Family Law

At the Law Office of Frank J. Salvi, PLLC, we know that one of the only things you and your former spouse may agree on is the importance of your children's wellbeing. However, discussions and battles over child support agreements can cause one or both parties to quickly lose sight of what is most important: the child. Our attorneys are here to help you understand and exercise your rights while fighting for the best interest of your children.

Many aspects of divorce will affect your children, and child support is certainly one of those things. We have been fighting to protect our clients' rights since 1995, so you can trust that you will be in capable hands when you turn to the Law Office of Frank J. Salvi, PLLC for help with your child support case.

Child Support

Deciding child custody and visitation may be one of the most difficult things you do during a divorce, but it is also one of the most important.

At the Law Office of Frank J. Salvi, PLLC, our compassionate attorneys know every detail of New York's child custody laws and the issues involved. We will get to know your family and your concerns so we can help you achieve a positive outcome.

Contact us online or call 914-682-1993 to speak with an experienced family law attorney at the Law Office of Frank J. Salvi, PLLC. We have been putting the needs of our clients and their children first since 1995.

Child Custody & Visitation

Domestic Violence? Take Action Immediately.

Whether you've been abused or accused of abuse, any situation involving domestic violence requires immediate action. Find an attorney with the legal knowledge to respond swiftly and properly to help avoid any further damage.

At the Law Office of Frank J. Salvi, PLLC, we have more than 29 years experience with domestic violence in the family law courts throughout New York State.

Domestic Violence

Is Moving in the Best Interests of Your Child?

Are you interested in relocating and bringing your child with you? Has your former spouse told you that he or she is moving away with your child? What happens next can depend on the lawyer you get to represent you in a parental relocation matter.

At the law firm of the Law Office of Frank J. Salvi, PLLC, we know exactly what steps to take to help you achieve your goals. We have more than 29 years of combined experience, which means that you can be confident that we have handled similar cases before.

Parental Relocation

What Is the Difference Between Legal Custody and Physical Custody?

What Is Joint vs. Sole Custody?

Highly Experienced New York Child Custody Attorney

The Best Interests of Your Children

Cost-Effective and Results-Oriented Solutions to Child Custody

Deciding child custody and visitation may be one of the most difficult things you do during a divorce, but it is also one of the most important.

Family law attorney Frank Salvi has over 20 years of experience helping individuals find successful approaches to their divorce and child custody cases. He is an advocate of less adversarial and cost-effective solutions for his clients. When children are involved, there is an even stronger reason to choose an out-of-court process to minimize any negative impact on them.

However, if a more aggressive approach is necessary to protect your rights and your children's best interests, our attorneys are prepared to go to the Supreme Court or family court on your behalf.

In New York law, the phrases "legal custody" and "physical custody" refer to different aspects of a parent's legal rights and responsibilities. Legal custody is the ability to make major decisions — such as medical and educational decisions — for your children. If a parent has physical custody, it means that the children are living with him or her.

Both parents typically share legal custody, physical custody or both — but usually to a different degree. The courts allocate a share of each type of custody to each parent.

When one parent cannot guarantee the child's health and welfare, the court can award the other parent sole custody — legal, physical or both. It is far more common for both parents to have joint custody to some degree.

Often the parents share legal custody equally. That means each parent has full authority to make medical, educational, religious and other decisions on behalf of the child, although responsible parents make these decisions together.

As more fathers demand a full share of time with their kids, it is increasingly common for physical custody to be shared 50/50. This change is reflected in New York law — when one parent has primary physical custody, time spent with the other is now called "parenting time" as opposed to "visitation."

Child custody and parenting time can be mediated or negotiated as part of a divorce settlement, or decided via the collaborative process. There are important legal factors that must be taken into account, however, so you do need to talk to a lawyer. If the parents cannot come to an agreement, the custody arrangements will be decided by a judge.

A court will look at many factors when it considers child custody and visitation. For example, the court will ask:

Are the parents mentally and physically able to care for their child?
Is there any history of domestic violence?
If the child is old enough to make his or her own decisions, what does he or she want?
Has there been one main caregiver throughout the child's life?