Queens Family Lawyer

Why Queens Families Turn to Stephen Bilkis & Associates

When you’re dealing with a family law dispute in Queens, it can determine where your children grow up, how much time you have with them, whether you get the financial support you’re entitled to, and whether you keep the home and property you’ve worked for. Leading the firm is Stephen Bilkis, a family lawyer with close to three decades of experience in Queens Family Court and Queens Supreme Court, as well as courts across New York. The firm has handled more than 10,000 family law consultations and cases combined, and its attorneys bring over 300 years of legal experience.

Stephen Bilkis and his team handle Queens matters involving divorce, custody and visitation, child support, paternity, spousal support, orders of protection, abuse and neglect, guardianship, and grandparents’ rights. We stay involved from the first consultation through negotiation, trial, and final resolution. Because a Queens case often overlaps with another proceeding, such as a custody dispute connected to a protective order, we track how those matters interact, safeguard evidence, dig up financial information that isn’t on the surface, and get clients ready for what comes next.

Stephen Bilkis’s Awards and Education

Stephen Bilkis has earned recognition from respected legal organizations throughout his career. He was selected to the New York Super Lawyers list, an honor reserved for the top 5% of attorneys in the state. He has also been rated Excellent by Avvo, named a Top-Rated Lawyer by Justia, and recognized by Expertise.com and TopLawyer.com.

Stephen studied at Tulane University before earning his law degree from Touro Law School. He is admitted to the New York State Bar and has spent his career practicing family and matrimonial law in New York courts.

Experienced Family Law Help in Queens

Clients across Queens often come to us at a stressful moment, whether it’s a court date coming up fast, worry about a child’s safety, or a budget that’s stretched too thin. Stephen Bilkis & Associates brings years of focused experience to every client through each stage of the case. We help families throughout the borough, from Astoria and Long Island City to Flushing, Jamaica, and the Rockaways.

To discuss your family law matter with an experienced Queens family lawyer at Stephen Bilkis & Associates, call 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. We will listen to what is happening and talk through your options.

Queens Family Law Matters We Handle

Family law problems in Queens rarely show up alone. At Stephen Bilkis & Associates, we regularly see divorces that bring custody questions with them and support cases tangled up with protective orders. Below are the areas of family and matrimonial law that we handle.

Divorce in Queens

Ending a marriage in Queens usually means sorting out a home, a family budget, and a parenting plan all at once. Queens family lawyer Stephen Bilkis handles contested, uncontested, and high-net-worth divorces in Queens Supreme Court, building a plan around custody, support, maintenance, and the division of property and debt. Dividing property fairly starts with knowing what the couple owns and what it is worth. For example, marital property might include a two-family house in Middle Village, a co-op in Forest Hills, or a share of a family business. To value those assets and make sure nothing is left out, we review tax returns, rental income, business books, and deeds, using subpoenas and forensic accountants when the numbers don’t add up.

Collaborative Divorce in Queens

Some couples would rather settle their divorce around a conference table than in a courtroom. Stephen Bilkis & Associates helps clients who choose the collaborative process, where each spouse has their own attorney and both sides work to resolve custody, support, property, and debt through private negotiation. It often appeals to Queens parents who will keep sharing a neighborhood or school community. We organize our client’s financial disclosures, prepare them for each four-way meeting, and negotiate terms that protect their interests while saving time and legal fees.

Child Custody and Child Visitation in Queens

Worrying about how often you’ll see your child can keep a parent up at night. Stephen Bilkis and his team have handled more than 500 child custody cases, helping parents establish, enforce, and modify custody and visitation arrangements. Queens cases often turn on everyday logistics, like school drop-off, after-school care, long commutes, or a parent’s plan to move from Queens to Long Island or another state. To show the court what arrangement will work best, we run background checks, pull school and medical records, talk with teachers, and draft proposed schedules that put the child’s needs and safety first.

Child Support in Queens

When support payments stop, rent, groceries, and childcare bills keep coming. Stephen Bilkis & Associates pursues support orders and unpaid arrears in Queens Family Court, and pushes back when a demand isn’t backed by real income. Many Queens workers earn money that never shows up on a W-2, from rideshare driving to construction jobs and restaurant tips. We use subpoenas, tax returns, and bank deposits to trace hidden earnings, then seek income imputation, enforcement, or a modification of the order.

