New York Visitation Lawyer

Stephen Bilkis & Associates is led by New York visitation lawyer Stephen Bilkis, who has nearly 30 years of experience handling visitation, child custody, and other family law matters in New York. The firm has handled hundreds of visitation cases, and its attorneys collectively have more than 300 years of legal experience.

If you are separated from your child’s other parent, you may be worried about how often you will see your children, whether holidays and school breaks will be shared fairly, whether the other parent will follow the schedule, and whether your relationship with your children will survive the changes in your family. We start by learning about your children, your relationship with them, your work and living arrangements, and the kind of schedule that would actually work for your family.

Every family is different. Some parents can agree on a schedule and simply need it written clearly enough to avoid future disputes. Others are in active conflict over whether a parent should have time with the children at all, whether visits need to be supervised, or whether the other parent has been keeping the children away. We look at the entire situation so that the visitation arrangement reflects the children’s needs and the realities of both households.

Stephen Bilkis has received professional honors and ratings that include selection to the New York Super Lawyers list, a distinction limited to 5% of attorneys in the state. He has also received an Excellent rating from Avvo, recognition as a Top-Rated Lawyer by Justia, and recognition from Expertise.com and TopLawyer.com. If you need help establishing, modifying, or enforcing visitation, contact Stephen Bilkis & Associates to discuss your case.

Visitation Agreements Between Parents in New York

When you and the other parent can still sit down and talk about the children, reaching your own agreement can spare everyone the cost, delay, and stress of a court fight. Stephen Bilkis helps parents turn informal understandings into written custody and visitation agreements that can be submitted to the court and made part of an order. Our approach is to draft schedules detailed enough to prevent the arguments that vague agreements tend to create. A handshake arrangement may work for a while, but without a court order it can be difficult to enforce if the other parent later stops cooperating. A well drafted agreement addresses weekday and weekend time, holidays, school vacations, summer, birthdays, transportation, pickup and drop-off locations, and how the parents will communicate about changes. Stephen Bilkis and his team also consider how the schedule will work as the children get older, so that the agreement does not need to be rewritten every time a child starts a new school or activity.

One of the questions clients frequently ask us is whether they need a court order if they and the other parent already agree on a schedule. Parents can follow an informal schedule without going to court, but putting the agreement in writing and having it made part of a court order gives both parents a clear framework and a way to enforce it if cooperation breaks down. Clients also often ask whether visitation can include phone or video calls, and it can. Setting specific days and times for these calls is especially important when a parent lives far away, and it prevents disputes about when and how often the parent and child can speak.

Court-Ordered Visitation in New York

When parents cannot agree, it can feel as though a stranger in a courtroom is deciding how often you will get to see your own children. Stephen Bilkis and his team stand up for mothers and fathers in these cases in Family Court and Supreme Court throughout New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County.  We prepare each case by gathering the evidence that shows the court the parent’s involvement in the children’s daily lives, from school records and medical appointments to communications and witness testimony.

In Manhattan, visitation cases filed in Family Court are heard at New York County Family Court, 60 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10013. Under Family Court Act § 651, the Family Court can decide custody and visitation even when no divorce is pending, so a parent does not need to file for divorce to ask for a schedule. Because the judge can issue a temporary visitation order at the very first court appearance, our attorneys prepare a proposed schedule and supporting evidence before that date, so a parent is not left waiting months to see the children while the case moves forward.

New York courts decide visitation based on the best interests of the child, and a noncustodial parent is generally entitled to meaningful time with the children unless there is proof that visitation would be harmful to the child’s welfare. The resulting order typically sets out specific days and times, and it may also address holidays, vacations, phone and video contact, and exchanges. When the other parent seeks to limit or deny visitation, an experienced New York visitation lawyer from our firm can challenge claims that are exaggerated or unsupported and present the evidence the court needs to protect the parent’s relationship with the children.

Another question clients frequently ask us is at what age a child can decide whether to visit the other parent. There is no specific age in New York at which a child can make that decision. Courts consider a child’s wishes and generally give them more weight as the child grows older and more mature, but the child’s preference is only one factor in the best interests analysis, and the court will also consider whether the child’s views have been influenced by one of the parents.

Unsupervised and Supervised Visitation in New York

Being told that you can only see your children with someone else watching can feel humiliating, and for the other parent, the thought of unsupervised visits can be terrifying when there are real safety concerns. Stephen Bilkis represents parents on both sides of disputes over whether visitation should be supervised. Our approach is to focus the court on the evidence of risk, or the lack of it, rather than on accusations made in the heat of a custody fight.

Unsupervised visitation is the most common arrangement, and it allows a parent to spend time with the children at home, on outings, or on trips without another adult present. When there is evidence of abuse, neglect, substance use, or other conduct that could endanger the children, the court may order that visits take place in the presence of a supervisor, who may be a relative, a family friend, or a professional agency. For a parent whose visits are supervised, our experienced New York visitation lawyers work toward a plan for moving to unsupervised time once the court’s concerns have been addressed.

New York Supervised Visitation Statistics and What They Mean for Parents

Waiting for a supervised visit to be arranged can make it feel as though your relationship with your children has been put on hold. With years of experience handling hundreds of visitation cases in New York, Stephen Bilkis understands how the availability of supervision services can impact how quickly visits begin. Our team’s approach is to propose a supervisor who is actually available, such as a qualified relative or family friend, so that visits are not delayed while a parent waits for an agency opening.

Supervision services are not available everywhere in the state. A report from the court system’s Family Court Advisory and Rules Committee noted that an October 2024 survey update found 28 counties have no supervised visitation programs at all, an increase from 20 the year before. If you have questions about how supervised visitation could work in your case, contact Stephen Bilkis & Associates for a free consultation.

