Experienced NYC Child Visitation Lawyer
Protecting Your Relationship with Your Child
New York courts generally believe it is in children’s best interests to have continuing contact with both parents. When one parent has sole physical custody of the child, meaning the child lives with them more than 50 percent of the time, they are considered the custodial parent. The non-custodial parent is typically granted visitation rights. Visitation rights are usually sought during divorce and child custody proceedings, but they can also be petitioned for at a later time. When visitation rights are granted, a schedule must be worked out as to when the non-custodial parent will see the child. Sometimes parents can work out scheduling themselves, but in other cases, particularly in contentious relationships, the New York court will set the visitation schedule, based on the best interests of the child. In any case, you will have the greatest chance at getting an outcome that goes in your favor with the help of an experienced NYC child visitation lawyer.
Arrange a Consultation with Our Child Visitation Lawyer
If you are the non-custodial parent, our child visitation lawyer will fight for your visitation rights, including getting a fair parenting time schedule that allows you to maintain a close relationship with your child. We can advocate for you at the negotiating table or in the courtroom to help ensure you obtain a satisfactory result. If you are being denied court-ordered visitation with your child, we can help you get the order enforced. We also assist custodial parents who have concerns about visitation arrangements.
Our skillful NYC child custody lawyer has years of experience successfully helping parents resolve complicated custody and visitation issues. Reach out to The Levoritz Law Firm today to schedule a consultation and learn how our dedicated attorney with in-depth understanding of the sensitivities and complexities in these cases can help you.
How Visitation Schedules Work
Our Child Visitation Lawyer Fights for Fairness
Under New York law, custody and visitation decisions are based on the best interests of the child. In rare cases, a judge may believe that visitation with a parent would be too harmful to the child for some reason and visitation will be denied, but in most cases some level of visitation is granted. Depending on the circumstances, the visitation order may allow the parents to set the schedule for visits if they communicate well and can work together agreeably. In other cases, the court will provide a fixed schedule that both parents must adhere to. Court-ordered schedules may allow a specific evening during the week that the non-custodial parent gets the child as well as alternating weekends and certain holidays, for example. How a fixed schedule is determined and how much visitation time a non-custodial parent received depends upon factors that include parents’ work schedules, children’s school and activity schedules, how close parents live to each other and other things. Our child visitation lawyer will strongly advocate for a schedule that allows you the maximum time to spend with your children.
What Is Supervised Visitation and Why Would It Be Ordered?
In some cases, supervised visitation is ordered. Supervised visitation is when a third-party adult is present during visits. Some of the reasons for supervised visitation include:
- When a parent has a history of drug or alcohol abuse
- When domestic violence or child abuse has been an issue
- If mental illness of the non-custodial parent is a factor
- If there is a chance that the parent may kidnap the child.
No matter your situation, our visitation rights lawyer in NYC can evaluate your case and address your concerns.
Do not take chances when it comes to maintaining your relationship with your child. Get the help of a well-qualified law firm that will stand up staunchly for your interests and those of your child in visitation decisions. Call The Levoritz Law Firm at (718) 942-4004.
How to Get Child Visitation Rights If You Are a Grandparent
When a child’s parents divorce or separate, it can negatively affect that child’s relationship with his or her grandparents. The custodial parent may not allow parents of their former spouse to see the child. The same may be true when a parent dies. The good news is that biological and adoptive grandparents who have built strong bonds with their grandchildren can petition the court for visitation rights. As with all decisions involving children, judges will look at all the circumstances involved to determine if visitation with a grandparent is in the child’s best interests, including children’s ages, their wishes, the strength of the grandparent-grandchild relationship, relationships between parents and grandparents and more.
If you are seeking visitation with your beloved grandchild, our experienced New York child visitation attorney can help you understand your rights and assist you in filing a visitation petition. Siblings may also be granted visitation depending upon the circumstances involved.
Our New York Child Visitation Attorney Answers FAQ’s
We receive many questions from anxious parents about their rights when it comes to child visitation. Below you will find general answers to questions. For answers to specific questions for your situation, contact our law firm to arrange a consultation with a New York child visitation attorney at (718) 942-4004.
