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I am the father of my daughter and have physical custody of her. I am trying to find out if my daughter still has an active protection order against her mom’s boyfriend. I am not a listed party on the protection order, but I have evidence that he has been around my daughter. I want to know how I... View More

answered on Jul 7, 2025
It is completely understandable that you want to ensure your daughter's safety and confirm whether there is an active protection order in place. As a parent with physical custody, it can be frustrating to be told you cannot access information that may directly impact your child's... View More
I currently have physical custody and joint legal custody of my child. I want to seek sole custody and request supervised visitation for my child's mother. Previously, my child's mother had her children removed due to drug issues, and she currently only has supervised visitation with her... View More

answered on Jul 7, 2025
I'm sorry you are dealing with a situation that puts your child's safety and well-being at risk. When a parent believes that the other parent is exposing the child to harm, New York law provides a way to seek court intervention and request changes to custody and visitation arrangements.... View More
I have been married for 4 years, and my spouse was gifted a home after we got married. The deed is solely in my spouse's name. I have spent a significant amount of my own money on improvements to the property, and we both have contributed to household expenses while living in this home. There... View More

answered on Jul 1, 2025
I'm sorry you're facing this difficult situation. Property rights during divorce can be complex, especially when one spouse received a gift and the other made financial or non-financial contributions. In New York, the classification of property as marital or separate is a key factor in... View More
I was born in Bronx, NYC, in 1988 and adopted in 1994. My current birth certificate has my first name in all caps, and my last name has three asterisks after it. My social security number seems to be from South Carolina. I’m concerned about whether this is legal and if I might have two... View More

answered on Jun 26, 2025
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this confusing and stressful situation. Questions about identity, adoption, and inheritance can be deeply personal and legally complex, especially when records appear inconsistent.
In New York, once an adoption is finalized, the adopted individual... View More
I need guidance on obtaining a child support modification in New York. I am current with my payments, paying arrears, and I cover medical insurance for my child. A support representative informed me that I've been overpaying since 2023, and my healthcare contributions should not incur an extra... View More

answered on Jun 26, 2025
It sounds like you are doing your best to meet your child support obligations while also trying to manage your own financial stability. Situations involving overpayments and miscalculations in the child support system can be frustrating and difficult to resolve without clear legal guidance.... View More
My son has recently turned 18 and is working full-time, but he is not contributing to household expenses. We are in New York State. Since there are no existing agreements about his child support ending at 18, would he be considered self-supporting, and would child support obligations end under... View More

answered on Jun 21, 2025
It is understandable to want clarity about your financial responsibilities, especially when a child reaches adulthood and begins working. In New York State, child support generally continues until the child turns 21, unless a court determines the child is legally emancipated before that age.... View More
I was legally married in the Dominican Republic to a native Dominican woman. We never got married in the US, and there's no US marriage license. We both currently reside in New York, and she has become a US citizen. We have not initiated any legal divorce proceedings in the Dominican Republic.... View More

answered on Jun 21, 2025
Yes, you can seek a divorce in New York even if your marriage took place only in the Dominican Republic. The key question is not where the marriage occurred but whether the marriage is legally recognized and whether the New York courts have jurisdiction over the parties.
New York recognizes... View More
I am seeking legal advice regarding missing inherited jewelry valued at over $175,000, previously belonging to my late mother and grandmother. The jewelry was last seen in my ex-wife's possession around 2008; I had asked her to keep it safe due to emotional distress at the time. After she left... View More

answered on Jun 19, 2025
I understand how upsetting it must be to discover that valuable inherited jewelry is missing, especially when it carries deep personal meaning. You are right to seek guidance on your legal options in New York.
In cases involving missing personal property such as jewelry, one potential legal... View More
I am a grandparent who has had full custody of my grandchild for the last 14 years. Recently, as of June 2025, the court granted joint custody to the child's father. During the time I had full custody, there was no formal or informal financial support from the father, and no previous child... View More

answered on Jun 14, 2025
The asker cannot recover past child support without a properly entered order of support prepared by a support magistrate. The only way to get child support payments is to file a petition for support now. This is when the order starts to accumulate arrearages if the non-custodial parent fails to pay... View More
My married son passed away in New York without a will, leaving no children. Before his marriage in 2023, he lived with us for over 40 years and owed us money, although there's no documentation of it. His spouse, who has initiated probate, isn't sharing any information and is being quite... View More

answered on Jun 13, 2025
If your son had no Will, the laws of intestacy control who takes his estate. If he was married when he died and left no children, then his wife would be the sole beneficiary of his estate. if your son owed you money, then you could file a claim against the estate, but you would have to be able to... View More
Is the non-custodial parent in New York responsible for college expenses after the child's emancipation if the agreement specifies that post-secondary expenses are limited to the cost of attending State University of New York for four years, and the non-custodial parent can petition for a... View More

