NEW YORK DETERMINED TO BE AN INCONVENIENT FORUM IN THIS CUSTODY MATTER (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department noted the record was sufficient to allow the appellate court to determine whether New York was an inconvenient forum in this custody matter. Mother had moved to California with the child after father abused mother in New York. Father filed the custody petitions in New York. After considering the statutory factors the Fourth Department found New York to be an inconvenient forum. With respect to one of the factors–the location of the relevant evidence–the court wrote:

The location of relevant evidence and, to some extent, the ability of the court in each state to decide matters expeditiously also favor California as the appropriate forum. The majority of the evidence pertaining to the best interests analysis in this custody matter is located in California. Although evidence relating to certain domestic violence incidents is, as noted above, more readily available in New York, most other relevant information regarding the child’s best interests, such as her school performance, response to therapy, the indigenous tribe she belongs to, and her relationship with her extended family, is in California … . It does not appear that the child has any connection with New York other than the father and a paternal grandmother. Further, the Attorney for the Child in New York was having trouble providing effective representation to the child inasmuch as it was difficult to communicate with the child by telephone … . Matter of Coia v Saavedra, 2020 NY Slip Op 03325, Fourth Dept 6-12-20