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What does a visitation lawyer do?
A visitation lawyer in New York will ensure that you understand your legal rights when it comes to having time with your child. We will advocate for you to get a fair visitation schedule during child custody proceedings. If you have already been granted visitation by the court but the other parent is not allowing it, we will represent you in having the order enforced. If you have any questions about visitation, do not hesitate to contact us to have your concerns addressed.
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What are reasonable rights of visitation?
Reasonable rights of visitation means that the court has granted the non-custodial parent visitation but has not set a specific schedule. Rather, the court allows parents to determine a visitation schedule within a framework of what is reasonable when it comes to dates, times, length of visits and other factors. If parents cannot agree on a reasonable schedule, the court may develop a fixed schedule stating exactly what days of the week, for how long and where visitation will take place.
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+ Can the custodial parent deny visitation?
While some custodial parents may deny visitation out of anger at the other parent or even because they fear for the child’s safety, they cannot legally do so. Custodial parents who deny visitation may be held in contempt of court. If you are being denied visitation, our visitation rights lawyer in NYC can assist you in having the visitation order enforced, beginning with filing a custody/visitation enforcement petition with the court.
If you are a custodial parent who has reason to believe your child may be unsafe with the other parent, you can file a petition to have the order changed. If the judge agrees, supervised visitation may be ordered in which a third-party supervises the visit. In extreme cases, visitation rights may be revoked. If you believe your child is in immediate danger, call 911.
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How can I have a child visitation order modified?
If there has been a substantial change in circumstances, you can file an order with the court to have the previous custody and visitation order modified. Reasons the court might modify custody and visitation orders include moves out of state, serious health problems of one of the parents, changing financial circumstances, domestic violence, and other issues. Once the judge reviews the request and hears evidence from both sides if the request is being disputed, they will determine if it is in the child’s best interests. If it is, the modification will be approved and become the new order. If not, it will be denied.
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How can a father get child visitation if the parents were never married?
To get visitation with your child as an unmarried father, you must have paternity established. If the child’s mother agrees that you are the father, you can both sign a Voluntary Establishment of Paternity form with the state. If she denies that you are the father, but you believe you are, you can petition the court to have paternity established through a DNA test. Once it is established, you can file a petition with the court asking for visitation or even custody.
Give yourself the strongest chance of spending valuable time with your child, grandchild, or other close relation by getting the experienced help of a visitation rights lawyer in NYC. Call (718) 942-4004 for help.
Get Help from a Visitation Rights Lawyer in NYC Today
We Will Not Back Down in Standing Up for Your Parental Interests
ZEALOUS REPRESENTATION
As true New Yorkers, our family law attorneys fight hard to win in every case we take on, but we always do it honestly and ethically. While we work zealously on the behalf of clients, we are professional and polite in our words and conduct to everyone involved in the legal process, including the opposing side. If you are looking for a powerful legal advocate, you have come to the right place. When we handle a case, we never lose sight of the fact that real people’s lives will be forever impacted by the decisions made at the negotiating table or in the courtroom.
RESPONSIVE AND COMMUNICATIVE COUNSEL
We know from the numerous cases we have handled how stressful and confusing it is for parents navigating visitation and child custody conflicts. We seek to relieve our valued clients’ anxiety by always delivering responsive and communicative legal support. We guarantee that when you hire us and have an important question or concern about your case, we will do everything we can to get back to you quickly with well-informed counsel. We will keep you closely educated and informed throughout every step in your visitation matter.
ACCOMPLISHED LEGAL ASSISTANCE
When your relationship with your child is threatened, you need the help of a reputable New York child visitation lawyer. Our law firm’s founder, Yonatan “Yoni” Levoritz, has a long record of achieving successful results for clients in Manhattan and throughout New York City’s five boroughs in child custody and visitation disputes. He and his entire team of attorneys are proud to provide personalized and empathetic legal services on each and every case. At The Levoritz Law Firm, you are never a number. You can expect the assistance of an attorney who is focused on helping you accomplish your goals so you can move on to a satisfying future with your child.
If a visitation decision goes against you, it can change your relationship with your child forever. Don’t let that happen. Contact our law firm for committed legal assistance today.