The most challenging family law disputes are those that involve children. You want to protect your children from the potential conflict of a divorce or custody matter, but you know that you also need to do everything possible to ensure their well-being and preserve your relationship with them.

At the Law Offices of Andreas Vasilatos, PLLC, we share your concern and your commitment to doing what is best for your children. We offer the compassion and support that you need at this difficult time, and, just as important, the advocacy skills to get you and your children through it.

Understanding New York Child Custody Law

When we speak of “custody,” we are really talking about two related things: legal custody, which refers to who makes important decisions for a child, and physical custody, which refers to where a child lives. You and your children’s other parent are generally free to work out a custody arrangement that works for your family. Parents often share joint physical and legal custody of their children, but depending on the situation, other arrangements are possible. If you and your co-parent cannot reach an agreement on custody even with your attorneys’ help, the court will need to decide custody of your children.

New York, like nearly every state, determines child custody disputes based on the “best interest of the child.” Some of the factors considered by a court when deciding what custody arrangement would be in a child’s best interest include:

• Stability for the child
• Who has served as the child’s primary caretaker
• Which parent has better child care arrangements
• Parents’ physical health
• Parents’ mental health
• Whether a parent abuses drugs or alcohol
• Whether a parent has committed domestic violence
• Whether a parent has abused or neglected a child, or interfered with the other parent’s visitation rights
• The child’s preference and the reasons for that preference
• Conditions in each parents’ home
• Where the child’s siblings live
• Educational opportunities
• The court’s observation of the parents’ behavior
• Any other factor the court considers relevant.

Parents usually know what’s best for their children, and can often reach a custody arrangement that works best for their family. When that is not possible, they must have an attorney who can make their case to the court with compelling evidence and narrative.

When something as important as child custody is at stake, you need an attorney who is both an effective negotiator and a skilled litigator. Because most family law disputes settle out of court, many attorneys who concentrate exclusively in family law have little trial experience.

Andreas Vasilatos is different. Not only do he and his team have extensive courtroom experience, he has been retained by other attorneys for their own matrimonial and custody cases and hired by other law firms as a trial consultant.

Work with a Skilled New York Custody Attorney

The Law Offices of Andreas Vasilatos, PLLC has two convenient locations: in Bayside, Queen, and at 7 World Trade Center in Manhattan. The firm serves clients in all five boroughs of New York City as well as Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties. We invite you to learn more about our firm and our team, and to contact us to schedule a consultation. We look forward to working with you.