New York Child Custody Resources and Support

Don't go through the child custody process on your own. Even if you can't afford an attorney, you have plenty of places to turn for support.

In-depth guides

Use the following to lead you and your family through the custody process.

• Helping children cope with divorce
• Financial planning through divorce
• New York guide to child custody

Court resources

New York state offers a self-help website, as do most family courts and supreme courts. The New York City family court and supreme court websites are organized by borough.

Many counties also have self-help centers, law libraries and staff attorneys.

Staff attorneys do not represent anyone but provide free help to the public. They cannot give legal advice but can give information about court and procedures.

Online court forms

General family court forms and general divorce forms are available for most situations you'll face in a divorce or custody case.

DIY forms ask questions related to your case, then turn your answers into documents you can file or use in court. You can use them in the following types of cases:

• Uncontested divorce
• Custody/visitation modification and enforcement
• Child support modification and enforcement
• Paternity

For low-income litigants

LawHelpNY has a database of pro bono lawyers and legal clinics for low-income litigants.

In addition, each New York county has a community dispute resolution center that offers free or low-cost alternatives to court.

Child support agencies

Child support payments are overseen by the New York Child Support Program. If you need help opening a case, enforcing a support order or locating the other parent, contact your local child support office. Their services are usually free and can help you avoid returning to court.

The New York State Child Support Helpline is at 1-888-208-4485.

Access and visitation services

If your court order requires supervised visitation or monitored exchanges, see the Access and Visitation Program for a list of providers throughout the state.

Parenting education and coordination

New York's Parenting Education and Awareness Program teaches parents how separation and divorce can affect children. The program offers a list of approved providers and a parent handbook.

Another way to maintain a healthy co-parenting relationship is to hire a mediator or parent coordinator to help you resolve differences.

Our professional sources

For more help, consider reaching out to one of our sources. The people and offices listed below have helped us with the intricacies of child custody in New York. We hope they can help you, as well.

Aiello & DiFalco LLP
Michael DiFalco, Esq.
Garden City, NY

Andrew A. Bokser, Esq.
New York, NY

Berkman, Bottger, Newman & Schein, LLP
Jessica L. Toelstedt, Esq.
Samantha Cooper, Esq.
New York, NY

Canadé Law and Mediation
Catherine Canadé, Esq.
New York, NY

Cohen & Lombardo, P.C., Attorneys at Law
Gary Freedman, Esq.
Buffalo, NY

Divorce Lawyers NYC
Paul Rudder, Esq.
New York, NY

Duke Law Firm, P.C.
Susan Duke, Esq.
Rochester, NY

Hyman & Gilbert, Attorneys at Law
Rita K. Gilbert, Esq.
Larchmont, NY

The Lama Law Firm, LLP
Ciano Lama, Esq.
Ithaca, NY

The Law Firm of Mazzara & Small, P.C.
Kathy Small, Esq.
Bohemia, NY

Law Offices of Alayne Katz, P.C.
Alayne Katz, Esq.
Irvington, NY

Law Office of Alexander Korotkin, Esq.
Alexander Korotkin, Esq.
Rochester, NY

Law Offices of Anthony J. LoPresti
Anthony J. LoPresti, Esq.
Garden City, NY

Law Office of Heather L. Kitchen
Heather L. Kitchen, Esq.
Poughkeepsie, NY

NYC Forensics
Alberto Yohanaoff, Ph.D
New York, NY

Peter V. Mandi & Associates, Inc
Peter V. Mandi, Esq.
Bohemia, NY

ReSolutions Mediation/Legal Services
Rachel Fishman Green, Esq.
New York, NY

Santo W. Bentivegna, Ph.D
Rochester, NY

The Williams Law Firm, LLP
Tom Williams, Esq.
Batavia, NY

Custody X Change app

The process of deciding custody requires serious organization. You may need to create a parenting plan, draft multiple custody schedules, track your time with your child, calculate expenses and beyond.

The Custody X Change app enables you to do all of that in one place.

With a parenting plan template, custody calendars, an expense tracker and more, Custody X Change makes sure you're prepared for whatever arises in your journey to child custody.

Take advantage of our technology to stay on top of all the moving parts of your case.