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MOTHER MADE OUT A PRIMA FACIE CASE FOR RELOCATING WITH THE CHILD IN THIS CUSTODY PROCEEDING; CREDIBILITY ISSUES PLAY NO ROLE AT THE MOTION-TO-DISMISS STAGE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined mother had made out a prima facie case for relocating to a different county with the child. The petition for a modification of custody should not have been dismissed:

“In deciding a motion to dismiss a petition for failure to establish a prima facie case, the court must accept the petitioner’s evidence as true and afford the petitioner the benefit of every favorable inference that can reasonably be drawn therefrom” … . “The question of credibility is irrelevant, and should not be considered” … .

Here, accepting the petitioner’s evidence as true and affording her the benefit of every favorable inference, the petitioner presented sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case that relocating with the child to Bergen County might be in the child’s best interests … . At the hearing, the petitioner and her spouse testified that they wanted to relocate to Bergen County because they would have family support there and the child liked spending time with family members living in that area. The petitioner further testified that if she were permitted to relocate, she would continue the respondent’s parental access schedule set forth in the stipulation of settlement and would agree to additional parental access for the respondent. We note that the Family Court did not ascertain from the attorney for the child the position of the then 11-year-old child or conduct an in camera interview with the child … . Matter of Fortune v Jasmin, 2024 NY Slip Op 05443, Second Dept 11-6-24

Practice Point: In considering a motion to dismiss a petition for a modification of custody credibility issues are irrelevant.​

 

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