Parental Rights Attorney in Queens

Protecting Your Relationship with Your Child Across Every Type of Proceeding

Parental rights are the legal foundation of the parent-child relationship. In New York, those rights include the authority to make decisions about a child’s education, healthcare, and religious upbringing, as well as the right to physical custody and parenting time. Divorce, separation, a paternity dispute, or a child protective proceeding initiated by the New York City Administration for Children’s Services can all put those rights at risk. When any of these situations arise, acting quickly with informed legal counsel can matter.

Law Offices of Andreas Vasilatos has practiced family law in Queens since 2006. Our attorneys handle parental rights matters for all parents regardless of gender, and our combined 90 years of legal experience spans the full range of proceedings heard in Queens County Family Court. We serve clients throughout Queens and all five boroughs.

Parental Rights Matters We Handle in Queens

Parental rights disputes rarely fit a single mold. A contested custody case in divorce looks very different from a termination of parental rights proceeding or an emergency response to ACS involvement. Our firm is built to handle that full range.

• Contested custody litigation: When parents can’t agree, we represent clients before Queens County Family Court in Jamaica and are prepared to litigate custody and decision-making authority through trial.
• Parenting time and visitation: We pursue and enforce parenting time and visitation arrangements that reflect each parent’s role, and we seek modifications when a substantial change in circumstances warrants a new order.
• Paternity establishment: For unmarried fathers, legally establishing paternity is a prerequisite to seeking custody or visitation under New York law. We handle voluntary acknowledgment proceedings and contested paternity matters.
• ACS and child protective proceedings: When ACS initiates a proceeding and removal of a child is possible, we respond promptly to protect parental rights throughout the investigation and any court process that follows.
• Parental alienation: When one parent’s conduct is undermining the child’s relationship with the other, we document the pattern and advocate for appropriate court intervention. Learn more about how we handle parental alienation cases.
• International and interstate custody disputes: We handle custody matters involving jurisdictional complexity, including cases governed by the Hague Convention or interstate custody disputes.
• Order modifications: Custody and parenting time orders can be revisited. We represent parents seeking changes to existing arrangements when circumstances have materially shifted.

Litigation Depth & Negotiation Skill, Both Under One Roof

Many parental rights disputes can be resolved without a courtroom. Mediation gives parents meaningful control over the process and can produce arrangements that both parties can actually follow. We actively pursue negotiated resolution when it serves our client’s goals and protects the parent-child relationship.

When a case can’t be settled, we don’t switch gears reluctantly. Our attorneys are seasoned trial lawyers who have litigated hundreds of family law and other disputes, and our preparation for court is thorough. That dual capacity, grounded in nearly two decades of Queens-area family law practice, means clients don’t face a choice between a firm that negotiates well and one that litigates well. Our Bayside, Queens office serves clients appearing before Queens County Family Court directly.