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FAMILY COURT PROPERLY DETERMINED NEW YORK WAS NOT THE APPROPRIATE FORUM IN THIS CUSTODY DISPUTE, BUT THE NEW YORK PROCEEDINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN STAYED, NOT DISMISSED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Family Court, determined Family Court properly decided New York was not the appropriate forum for this custody dispute between father in New York and mother and child in Texas, but Family Court should have stayed, not dismissed, the New York proceedings:

Based on the record before us, we agree with the Family Court that Texas is the more appropriate and convenient forum. The child has not resided in New York since May of 2020. The child also has had no significant connection to New York since 2020, and the substantial, relevant evidence pertaining to the child’s care, protection, education, and personal relationships is in Texas, not New York. Accordingly, the statutory factors weigh in favor of the court’s determination to decline to exercise jurisdiction.

However, Domestic Relations Law § 76-f(3) specifies that “[i]f a court of this state determines that it is an inconvenient forum and that a court of another state is a more appropriate forum, it shall stay the proceedings upon condition that a child custody proceeding be promptly commenced in another designated state.” Accordingly, the Family Court erred in granting that branch of the motion which was to dismiss the petition … . Matter of Waters v Yacopino, 2023 NY Slip Op 02792, Second Dept 5-24-23

Practice Point: Here Family Court properly found that New York was not the appropriate forum for the custody dispute. But the proper procedure is to stay the New York proceedings, not dismiss them.

 

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