Contrary to common belief, divorce and separation proceedings exist outside the realm of Family Law. Nonetheless, the team at GELLER Law handles all matters embodied by New York's family laws.

The intricacies involved in New York Family Court can be a challenging endeavor for anyone to face.  Our Brooklyn and New York City family lawyers are ready to take on our clients' Family Law needs and help them regain control and stability in their lives. 

+Child Support

• APPLICATION: If you are a custodial parent, you may be entitled to child support from the child(ren)'s biological, non-custodial parent. This is a very important assessment, irrespective of your financial situation, as raising a child comes with tremendous costs and responsibilities.
   
• MODIFICATION: Once child support has been ordered by a Court of competent jurisdiction, the custodial and non-custodial are both permitted to petition the Court for a modification of the support amount. An upward or downward modification can have a significant impact on both parties. Please contact Geller Law now if you would like to ascertain whether or not your case qualifies for a modification for a child support order.
   
• OBJECTIONS:  When a child support Order is issued, it obligates the non-custodial parent to make continuing payments to the custodial parent.  The paying party, however, will often disagree with the amount awarded. When this occurs, it is imperative to not only file a timely objection, but to also enlist the services of a qualified attorney to assist in the preparation of the objection. This objection is essentially an appeal to the child support order amount, which can have significant results if the original award was incorrectly set.  At Geller Law, our attorneys are specialists in representing the interests of our clients in these types of cases.

+Custody and Visitation

• CUSTODY:  In a Family Court matter, the issue of child custody typically (and unfortunately) becomes the centerpiece of the dispute.  Both parents refuse to come to an agreement about which of them will ultimately be designated the custodial parent of the child or children.  For these reasons, a parent caught in this fight should consult with and seek the assistance of a lawyer to protect their interests. 
  
  
• VISITATION:  Incident to any custody arrangement is the question of visitation. Whether it's a custodial parent violating the visitation terms of a parenting agreement or a divorcing couple seeking to outline their visitation arrangements for their children, our New York family attorneys are well-suited to assist you in your time of need. 

+Enforcement of Agreements

• Simply put, there many instances where a party refuses to abide by a legally enforceable agreement.  Despite this reality, there is arguably no agreement more important and with greater ramifications than those pertaining to family matters. Therefore, it is imperative that when a party violates an agreement, the affected party should consult with our New York Family lawyers to help you enforce the terms of the agreement with the appropriate Petition.  The sooner you act, the quicker your interests will be handled and enforced by a Court order. 
   
• Some of the agreements within the Family Law setting that are commonly violated include: 
  • Parenting Agreements
  • Prenuptial/Postnuptial Agreements
  • Separation Agreements
  • Stipulations of Divorce Settlements
  • Settlement Agreements

Several of the most contested provisions include: Child Support, Child Custody, Spousal Support, Equitable Distribution (distribution of marital assets), etc. 

+Family Offenses

• PARENTS & GUARDIANS FACING ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE OR NEGLECT AGAINST CHILDREN: The New York Family Courts have jurisdiction over child protective proceedings. The primary focus of these proceedings is to help protect children from harmful treatment in the family setting. Accordingly, parents and guardians required to take part in these proceedings are often required to answer against allegations of abuse or neglect against their children. Unquestionably, this may be a difficult experience for any parent to face. Our New York family lawyers are here to assist parents through this process and safeguard their rights. 

+Orders of Protection

• Who is eligible to get an Order of Protection in Family Court?  
  1. Persons that are related to the respondent by blood or marriage;
  2. Persons that are or were were legally married to the respondent; 
  3. Persons that have a child with the respondent; or 
  4. Persons that are or were in an intimate relationship with the respondent.
      
• Under what circumstances are Orders of Protection issued?
  • DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: There are many circumstances in which domestic violence can provide the basis for obtaining an Order of Protection. Please call us if you are a victim of domestic violence and we will help you petition the Court for your Order of Protection.
     
  • ANY VIOLENCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS IN THE RELATIONSHIPS MENTIONED ABOVE:  As seen above, not every case that warrants an Order of Protection requires a spousal relationship. Therefore - in New York State - if you fall within any of those categories of relationships and are subjected to violence, please call Geller Law to receive the consultation and help you need in obtaining an Order of Protection. 

+Paternity Petitions

• Orders of Filiation and Child Support: There are times where a custodial parent is seeking child support but does not have substantive proof as to who the other biological parent is. This is crucial information for purposes of effectively obtaining child support.  In these cases, the lawyers at Geller Law are specialized in filing paternity petitions to attain orders of filiation that prescribe parenthood by the power of law. Only when such an Order is obtained can a custodial parent who finds themselves in such a situation proceed to petition for child support.

Photograph compliments of Luke Chan