Long Island Child Custody Lawyers Serving Nassau and Suffolk Counties

Strong advocacy in our most important cases

Child custody is not a luxury item: it is the means by which you exercise your essential right to a meaningful and loving relationship with your child and by which you provide for your child's health, safety and welfare. In short, it's a sacred trust. At Bryan L. Salamone & Associates, P.C., we take child custody seriously, fighting aggressively to reach a result that truly reflects the best interests of your children.

Common child custody arrangements following a divorce

Custody can be structured in a number of ways. The most common are:

  • Sole custody — One parent is exclusively in charge of the health, education and welfare of the children, with no obligation to consult with the other parent. However, if the custodial parent makes poor decisions, he or she risks losing custody.
  • Joint custody — Both parents share equally in all custodial responsibilities.
  • Shared custody with spheres of influence — Each parent is given special responsibility for certain issues. For example, one parent may have the final say over medical decisions while the other is in charge of making educational decisions.
  • Residential custody to one parent with joint legal custody to both — One parent houses the child while the other is allowed visitation, but both share in decision-making. Variations of this arrangement include giving the residential parent final say or having a neutral parent coordinator mediate decisions.

We will work to build the best case for the child custody arrangement that works best for you and your children.

Seeking custody for the safety of the child

Family courts are required to look after the best interests of the child. Some custody battles erupt when one parent exploits the children to hurt his or her ex, but there are times when a parent truly believes a child is in danger while in the care of the other parent. In such cases, there is no alternative but to seek custody for the safety of a child. We aggressively prosecute and defend custody matters involving allegations of child endangerment. We pride ourselves on giving our clients conscientious representation, together with the personal attention they require in these difficult situations.

Factors considered in a child custody decision

New York courts decide child custody issues based on the best interests of the child, taking into account a host of factors. These include:

  • Each parent’s relationship with the child
  • Each parent’s physical and mental health and stability
  • Each parent’s ability to meet the child’s needs
  • The parents’ ability to work together for the child’s benefit
  • Each parent’s willingness to foster the child’s relationship with the other
  • The preference of the child, if mature enough
  • The child’s relationship to extended family

No factor alone is determinative and the court looks at every situation as a whole. We present the strongest case possible for our clients’ preferred custody arrangements.

Types of child custody cases we handle

We are experienced with all issues affecting child custody, including:

Whatever the issues or the forum in which they arise, we fight vigorously for our clients’ parental rights.

Can child custody be changed?

Courts may be persuaded to modify a child custody order when there is a material change in circumstances that could substantially affect a child’s best interests, such as a parent’s critically ill health, an abusive relationship, a child’s particular difficulties or needs or a proposed relocation of the child over a considerable distance. We have a strong record of success, whether we’re convincing a court to make or resist a custody modification.

Our track record in sole custody cases

Our firm has won thousands of tough custody cases, winning:

  • Against all odds in custody cases where the forensic psychiatrist and the law guardian both were against our client.
  • Custody for people who did not fit the traditional model of a custodial parent.
  • Custody for disabled parents with impaired abilities.
  • Custody for men and women with allegedly sordid backgrounds.
  • Custody for parents who needed to keep their children safe from the other parent who was abusive, neglectful or simply a bad parent.

Our perseverance repeatedly pays dividends for our clients.

Hire winning lawyers. Don't wait. Call us now.

Children grow up quickly. If you lose custody, for all purposes, you lose everything. Contact Bryan L. Salamone & Associates, P.C. online for a free initial consultation with a skilled Suffolk County child custody attorney or Nassau County child custody lawyer. If your case is urgent, do not email. Call us immediately at 1.631.479.3839.