Otsego County Child Custody Lawyer

New York Family Law Attorney Serving Clients with Child Custody Cases

When you are going through a divorce and have children from the marriage, you will need to learn more about how child custody is awarded in Otsego County. Child custody cases can be extremely complicated and contentious, and it is important to have an experienced Otsego County child custody lawyer on your side to ensure that your voice is heard in these proceedings. In the most general terms, the court makes its decisions about child custody based on what is in the child’s best interests.

If you need help with your child custody case, you should reach out to The Colwell Law Group, LLC as soon as possible.

Types of Custody in Otsego County

Under New York law, there are two types of child custody:

Legal Custody: Legal custody refers to the parent’s right to make important decisions about the child’s life, such as the child’s religious upbringing, education, or medical care. Legal custody does not have any bearing on physical custody, or with whom the child lives. Instead, a parent with legal custody plays a significant role in decision-making processes concerning the child’s upbringing.
Physical Custody: Physical custody, or “residential custody,” refers to the parent with whom the child lives. This parent (or parents) has the right to make decisions about the child’s daily well-being, and must provide physical care and supervision for the child. When parents share physical custody equally, it means they both have the child for approximately 50 percent of the time. When one parent is awarded a larger percentage of physical custody, then that parent is known as the custodial parent, and the other parent is known as the noncustodial parent. In a situation with a custodial and a noncustodial parent, the time the child spends with the noncustodial parent is known as “visitation.”

How Custody Can Be Awarded in Otsego County, NY

When a court makes orders for child custody, it can do any of the following:

Joint legal and physical custody (shared between the parents);
Joint legal custody and sole physical custody with visitation;
Joint physical custody and sole legal custody;
Sole legal custody and sole physical custody; or
Sole legal custody and sole physical custody with no visitation.

The court’s decision is based on a number of different factors that concern the child’s best interests.

How Does a Court in Otsego County Decide Child Custody?

As we mentioned, child custody is determined on the standard of “best interest of the child.” There is no clear-cut rule for determining the best interest of the child, and instead the court looks at a number of different factors and makes decisions on a case-by-case basis. Those factors can include but are not limited to:

Which parent primarily has been providing care for the child;
Parenting skills of each of the parents;
Parents’ mental and physical health;
Child’s relationship with siblings and other family members;
Child’s preference (if the child is of sufficient age);
Parents; ability to cooperate with one another; and
Domestic violence history.

Discuss Your Case with an Otsego County Child Custody Attorney

Are you going through a child custody case? A child custody attorney in Otsego County can help. Contact The Colwell Law Group, LLC today.

Ayona Lane

12:22 26 May 23

Edited: This is a detailed review and I hope it helps others.Cons:I did notice the reviews and decided to take the... chance anyway. At first, my experience was great. Consultation had me hopeful. However, consultation is not with an attorney. You cannot speak with an attorney until you pay the $6000 retainer fee and sign the Letter of Engagement. Then, you will be assigned an attorney. That is the first red flag.My attorney is James Lesperance. He is well versed and knowledgeable at what he does. He kept in contact with me quite often in the beginning and communicated well on what to expect in the coming court cases. 100% of the time he was right about what happened. I felt very comfortable with him.There was a lack in communication in later weeks, but having added a 2-star review, that has since changed. Sometimes you just have a to light a fire to get them moving. James is working diligently on everything for me.I will say that invoices come in frequently compared to what work is done on your case and that this firm is very costly.Pros:Friendly staff during consultation and most calls to the office.Had a question about my bill which they refunded some of it.Asked to amend the Engagement Letter, which they allowed.Attorney is knowledgeable and experienced.Firm contacted me to assure me that good communication will resume and it has.My next and hopefully last court date is June 1st. I'm hoping I can increase this review to 4 stars after that. At this time, James, I would give 3/5 stars. The firm itself gets a 3/5.read more

Jessica Phillips

19:37 30 Mar 23

I contacted the Colwell law group when I needed an attorney. Amanda Iannone-Hens was assigned to represent me and did... an excellent job. She made me feel comfortable and answered my questions in a very timely fashion. Should the need arise, I will absolutely retain her services again. I highly recommend this law firm!read more

Stephen Gomula

19:08 24 Feb 23

Divorce and custody issues are never easy, but the staff at Colwell are amazing and made me feel comfortable and put my... mind at ease. My initial contact was with Lauren. She was professional and made me feel like family. I would recommend Cowell Law Group to anyone beginning the Family Court process.read more