answered on May 30, 2025
This is a difficult question to answer without a review of the orders involved. Ordinarily, emancipation wipes out the order of support. A well written stipulation will list exhaustively what constitutes emancipation: the child's marriage, reaching eighteen years of age, entering the U.S.... View More
I am trying to add my deceased father's last name to my Puerto Rican birth certificate. Both of my parents have passed away, and previously, I was informed that my mother would need to sign papers to make this change. My sister contacted a lawyer in Puerto Rico, who confirmed that my... View More

answered on May 29, 2025
It can be difficult to navigate changes to official documents when both parents are deceased, especially across jurisdictions. In your case, adding your deceased father’s name to your Puerto Rican birth certificate may still be possible, but it typically involves a legal process through the... View More
I am a father of a 6-year-old daughter in New York. My ex-partner, who I was never married to, and I share a child for whom I signed the birth certificate and acknowledgment of paternity. Despite the absence of a prior court agreement, I have recently filed for sole custody, and the first court... View More

answered on May 23, 2025
I'm sorry you're going through this. It’s upsetting to feel shut out of your child’s life, especially when you're trying to do the right thing by going through the courts. In New York, when parents are not married and there is no custody order in place, both parents generally... View More
I have full legal custody of my daughter, and although her father pays child support, there isn't any agreement on parental responsibilities. We haven't had any prior court orders regarding a name change. I want to change my daughter's last name officially to my married name. Given... View More

answered on May 20, 2025
It is understandable that you want your daughter's name to reflect your family unit, especially when you have full legal custody and the father has had little involvement in her life. Navigating the legal process for a name change in New York can be frustrating, particularly when dealing with... View More
I got married in October, and initially, my last name wasn't hyphenated on the marriage certificate. Now, I need to know if it's possible to have two marriage certificates: one showing the original marriage date and another after performing a second ceremony to include the hyphenated last... View More

answered on May 19, 2025
In New York, you cannot obtain two separate marriage certificates for the same marriage event. However, if you wish to update your surname to a hyphenated version after your marriage certificate has been issued, you can request an amendment to the existing certificate. This process does not require... View More
I had temporary guardianship of my grandson and his half-sister a couple of years ago. Child Protective Services (CPS) placed them back with my daughter and her boyfriend. In March, I was granted temporary guardianship of my grandson, which was supposed to last until August 30th of this year.... View More

answered on May 18, 2025
I understand your concern about your grandson's safety and the confusion surrounding the guardianship paperwork. In New York, the legality of a notarized guardianship document generally depends on whether it was properly executed, which includes being signed by the parties involved and... View More
I'm trying to prove that as part of my parents' divorce conditions, which likely took place around 2023-2024 in Kings County, NYC (Brooklyn), my mother was supposed to remain in New York State with my siblings and me. I don't have any divorce documents and haven't contacted any... View More

answered on May 18, 2025
To obtain divorce documentation from Kings County, New York City (Brooklyn), you will need to follow a few specific steps. Divorce records in New York are generally considered confidential, and access is limited to the parties involved in the case, their attorneys, and individuals who have a court... View More
Both my baby and I live separately from her father, who resides at his mother's house. Our verbal agreement was that he would pay the bills while I take care of our child full-time. However, he has been late on all bill payments for the past nine months, causing my credit score to drop from... View More

answered on May 18, 2025
I understand your concerns about your child's well-being and your frustration with the lack of support and involvement from her father. In New York, if you are seeking full custody of your child, you can take several steps to protect your rights and ensure that your child is cared for in a... View More
I have been granted an uncontested divorce, but my ex-husband refuses to leave the property, which is legally in my name. There are safety concerns regarding his presence, and attempts to resolve the situation amicably have failed. No legal agreements were set during the divorce, and we have one... View More

answered on May 16, 2025
The answer to your question about your husband leaving the marital home should have been answered in the divorce documents. Assuming you were awarded sole ownership of the marital residence, or exclusive use and occupancy, there should have been a vacate date for him. If he will not leave, your... View More
I have been granted an uncontested divorce, but my ex-husband refuses to leave the property, which is legally in my name. There are safety concerns regarding his presence, and attempts to resolve the situation amicably have failed. No legal agreements were set during the divorce, and we have one... View More

answered on May 18, 2025
I understand how frustrating and stressful it can be to deal with an ex-spouse who refuses to leave your property after a divorce. Since your divorce is uncontested and the property is legally in your name, you have several legal options to address this situation under New York law.
First,... View More
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