The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined the judge should not have precluded mother from filing petitions for custody of a family offense without the court’s permission:
… [T]he provisions of the order … directing the mother to seek permission from the court before filing any additional petitions, whether for custody or alleging a family offense, constituted an improvident exercise of discretion. Here, the mother filed one family offense petition, ultimately determined to be unfounded, and filed one related petition to modify the parties’ custody arrangement. On this record, it cannot be said that the mother engaged in vexatious litigation or that her petitions were filed in bad faith … . Matter of McDowell v Marshall, 2022 NY Slip Op 06248, Second Dept 11-9-22
Practice Point: Mother should not have been precluded from bringing further custody of family offense petitions without court permission. She had not filed petitions in bad faith.