Bonnie McCall

12:13 30 Nov 22

The kindness and understanding shown to me when I called this group for help was something I had not experienced... before. Jill explained in great detail what they thought they could do to help me. She spent time and most of all showed me great compassion. I was not prepared for the empathetic response. I highly recommend this group. I felt like they treated me as a family member, not a stranger. This is unusual in a world that sometimes forgets to be humane to one another. I am very thankful to her, and look forward to working with them.read more

Miguel Ortiz

15:51 04 Nov 22

After almost a whole year of feeling nothing but stress on my shoulders, Colwell Law Group has lifted that stress in... every aspect! My attorney, Amanda Iannone-Hens, has been very insightful and vigilant throughout my case. I'm very grateful for what everyone has done for me; from the first time I called looking for help in the little amount of time I had and until now I have nothing but gratitude for this firm and all they've done for me!read more

Jackson Goodman

18:30 14 Oct 22

Very nice people! Very helpful and understanding through the whole process! I feel they went above and beyond to make... things easier and smoother. Very knowledgeable in their practice and easy to communicate with in a timely fashion. Plus they always have coffee. Lindsey Philips was awesome to work with and also my attorney Kyle Starks was awesome too! Would recommend him to anyone!read more

Yu Wang

16:53 01 Oct 22

I like the starting process here. You don’t have to pay a few hundred dollars initial consultation fee just to... understand how the lawyers to handle your case. Instead, you meet with a very experienced customer relationship person to take the background information and arrange the legal support for you. I met with Linsey and very much impressed with her professionalism and compassion. She’s knowledgeable, responsible, and cares. I’m happy with the experience.read more

Katee Breault

23:36 26 Aug 22

I retained Anthony Sokolowski, 17 months into my divorce and custody case. I could not have made a better decision.... Anthony, wanted to understand where exactly we were in the divorce/custody case, so that he could be sure that we were all working together towards a common goal.Anthony was not only understanding that divorce and custody cases are hard, but was also willing to work around my work schedule, always listened to what I had to say, and addressed each and every concern, always made sure that I fully understood each and every possible outcome. Even though this was a hard case to handle, he always made me feel important, and that he truly cared and not that I was just another paying client on his books.I could not have been happier with the decision to retain him for counsel, he went with every twist that this case had, and there was plenty always ensuring me that things will get better, and we are in this together. Anthony took a already hard situation, and made each conversation feel a little lighter with his sense of humor, and kind words. It was nice to finally have counsel that truly cared, and we were working towards a common goal. While working towards a common goal we were finally able to end the case, and everyone is pleased with the outcome. I would highly recommend him, to friends or family in the event that they were dealt the cards I was.Anthony truly is a stunning attorney, with a gentle heart, kinds words, and has a unique ability to be able shed some light on our darkest of days.Thankful for all those i encountered at the firm, but more importantly thankful for Anthony's understanding, and flexibility because this was a tough case, he took it on without even knowing the history of 17 months.read more

NY Analog

13:09 15 Aug 22

Through a yearlong and difficult divorce, Anthony Sokolowski was a skilled attorney who helped me navigate the most... challenging aspects of a divorce and custody battle. He was on top of things throughout, always patient and empathetic. When things got tough he was a strong defender and he had embodied my situation when I needed him to do that.read more

Lucinda Yates

22:43 04 Aug 22

I retained Attorney Anthony Sokolowski for my very difficult and complicated divorce and custody case. Anthony was not... only knowledgeable but personable and I never felt alone throughout process. Anthony was always honest and genuine with me, he was always available and made me feel safe in the fact that he was fighting for my and my child’s best interest. I worked with Anthony for over a year and this held true throughout entire time. We ended with getting what I asked for and the best possible outcome for myself and my child.I highly recommend Anthony Sokolowski for any family law needs.read more

Brenna Rustick

20:46 11 Jul 22

I was referred to this Law Group from a local office and I'm glad I followed through. I was represented by Kyle who... was professional, responsive, and easy to work with. I felt very comfortable with his representation. Thank you....Carmel Reillyread more

David Bellefeuille

14:01 28 Jun 22

My experience was truly enlightening and very welcoming! I spoke with Kito who instantaneously related with my... situation and assured me that the firm could help me and I believe him. Five stars all around. It’s nice to meet people who have the same compassion for fathers rights and actually love to help instead of just pushing papers through. Thanks For all the information and encouragement Kito .read more

Rebecca Linscott

14:04 11 Jun 22

From the very first call, this law firm has been nothing short of exceptional. My family is working with Kyle, who... consistently provides support, dedication, responsiveness, and who utilizes his experience to help us navigate family court and custody. Every interaction is professional, and I would highly recommend the Colwell Law Group.read more