Bennett had granted the father a temporary order suspending the mother’s parenting access. A hearing was scheduled.

The Mother’s Argument

The mother argued her retweeting a photograph of her daughter did not violate the court order. She also claimed the use of hash tags in electronic media was not communication and also did not violate a court order. An extensive hearing took place.

The Judge’s Decision

Judge Bennett granted the father’s motion to suspend the mother’s parental access to the daughter of any type or kind. This also included telephone contact, skype, e-mail and all social medial contact. The mother requested she be given supervised visitation. Judge Bennett denied this also. She referred to testimony from mental health professionals. She found the mother suffered from a serious personality disorder with severe and maladaptive histrionic borderline narcistic and anti-social features. Judge Bennett’s decision stated the mother histrionic actions were found in her uncontrollable need for attention.

schlissel-headshotElliot S. Schissel, Esq. Is the managing partner of Schlissel DeCorpo LLP. The firm represents clients in divorce and family law cases throughout the Metropolitan New York area. He can be reached at 800-344-6431 or by e-mail at Elliot@sdnylaw.com

Parental Alienation

Parental-Alienation

Parental alienation is inappropriate behavior by one parent whether it be the father or the mother which is designed to have a negative impact on the relationship between the children and the other parent. It can be considered a type of brainwashing. Parental Alienation is the manipulation of children by one parent for the purpose of preventing or destroying a warm and loving relationship the children have with the other parent. Parental alienation is harmful to the children. Parental alienation has been known to cause both emotional and psychological damage to children. The parent that is victimized loses his or her ability to maintain a relationship with the children through no fault of his or her own. In some cases allegations of sexual or physical abuse are part of the parental alienation scheme.

Parental Alienation Syndrome

A child subject to parental alienation often develop parental alienation syndrome and develop an intense dislike for one of their parents even though there is no logical reason for the child’s behavior to that parent. If you suspect the other parent is engaging in parental alienation, you should take immediate legal action to stop this inappropriate conduct. The longer the parental alienation continues on the more difficult it is to get the child back on the right track.

Custody Lawsuits and Parental Alienation

Parental alienation can be used as a method by a litigant in a custody case to have a negative impact on a parent’s ability to obtain custody of his or her children. If you suspect this is going on bring this to your attorney’s attention. This should be dealt with immediately to stop it from destroying one parent’s relationship with the children.

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If you are a victim of parental alienation or your children are being victimized, contact the law office of Schlissel DeCorpo LLP. We have been helping parents throughout the Metropolitan New York area to deal with parental alienation for more than 3 decades. We can be reached at 800-344-6431 or you can e-mail us at: Elliot@sdnylaw.com.

Changing Custody

Changing-Custody

Custody orders and judgments can be changed and/or modified. The standard for changing or modifying a custody order is to establish there has been a change in circumstances and this change in circumstances is sufficient to warrant a modification of the prior custody order. The change in circumstances must be of a substantial nature and it must be shown that modifying the custody order would be in the children’s best interests.

Jurisdictional Issues

Sometimes the prior custody order is amended by a court located in a different state. In these cases it must be established that New York is the appropriate jurisdiction for the proceeding to challenge the prior custody order. There are specific rules with regard to which state is the appropriate state to handle the new proceedings involving custody. You should contact an experienced child custody attorney to first determine whether you are bringing the custody case in the correct state and secondly as to whether you can establish a basis for a significant change of circumstances which would lead a court to modify the custody order you are challenging.

Enhanced Parenting Time vs. Children and Custody

Changing which parent is the residential custodial parent requires the party challenging the prior custody order be in a position to make a significant evidentiary presentation to the court supporting his or her allegations. However, to obtain greater parenting time (visitation) with children does not require establishing a change in circumstances up to the standard necessary for modifying a custody order. Therefore, in many situations it is more appropriate to show it is in the children’s best interest that they spend more time with the non-residential custodial parent. Both parents are usually in a position to enhance the lives of their children.

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Elliot S. Schlissel is a father’s rights lawyer with more than 45 years of experience representing father’s in child custody, visitation and parenting rights cases. He can be reached at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802 or 631-349-8262 at his firm. He can be emailed at Elliot@sdnylaw.com. Schlissel DeCorpo LLP maintains offices in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Counties.

Wife Seeks Child Support

A wife had brought an application seeking child support about a year after the divorce case started.  The husband was a teacher.  He also owned a small construction company.  He made $152,000.00 in 2015.  During that same year the wife had earned $122,000.00.  In addition, the wife received substantial rental income from a variety of real estate interests she inherited from her family.

 

The Parties Separated

The parties separated in December 2013.  The father moved into the parties’ second home located in Sayville, Long Island.  She remained in their former marital residence.  The father had instead of paying the wife child support for the children, agreed to pay the Sayville property expenses.  In addition, he was paying medical and other insurance expenses included on both properties.  He contributed to the children’s expenses whenever wife requested as well as when the children were with him.

 

Child Support Denied

Justice Quinn sitting in Supreme Court in Suffolk County took note there were no allegations in wife’s submissions the children’s needs were not being met.  He further found the wife had substantial income above a teacher’s salary.  In addition, the husband’s health insurance covered all the parties’ medical expenses.  Justice Quinn found the children’s standard of living remained consistent.  Their financial and emotional needs were provided for.  He denied Elliot Schlisselthe wife’s application for child support.