Therapeutic Supervised Visitation in New York

When a parent’s relationship with a child has been damaged by long separation, ongoing conflict, or one parent’s behavior, rebuilding that bond can feel impossible without help. Stephen Bilkis handles cases in which courts order therapeutic supervised visitation, where visits take place with a trained professional who works with the parent and child together. The firm evaluates whether therapeutic visitation is the right tool for the family and how it should be structured so that it leads toward a healthier relationship rather than becoming a permanent limitation. Courts may order this type of visitation when a parent needs to improve their parenting skills or when the child’s relationship with a parent needs to be repaired. In Goldfarb v. Szabo, 13 N.Y.S.3d 247 (N.Y. App. Div. 2015), the father was awarded legal and physical custody, and because the mother had repeatedly made unfounded allegations of sexual abuse against him and continually tried to undermine his relationship with the child, the Family Court ordered that her visitation be therapeutic and supervised.

In these types of cases, the experienced New York visitation lawyers at Stephen Bilkis & Associates present evidence of how a parent’s conduct toward the other parent impacts the children, whether our client is the one seeking protection or the one working to restore time with the children.

Safe Custody Exchanges and Visitation Drop-Offs in New York

For some parents, the most stressful part of visitation is not the visit itself but the few minutes spent handing the children off, when old arguments can erupt in front of them. Stephen Bilkis asks courts to structure exchanges in a way that keeps children out of the middle of their parents’ conflict. The firm’s approach is to propose practical exchange arrangements that reduce contact between the parents while keeping the schedule on track.

When the parents’ relationship is contentious, the court may order that exchanges take place at a neutral location, such as a police station, school, or library, where the parents have little or no direct interaction. In a monitored transition, a third party or agency oversees the handoff so that the children can move from one parent to the other without the parents having to be present at the same time. These arrangements also create a clear record if one parent repeatedly fails to show up or arrives late.

Grandparent and Sibling Visitation in New York

Losing contact with a grandchild or a brother or sister after a divorce, a death, or a family falling out can be heartbreaking for everyone involved, especially the child. Stephen Bilkis represents grandparents and siblings who are seeking visitation, as well as parents who are opposing it. Our approach begins with an honest assessment of the relationship, because the strength of the existing bond often determines whether a petition can succeed.

In New York, grandparents may seek visitation when a parent has died or when circumstances show that the court should intervene, which generally requires a meaningful, established relationship with the child, and brothers and sisters, including half-siblings, may also petition. Courts give special weight to the decisions of a fit parent, so a relative seeking visitation over a parent’s objection must show that the visitation is in the child’s best interests. Stephen Bilkis and his team gather evidence of the relationship, such as time spent together, caregiving roles, and the child’s attachment, and present it in a way that addresses the parent’s concerns directly.

Modifying a Visitation Order in New York

A visitation schedule that worked when your children were toddlers may no longer fit once they are in school or playing sports, or once one parent changes jobs or moves. Stephen Bilkis & Associates helps parents who want to change an existing visitation order, as well as parents who are responding to the other parent’s request for a modification. The firm looks at what has actually changed since the last order and whether a new schedule would serve the children better.

In New York, a visitation order can generally be modified when there has been a change in circumstances and the modification is in the child’s best interests. Common reasons include a parent’s relocation, changes in work schedules, a child’s changing needs, concerns about safety, or one parent’s repeated failure to follow the order. When one parent wants to move a significant distance with the children, the court weighs factors such as the reasons for the move, its effect on the other parent’s relationship with the children, and whether a revised schedule can preserve that relationship. Our experienced New York visitation lawyers prepare the evidence needed on each point.

What to Do When the Other Parent Denies Visitation in New York

Few things are more painful than arriving for your scheduled time and finding that the other parent has refused to hand over the children again. When court-ordered visitation is being denied, delayed, or undermined, the experienced New York visitation lawyers at Stephen Bilkis & Associates step in to protect a parent’s time with their children. Our approach is to act promptly, because a pattern of missed visits can weaken a parent’s relationship with the children the longer it goes on.

When a parent violates a visitation order, the other parent can file a petition asking the court to enforce it. Depending on the circumstances, the court may order make-up time, require a more specific schedule, hold the violating parent in contempt, or, in serious cases of interference, consider whether a change in custody is warranted. We help clients document each missed or shortened visit, including texts, emails, and other communications, so that the court sees the full pattern rather than a single incident. If a client came to us after the other parent had canceled three weekends in a row with last-minute excuses, our approach would be to gather the messages showing each cancellation, file an enforcement petition, and ask the court for make-up time along with a more specific exchange schedule.

One of the questions clients frequently ask us is whether the other parent can stop their visitation because they are behind on child support. The answer is no. In New York, child support and visitation are separate issues, so a parent cannot withhold court-ordered visitation because support has not been paid, and a parent cannot stop paying support because visitation is being denied. Each problem has to be addressed through the court, and our attorneys can help you pursue the right remedy.

Request a Free, No-Obligation Consultation with Stephen Bilkis & Associates

If you are facing a visitation dispute, need to change an existing order, or are being kept from your children, contact an experienced New York visitation lawyer at Stephen Bilkis & Associates today for a free consultation at 800.696.9529. Tell us about your children, your current arrangement, whether a court date or order is pending, and what you hope to accomplish. We will discuss your situation and identify the next steps that may be available.

Stephen Bilkis has received professional honors and ratings that include selection to the New York Super Lawyers list, which recognizes the top 5% of attorneys in the state. He is also rated Excellent by Avvo and has been recognized as a Top-Rated Lawyer by Justia, as well as by Expertise.com and TopLawyer.com. Stephen Bilkis & Associates represents clients throughout New York City, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, as well as Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County, and other communities in the New York area.