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FAMILY COURT APPLIED THE WRONG LAW RE: EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES JUSTIFYING THE AWARD OF CUSTODY TO A NONPARENT; EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES FINDING IS APPEALABLE EVEN THOUGH CUSTODY WAS AWARDED TO MOTHER.

The Third Department reversed Family Court’s finding that extraordinary circumstances justified the award of custody of the child to mother’s cousin. After finding extraordinary circumstances supporting the award of custody to a nonparent had been demonstrated, Family Court went on to find that the best interests of the child required an award of custody to mother. The Third Department noted that a finding of extraordinary circumstances justifying the award of custody to a nonparent is appealable by the mother, even though custody was ultimately awarded to her. In making the “extraordinary circumstances” finding, Family Court had erroneously relied on Domestic Relations Law 72, which applies only to custody awards to grandparents. The court explained the correct applicable law:

 

“[A] parent has a claim of custody of his or her child, superior to that of all others, in the absence of surrender, abandonment, persistent neglect, disruption of custody over an extended period of time or other extraordinary circumstances” … . “[T]he nonparent bears the heavy burden of proving extraordinary circumstances and the existence of a prior consent order of custody in favor of the nonparent is not sufficient to demonstrate extraordinary circumstances” … . “The extraordinary circumstances analysis must consider ‘the cumulative effect’ of all issues present in a given case” …, including, among others, “the length of time the child has lived with the nonparent, the quality of that relationship and the length of time the . . . parent allowed such custody to continue without trying to assume the primary parental role” … . Since a finding of extraordinary circumstances may have enduring consequences for the parent … , it can be challenged on appeal even if, as here, the parent ultimately obtained custody. Matter of Brown v Comer, 2016 NY Slip Op 01218, 3rd Dept 2-18-16

 

FAMILY LAW (REQUIREMENTS OF CHILD SUPPORT STANDARDS ACT NOT MET BY SUPREME COURT, ORDER MODIFIED)/CHILD SUPPORT STANDARDS ACT (REQUIREMENTS OF CHILD SUPPORT STANDARDS ACT NOT MET BY SUPREME COURT, ORDER MODIFIED)

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A DIAGNOSIS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER WITH NARCISSISTIC AND PARANOID... PROCEDURES MANDATED BY THE CHILD SUPPORT STANDARD ACTS NOT FOLLOWED; SUPREME...