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FAMILY COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE DELEGATED ITS AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE PARENTAL ACCESS TO THE PARTIES AND SHOULD NOT HAVE MADE FINDINGS IN THE ABSENCE OF A HEARING (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing and remitting the matter to Family Court, determined the court should not have delegated its authority to determine parental access to the parties and should not have made findings without a hearing:

A court may not delegate its authority to determine parental access to either a parent or a child … . While a child’s views are to be considered in determining custody or parental access, they are not determinative … . An access provision which is conditioned on the desires of the children tends to defeat the right of parental access  … . Here, the Family Court determined that it would not compel either child to visit with the mother. Because the order appealed from effectively conditions the mother’s parental access on the children’s wishes and leaves the determination as to whether there should be access at all to the children, it must be set aside … . The Family Court made its determination based only upon its review of the papers, the in camera interviews, and the colloquy with the unrepresented parties, which occurred in the absence of the attorney for the children. The court did not conduct a hearing, did not direct a forensic examination, and did not seek information from the clinicians involved in the lapsed therapeutic visits. Although there are indications in the record that the mother’s parenting skills may be less than ideal, and she may bear at least some responsibility for her estrangement from the children, the record before us is inadequate to support the Family Court’s refusal to order, at the least, the resumption of therapeutic visits. Furthermore, the court’s finding that the father had done all that he could to encourage the children to visit with the mother was based solely upon the in camera interviews and was not based on any sworn testimony, and the mother was not afforded the opportunity to challenge, either by her own evidence or through cross-examination, the father’s assertions. Matter of Mondschein v Mondschein, 2019 NY Slip Op 06395, Second Dept 8-28-19

 

APPELLANT, A COUSIN, WAS NOT THE FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENT OF A PARENT AND WAS NOT, THEREFORE, A PROPER RESPONDENT IN THIS SEXUAL ABUSE/NEGLECT ARTICLE 10 PROCEEDING (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Family Court, determined appellant was not the functional equivalent of a parent and therefore was not a proper respondent in this Family Court Act Article 10 sexual abuse/neglect proceeding:

We disagree with the Family Court’s determination that the appellant was a person legally responsible for Sabrina and Zulena within the meaning of the Family Court Act. The appellant was a cousin of the subject children who resided with them for a period of time in their grandmother’s apartment along with the children’s mother and father. The record demonstrates that numerous other adults and children resided in the apartment during the relevant time period, including the children’s aunt, uncle, and grandmother. Although Sabrina, who was about 13 to 15 years old during the relevant time period, testified generally that there were times when the appellant would supervise her, the testimony of other witnesses, including that of her mother, contradicted this aspect of her account. In this regard, Sabrina’s mother testified that she never made the appellant responsible for the children, and that she did not leave them alone with him, as there were always other caretakers present. Sabrina’s mother testified that Sabrina’s older sister was responsible for the children’s care on the occasions when she was at work or otherwise away from the home. In addition, the evidence at the hearing demonstrated that the children’s grandmother and other adults were present in the apartment during the time when Sabrina’s mother was at work. Although there was evidence that the appellant sometimes contributed money to the grandmother’s household, and that he had, on occasion, performed general household chores for the benefit of the entire family, these circumstances were outweighed by evidence that the appellant did not exercise control over the children’s environment in a manner commensurate with that of a parent … . Matter of Zulena G. (Regilio K.), 2019 NY Slip Op 06392, Second Dept 8-28-19

 

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WHETHER MOTHER VALIDLY WAIVED HER RIGHT TO COUNSEL WAS APPEALABLE BECAUSE THE ISSUE WAS CONTESTED BEFORE MOTHER DEFAULTED BY FAILING TO APPEAR, DESPITE THE FACT THAT MOTHER’S REQUEST TO REPRESENT HERSELF WAS GRANTED; MOTHER WAS ADEQUATELY INFORMED OF THE RIGHTS SHE WAS GIVING UP (FOURTH DEPT). ​

The Fourth Department, over two separate dissents, determined: (1) whether mother was adequately informed of the rights she was giving up by representing herself was appealable because the matter was contested before mother defaulted by failing to appear; (2) the fact mother was granted the right she requested (representing herself) did not preclude her appeal of the adequacy of her waiver of her right to an attorney; (3) mother was adequately informed of the rights she was giving up:

The mother contends … that Family Court erred in failing to ensure, in response to her request to proceed pro se, that her waiver of the right to counsel was knowing, intelligent, and voluntary. Initially, we conclude that the mother’s contention is reviewable on appeal from the orders … despite her default. CPLR 5511 provides, in relevant part, that “[a]n aggrieved party . . . may appeal from any appealable judgment or order except one entered upon the default of the aggrieved party.” Thus, in general, “[n]o appeal lies from an order [or judgment] entered upon an aggrieved party’s default”… . Nevertheless, “notwithstanding the prohibition set forth in CPLR 5511 against an appeal from an order or judgment entered upon the default of the appealing party, the appeal from [such an] order [or judgment] brings up for review those matters which were the subject of contest’ before the [trial court]” … .

… [W]e conclude that “[t]he issue of the mother’s waiver of the right to counsel was the subject of contest before . . . [the c]ourt and, therefore, may be reviewed by this Court …”. * * *

… [M]other was repeatedly advised by the court of the right to counsel, including assigned counsel, and was represented by several attorneys throughout the proceedings. Yet she discharged or consented to the withdrawal of each of those attorneys for her own reasons and ultimately opted to represent herself, even after she was advised that proceeding without the assistance of trained and qualified counsel might be difficult or detrimental and that she would be required to follow the rules of evidence. The mother also demonstrated the ability and preparedness to proceed pro se by, among other things, issuing subpoenas to various witnesses and filing exhibits. The record thus establishes that the court’s inquiry was sufficient to ensure that the mother’s waiver of the right to counsel was knowing, intelligent, and voluntary … . Matter of DiNunzio v Zylinski, 2019 NY Slip Op 06337, Fourth Dept 8-22-19

 

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DEFINITION OF ‘PARENT’ IS THE SAME FOR PARENTAL ACCESS AND CUSTODY; JUDICIAL ESTOPPEL AND COLLATERAL ESTOPPEL DOCTRINES PRECLUDED SUPREME COURT’S FINDING THAT FATHER DID NOT HAVE STANDING IN THE CUSTODY MATTER (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the doctrines of judicial estoppel and collateral estoppel precluded Family Court from finding father did not have standing to seek custody of a child. Father had previously been deemed a “parent” in the context of parental access. The definition of “parent” is the same in the context of custody:

In the prior appeal, this Court expressly stated that the father had standing to proceed as Isabella’s parent under Domestic Relations Law § 70 based on the doctrine of judicial estoppel … . As the term “parent” has the same definition under Domestic Relations Law § 70 whether the party is seeking custody or parental access … , it is immaterial that our prior determination did not specifically mention custody when it concluded that the father had standing to seek parental access with Isabella. Since the mother is judicially estopped from arguing that the father is not Isabella’s parent under Domestic Relations Law § 70, the father was free to seek custody under Domestic Relations Law § 70 as Isabella’s “parent with coequal rights” to the mother … . Matter of Paese v Paese, 2019 NY Slip Op 06090, Second Dept 8-7-19

 

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FAMILY COURT DID NOT HAVE A SUFFICIENT BASIS, I.E. STATEMENTS BY A CASEWORKER AND THE ATTORNEY FOR THE CHILD, TO DETERMINE NEW YORK HAD BEEN DIVESTED OF JURISDICTION IN THIS CUSTODY CASE; MOTHER WAS NOT ADEQUATELY INFORMED OF HER RIGHT TO COUNSEL (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined that the judges should not have dismissed mother’s petition to modify custody solely on the basis of statements made by a caseworker and the attorney for the child indicating the child lived in New Jersey. The Second Department further found that Family Court did not adequately inform mother of the rights she was giving up by representing herself:

Pursuant to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, codified at article 5-A of the Domestic Relations Law, a court of this state which has made an initial custody determination has exclusive, continuing jurisdiction over that determination until it finds that it should relinquish that jurisdiction because “neither the child” nor “the child and one parent” have a “significant connection” with New York, and “substantial evidence is no longer available in this state concerning the child’s care, protection, training, and personal relationships” (Domestic Relations Law § 76-a[1][a] …).

