GREENBERG & GREENBERG, LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
363 Seventh Avenue, Suite 400
New York, New York 10016
Clifford L. Greenberg Telephone (212) 545-7337
James K. Greenberg Telecopier (212) 545-7406
email: lawbrothers@aol.com
Child Custody and Visitation
When a child custody case is brought in court, the overriding concern of the presiding judge is to do what is in the BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD. Simply, custody refers to your rights regarding your child. The court will consider the following factors in determining which party is granted custody of the child:
- The child's age.
- The child's and parents' mental and physical health.
- The length of time the child has been residing with one or both parents.
- Any history of child neglect or abuse, alcohol abuse, drug use or other criminal activities by either parent.
- The emotional bond between child and parent and/or siblings in either the mother's home or father's home.
- Parents' financial stability, occupation and work schedule.
- The child's wishes, if he/she is of a certain age and the daily routine the child has enjoyed or may enjoy if custody is changed.
- The opinion of the Law Guardian - a lawyer appointed by the court to represent the best interest of the children. This lawyer's opinion holds great weight with the court.
In a contested child custody case, one parent can be awarded sole custody, or the court may decide to issue an order for joint custody. Ordinarily, one parent will be designated the primary physical caretaker of the child and the other parent will have rights of visitation.
I am attorney Cliff Greenberg, and I have many years of experience in custody matters, from both the vantage point of a child, when I was a law guardian with the Legal Aid Society in Manhattan, and now as an attorney for parents, relatives or non-kinship petitioners who are seeking custody of a child.
It is important to know that a custodial parent's authority OFTEN INCLUDES MAKING decisions about the child's school, activities, religion and other aspects of life - independent of the other parent's consent. Therefore, a petition for custody is an extraordinarily important undertaking and it is imperative to have an experienced family law attorney to represent you.
I represent both men and women in custody and visitation matters. If a father comes to our office, I am happy to help - after all, I am the sole custodial parent of my two biological children and I know full well how important both mothers and fathers are in the lives of their children.
Grandparent's Rights
Grandparents may seek orders of visitation even when the parents object to it. Or, there may be situations where a child is in foster care and a grandparent petitions the court for custody/adoption or visitation. Our law firm is well versed in the law and it is my pleasure to represent any relative, including grandparents, who wish to visit with the child in question.
In fact, one of the children's books I wrote specifically speaks to grandparent adoption. I am a fervent believer in the role of relatives as key players in the notion that it takes a village to bring up a child. If you are a relative who wants to know your rights vis-a-vis your grandchild, niece or nephew, please call us - we are ready to help you.
Paternity and Child Support
Paternity and child support are intertwined as issues related to fathers who are not legally married to the child's mother. We have many years of experience representing men who want to do what is right with their child.
Conversely, we will represent mothers who go after the "deadbeat dads" who are shirking their legal and moral responsibility to their children; the ones who my friend Judge Judy Sheindlin calls "mere walking sperm."
So, either way, please call us if you have issues of paternity or child support. We are ready to help you.
I have represented clients involved in Family Court litigation ever since my Legal Aid days in Manhattan Family Court. My love of children is paramount to my continuing efforts to represent mothers and fathers who seek to do what is best for their children. So many of my clients take refuge in the fact that I know the system FROM ALL SIDES - as a lawyer for children, mothers, fathers, relatives or non-kinship petitioners who seek custody or visitation with a child. I am also a single father who has had personal experience in the Family and Supreme Court as a litigant in a custody and divorce battle. I won my case and I will fight my best to win yours as well. Please call us if you need assistance - I am ready to take your call.