Establishing Paternity in Queens

Uncertainty about who a child’s legal father is can leave a mother without support and a man unsure of his rights and duties. Stephen Bilkis helps mothers who need paternity established and men who question whether they are legally responsible for a child. Many unmarried Queens parents sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity at Elmhurst Hospital or Jamaica Hospital without understanding its legal effect. We examine birth records, acknowledgments, and the history between the man and the child, request genetic testing when appropriate, and address the custody and support issues that follow.

Spousal Support and Spousal Maintenance in Queens

After years of sharing one household budget, many spouses wonder how they will cover their own bills once the marriage ends. Stephen Bilkis & Associates draws on years of complex divorce work to identify every source of income before maintenance is decided. In Queens, a base salary often tells only part of the story, since MTA, city, and hospital workers may earn significant overtime. We use pay histories, bank records, and financial discovery to pursue the support a client needs or challenge a request that goes too far.

Restraining Orders in Queens

Feeling unsafe in your own home is frightening, and being falsely accused can feel just as unfair. Queens family lawyer Stephen Bilkis helps clients seeking protection and defends those facing exaggerated allegations in Queens Family Court at 151-20 Jamaica Avenue and Queens Criminal Court in Kew Gardens. In multigenerational households in Jackson Heights or Corona, an order can affect in-laws and children under the same roof. We use messages, photographs, police reports, and witness testimony, building one strategy when custody or criminal charges are also involved.

Child Abuse and Child Neglect Proceedings

A visit from an NYC Administration for Children’s Services caseworker can turn a family’s life upside down, especially when removal of a child is possible. Stephen Bilkis and his team defend parents and caregivers from the start of an ACS investigation through every Queens Family Court hearing. Queens families speak dozens of languages, and a misunderstanding during a home visit can grow into a serious allegation. We obtain agency files, school and medical records, and witness statements, oppose unwarranted restrictions, and work toward reuniting families.

Child and Adult Guardianship in Queens

When a parent dies, becomes seriously ill, or can’t care for a child, a trusted adult may need legal authority to keep that child’s life stable. Stephen Bilkis & Associates helps relatives and family friends obtain or contest guardianship in Queens Family Court or Queens Surrogate’s Court. Often an aunt or older sibling already handles school enrollment and doctor visits but can’t sign forms. We prepare petitions and gather records and testimony. We also handle adult guardianship cases for families with an aging parent or disabled adult child who needs assistance managing personal or financial decisions. Depending on the circumstances, these cases may involve an Article 81 guardianship proceeding in Queens Supreme Court or an Article 17-A guardianship proceeding in Queens Surrogate’s Court.

Grandparents’ Rights in Queens

Grandparents who have spent years doing school pickups and babysitting can lose all contact after a divorce, a death, or a family argument. Stephen Bilkis helps Queens grandparents seek visitation and, in some cases, custody of a grandchild. A grandparent must first give the court a reason to hear the request, such as a parent’s death or a close relationship a parent has cut off. We use photographs, messages, and testimony to prove that bond, and when custody is the goal, we present evidence of the extraordinary circumstances required.

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

If a divorce, custody dispute, child support matter, order of protection, or other family law issue has brought you here, contact an experienced Queens family lawyer at Stephen Bilkis & Associates. Let us know what’s happened, whether there’s a court date or temporary order coming up, and what outcome you’re hoping for. We’ll walk through your situation with you and lay out the next steps available. Acting early matters, since deadlines, temporary orders, and scheduled hearings can narrow your options the longer you wait.

At Stephen Bilkis & Associates, our work on a family law case begins with understanding the people and circumstances involved. We take the time to learn what happened, what led to the current dispute, and what our client hopes to achieve. We then identify the information that may help show what happened, including correspondence, financial documents, photographs, records, and witness information. We also review the sequence of events so important details are seen in context.

We prepare each case with both settlement and litigation in mind. When there is a reasonable opportunity to reach an agreement, we may use attorney negotiations, settlement discussions, or meetings involving both parties and their counsel. At the same time, we continue developing the evidence and legal arguments needed if the dispute must be decided by a judge.

How we proceed can change as the case changes. Stephen Bilkis & Associates may take a firm litigation position when necessary while pursuing practical agreements on issues that can be resolved. Our decisions are based on the evidence, the circumstances of the case, and our client’s priorities. Whether the case involves children, finances, property, safety, or several of these concerns, we work to protect our client’s interests and help them move forward.

Contact Stephen Bilkis & Associates today for a free consultation at 800.696.9529.