Here, it is undisputed that the initial custody determination was rendered in New York. Nothing on the record before the Family Court established that it had been divested of exclusive, continuing jurisdiction pursuant to Domestic Relations Law § 76-a(1). * * *

Moreover, the parent of any child seeking custody in any proceeding before the Family Court has the right to the assistance of counsel (see Family Ct Act § 262[a][v]). A party may waive that right and proceed without counsel provided he or she makes a knowing, voluntary, and intelligent waiver of the right to counsel … . In order to determine whether a party has validly waived the right to counsel, a court must conduct a “searching inquiry” to ensure that the waiver has been made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently … . A waiver is valid where the party was aware of the dangers and disadvantages of proceeding without counsel … . Here, the Family Court did not conduct a sufficiently searching inquiry to ensure that the mother’s waiver of her right to counsel was knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently made … . Matter of Means v Miller, 2019 NY Slip Op 06088, Second Dept 8-7-19

 

FAMILY COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE CREDITED TO FATHER CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS HE MADE WHEN MOTHER WAS INTERFERING WITH HIS VISITATION (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department noted that Family Court should not have credited back to father child support payments he made during the period when mother was interfering his visitation. Such a suspension of child support can only be made prospectively:

… Family Court erred in suspending the father’s child support obligation from June 21, 2017 to February 8, 2018 and ordering the money collected during that period to be credited back to the father. Although a court may suspend child support payments for a period where “the custodial parent has ‘wrongfully interfered with or withheld visitation'” … , absent special circumstances, not present here, the suspension must be prospective …. We further find that even where, as here, child support payments are suspended due to a parent’s interference, the “strong public policy against restitution or recoupment of support payments” is applicable … . Family Court therefore had no authority to “credit[] back” to the father the payments he made during the period of suspension against his current support obligation or the arrears … . Matter of Kanya J. v Christopher K., 2019 NY Slip Op 06030, Third Dept 8-1-19

 

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MOTHER DID NOT HAVE STANDING TO BRING AN ACTION TO VACATE THE ADOPTION OF HER CHILD BY HER FORMER HUSBAND PURSUANT TO THE INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT (ICWA) BECAUSE THE ACT ONLY APPLIES TO CHILDREN REMOVED FROM A PARENT’S CUSTODY (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined mother did not have standing to bring an action pursuant to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) to vacate an order of adoption in favor of her former husband. Mother alleged the adoption was not accomplished in compliance with the ICWA. The ICWA only applies to a parent from whose custody the child was removed and the child had not been removed from mother’s custody:

… [A]lthough the adoption proceeding involved the voluntary termination of the birth father’s parental rights to the subject child, the plain language of both 25 USC § 1914 and 25 CFR 23.137(a) is clear that only the child, the parent or Indian custodian from whose custody the child has been removed, and the Indian child’s tribe have standing to allege a violation of sections 1911, 1912, or 1913 of the ICWA . Since the mother does not fall in… to any of those categories, she lacked standing to allege a violation of sections 1911, 1912, or 1913 of the ICWA … . “[T]he language of [section] 1914 …  limits standing to challenge state-law terminations of parental right to parents from whose custody such child was removed'” … . Matter of Connor (Mariann D.–Jacob D.), 2019 NY Slip Op 05979, Second Dept 7-31-19

 

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THE JUDGE MISCHARACTERIZED THE EVIDENCE AND EXHIBITED BIAS IN FAVOR OF FATHER IN THIS CUSTODY CASE, THE DETERMINATION WAS REVERSED AND THE MATTER SENT BACK FOR ANOTHER HEARING BEFORE A DIFFERENT JUDGE (THIRD DEPT). ​

The Third Department, reversing the custody determination and remitting the matter for another hearing before a different judge, determined the judge mischaracterized the evidence and exhibited bias in favor of father:

We agree with the mother and the attorney for the child that Family Court’s decision and order misstates and mischaracterizes the record evidence and that the determination lacks a sound and substantial basis in the record. For example, the court determined that a “curious” exchange between the child and a therapist “tended to suggest that the child was confused about her feelings toward her father,” characterized the testimony by the mother’s forensic psychologist who deemed the mother mentally fit as a “brief interlude of comic relief,” and lauded the father’s willingness to undergo penile plethysmograph testing — characterized as “a colonoscopy of the soul” — as “speak[ing] volumes to his actual innocence.” The court went so far as to criticize the forensic expert’s testimony concerning the September 2016 visitation as an example of blending incidents by commenting, “The only blending here . . . is that of pseudoscience with the world’s oldest profession.” The record does not support any of this unfortunate and bizarre commentary.

