Always, Always, Challenge an “Indicated” Report of Abuse or Neglect

Always, Always, Always, Challenge an “Indicated” SCR Report of Abuse or Neglect: The standards are higher for a neglect finding at the administrative review or fair hearing   New York State has three independent, though interconnected, systems of dealing with parents accused of abusing or neglecting their children. First, there’s the Criminal Court, in which… read more

Steinberger to chair ABA Family Law Section’s Custody Committee

The Family Law Section of the American Bar Association appointed Chaim Steinberger to head its Custody Committee.  The Committee “[s]tudies and strives for improvements in the law relating to child custody and visitation, such as development of a model joint custody statute, standards for relocating children and rights of stepparents and unwed parents.”  Mr. Steinberger… read more

How Badly Will Divorce Harm My Children?

The Harms of Divorce By Chaim Steinberger Approximately three times as many children of divorce drop out of school and have children of their own while they themselves are still teenagers than that of children of non-divorced parents. [1] Taking Stock of Parent Education in Family Courts: Envisioning a Public Health Approach, 51 Family Court… read more

Lucky Boy is Awarded Three Parents

In a recent, unusual decision the Supreme Court, Suffolk County (H. Patrick Leis, III, J.), awarded a 10-year old boy three parents. The unusual facts of the case justified this unusual result. The case, Dawn M. v. Michael M., 47 NYS3d 898, 2017 WL 923725 (Supreme Court, Suffolk Cty., 3/8/2017), involved a husband and wife… read more

“Should I attend therapy or wait until the custody battle is over?”

Someone just asked me whether she should attend therapy during a divorce and custody litigation or wait until the litigation was done. That is, she wanted to know whether a divorce court deciding custody issues would be biased against a parent who is [diagnosed and] in therapy. Here’s what I answered: The best answer to… read more

Lying Lawyers? “I’m shocked, shocked!”

In Court this morning, opposing counsel said that he didn’t lie in his papers.  “I didn’t say I never signed it,” he claimed.  “I just said I didn’t remember signing it.  That’s something entirely different.” That was the basis for my motion for sanctions.  Based on his attempted deception of the Court. The judge looked… read more