Family Law
Family Court in New York State covers a range of legal issues and cases that involve children and families, including:
- Adoption (which can also occur in Surrogate’s Court)
- Child abuse and neglect (also referred to as child protection)
- Child custody, visitation, and child support
- Domestic violence
- Persons in need of supervision (PINS)
- Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile Delinquency
When a person under 16 is suspected of committing a crime, it is called “juvenile delinquency” and is covered by the family court system, not the criminal justice system. (In New York State, a person under 16 may be involved in the criminal justice system, however, if he or she is suspected of committing a serious crime, like murder, armed robbery, or arson.)
For a complete overview of New York City’s Family Court, download the New York City Bar´s Introductory Guide to the New York City Family Court
To learn more about each type of case covered by Family Court, visit the New York State Unified Court System’s website by using the links below:
Foster Care
Youth In Progress is a project of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services to enhance the lives of today's and tomorrow's foster care youth by giving them a sense of self responsibility. Visit their website for a lot of information and resources for youth who are in foster care.
Every child who is in foster case through a Family Court case has an attorney assigned to represent him or her in court. To learn more about these attorneys, check out YIP’s brochure about Law Guardians.
The Handbook for Youth in Foster Care, published by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, is a guide for youth in foster care in New York State. From the introduction: “The handbook describes your rights and responsibilities while you are in foster care. It also describes what happens when you are older and leave foster care. It represents minimum New York State requirements, but your county or agency may have some additional rules.” You can download the handbook, or have a copy sent to you by calling 518-473-0971. |