It is concerning that Family Court wholeheartedly credited the father’s testimony, viewed most — if not all — of the evidence in a light least favorable to the mother …  and diminished the evidence of domestic violence perpetrated by the father against the mother in the child’s presence. Matter of Nicole TT. v David UU., 2019 NY Slip Op 05729, Third Dept 7-18-19

 

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FAMILY COURT WAS WITHOUT AUTHORITY TO ISSUE A RESETTLED ORDER WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED THE ORIGINAL ORDER AND WHICH WAS ISSUED WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF TESTIMONY CONCERNING MOTHER’S SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS (THIRD DEPT). ​

The Third Department, reversing Family Court, determined the court was without authority to issue a resettled order which substantially changed the original order. The original order, which was issued in the absence of testimony, provided that mother’s mental health and substance abuse problems be monitored by the Monroe County Probation Department. The Department declined because it does not handle custody matters. Family Court then issued the resettled order requiring mental health and substance abuse treatment for mother and allowing grandmother access to mother’s medical records:

“Resettlement of an order is a procedure designed solely to correct errors or omissions as to form or for clarification. It may not be used to effect a substantive change in or to amplify the prior decision of the court” ( …  see CPLR 2221).

… Family Court’s resettled order does “effect a substantive change” and was beyond the court’s authority to issue. The underlying petition included serious substance abuse and mental health allegations, but at no point was any actual testimony taken. These concerns were discussed during the stipulation colloquy before Family Court (Ames, J.), but the court ultimately determined to place the mother on probation subject to standard terms and conditions that did not impose independent evaluation requirements. In addition, the court was not authorized to defer to the probation department the decision as to whether the mother should undergo a substance abuse and/or mental health evaluation …  . The plain fact of the matter is that the colloquy resulting in the oral stipulation was not definitive on the evaluation issue. “To be enforceable, an open court stipulation must contain all of the material terms and evince a clear mutual accord between the parties” … . Although we are mindful of the court’s authority to require a party to undergo an evaluation, the resettled order was issued as a consent order, not as an express directive under Family Ct Act § 251. Given the absence of any record testimony, the resettled order cannot stand. Matter of Joan HH. v Maria II., 2019 NY Slip Op 05737, Third Dept 7-18-19

 

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THE INTERSTATE COMPACT FOR THE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN (ICPC) APPLIES ONLY TO OUT-OF-STATE ADOPTION OR FOSTER CARE, NOT TO THE PLACEMENT OF A CHILD WITH AN OUT-OF-STATE PARENT; QUESTION CONSIDERED ON APPEAL AS AN EXCEPTION TO THE MOOTNESS DOCTRINE; REGULATION RELIED ON TO APPLY THE ICPC CONFLICTS WITH THE CONTROLLING STATUTE (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Family Court, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Webber, in a matter of first impression, and refusing to follow the 2nd Department, determined that the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) applies only to children to be adopted or placed in foster care in another state, not, as here, to the placement of a child with the father in another state. The issue was considered on appeal as an exception to the mootness doctrine because it is likely to reoccur. The First Department held that the controlling statute, Social Services Law 374-a,  clearly states that the ICPC applies only to out of state foster care or adoption, and the regulation which states otherwise (Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. AAICPC, Regulation 3) improperly expands the statutory language:

There is no dispute that the ICPC was intended to provide children in need of foster and adoptive families with more possible placements across state lines. The purpose of the statute was twofold: to assure the placement would be in a child’s best interests, and to preclude the “sending State from exporting its foster care responsibilities to a receiving State” … . Thus the ICPC was enacted to provide children in need of foster and adoptive families with more options, while still paying heed to concerns about the children’s welfare.

There is also nothing in the language of the statute or the legislative history to indicate that the ICPC was ever intended to address any individual other than an out-of-state foster or adoptive parent. The language explicitly limits its applicability to out-of-state placements in foster care or as a preliminary to a possible adoption … . The limitation reflects the ICPC’s purpose which was to provide “a uniform legislative framework for the placement of children across state lines in foster and/or adoptive homes” … . Matter of Emmanuel B. (Lynette J.), 2019 NY Slip Op 05640, First Dept 7-18-19

 

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