 

Elliot S. Schlissel is a father’s rights lawyer representing fathers throughout the Metropolitan New York area for more than 3 decades. He can be reached at 800-344-6431 or e-mailed at Elliot@sdnylaw.com.

Father’s Rights Advice

Fathers Rights

There was a time in New York when there was the presumption the mother was going to get custody of the children. That is not the case in 2018 in the State of New York. Fathers have the same rights as mothers to obtain custody of their children. In most families both the father and the mother work today. The days of daddy working and mommy staying home and raising the kids does not represent the majority of families. In some cases the stay at home parent is the father, not the mother. The changes in family dynamics have made the gender neutral law in the State of New York regarding custody issue more practical and creates greater possibilities for fathers to obtain custody of their children.

Fathers’ Impact on their Children’s Lives

Children who are raised without fathers have a greater possibility of using illegal drugs, dropping out of school and of committing domestic violence assaults. Fathers can have a significant affirmative impact on their children’s ability to succeed in life and become productive members of society.

Helping Fathers be Successful in Custody Disputes

For more than 45 years our law office has been representing fathers in custody disputes. There are a number of mistakes some fathers make which have a negative impact on court proceedings to obtain custody. Among these mistakes are: the father moving out of the home where the children reside; fathers maintaining their residence in a dirty, messy manner; failure of fathers to hold steady jobs and have steady incomes; and most significantly the failure of fathers to fight phony orders of protection cases initiated by the children’s mother.

Children’s Best Interests

The standard used by the courts in New York to determine issues involving custody and visitation are what is in the children’s best interests. It is generally in the children’s best interests to have loving relationships with both parents. However, if one parent prevents the other parent from having a relationship with the children, this can be shown to the judge handling the case. Fathers who anticipate a custody or visitation dispute should retain counsel as early as possible. There are a number of actions fathers can take to enhance the possibility they will obtain extensive visitation or custody of their children.

Attorney Elliot Schlissel

Our law office has been representing fathers in custody and visitation cases for more than 45 years. We maintain offices in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Counties and can be reached at the following phone numbers 7 days a week: 516-561-6645, 613-319-8262 and 718-350-2802. You can e-mail me at: Elliot@sdnylaw.com.

Father’s Rights in 2018

From an historical prospective, mothers have been given the benefit of the doubt with regard to who would Father and daughter holding hands together.receive custody of the children. Today, however, this is not the case. Fathers are winning more and more custody cases. The courts can no longer assume the mother is the more appropriate parent to have custody of the parties’ children. The law in New York is gender neutral. In more and more custody cases the courts are carefully weighing the children’s best interests. This has led to fathers receiving custody in a larger percentage of the litigated custody cases.

Joint Custody vs. Sole Custody

If one parent is awarded sole custody by the courts in New York they have complete authority with regard to making all significant decisions in the children’s lives. In joint custody situations both parents have access to the children and both parents are supposed to communicate and cooperate with each other regarding significant decisions concerning the children’s lives. However, even in joint custody situations one parent is the residential custodial parent and the other parent is the non-residential custodial parent. The children live with the residential custodial parent. They attend schools located near the residential custodial parent’s home. In cases of joint custody sometimes one parent is given the ability to be the tiebreaker should the parents disagree on a particular issue involving the children’s health, education and welfare.

Equal Time with the Children

Our office strives to provide fathers whether they are the sole custodial parent or in joint custody situations with the ability Attorney Elliot Schlisselto spend as much time as is practical with their children. Fathers are a resource for their children. Children who have two loving parents develop better than children who only have limited access to one of their parents. Fathers provide children with a unique prospective to help them turn into well rounded individuals.

The law firm of Schlissel DeCorpo LLP have more than 100 years of combined legal experience in representing fathers in custody cases, support proceedings, downward modifications of child support, changes in custody proceedings and visitations proceedings. Our office offers free consultations and our phones are monitored 7 days a week. We can be reached at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802 and 631-319-8262. We have offices in Nassau, Queens and Suffolk Counties. You can e-mail us at Elliot@sdnylaw.com.

Father Given Sole Legal and Physical Custody of Child

Close Up Of Father And Sons Reading Story At Home

A husband and wife were married in 2005. They had two (2) children born from the marriage. In 2015 a lawsuit for a divorce was commenced. During the divorce case Family Court offenses were filed by the parties each seeking Orders of Protection against the other. In addition, Orders of Protection were sought for the two (2) children who were 8 and 10 years old.

Justice Stacey D. Bennett sitting in the Supreme Court matrimonial part of Nassau County agreed to the request by the parties to transfer the Orders of Protection from the Family Court and consolidate these family offense petitions with the current divorce action which was before her.

Both Parents Seek Custody

Both the husband and the wife sought custody of the parties’ children. The custody issues focused around the wife’s alleged mental illness and her inability to take care of the children.

Judge Bennett awarded the father sole legal and physical custody of the children. She found he was the more suitable parent and it was in the children’s best interests to reside with their father.

Conclusion

Attorney Elliot Schlissel

Fathers can obtain custody of their children! Too often fathers come to me and start our discussions with: I understand it is almost impossible for a father to get custody. That is nonsense. The law in New York State is gender neutral. More and more judges are enforcing the law as it was written. The purpose of the gender neutral custody law in New York was to treat both fathers and mothers fairly and give custody, in contested custody situations to the parent who is best suited to take care of children and who would promote the children’s best interests.

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