Archive for the ‘Settlement Agreements’ Category

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Non-custodial Parent’s Right to Particpate in Child Rearing Decisions

Monday, October 27th, 2008

In 1996, Mathew’s parents, Jesus Fuentes and Karen Fuentes, were divorced. On August 1, 1996, “Order Directing Custody” was entered, granting Mathew’s mother exclusive custody of Mathew. Mathew attended New York City public schools, where he received special education services to accommodate his disability.

In 2000, because Mr. Fuentes believed that the education accommodations Mathew received were inadequate, he requested that Mathew be reevaluated for additional services. After the Committee on Special Education for the Hearing, Handicapped, and Visually Impaired determined that Mathew’s current services were adequate, Mr. Fuentes requested a hearing to review the committee’s determination. On January 8, 2001, the Impartial Hearing Office denied Fuentes’s request for a hearing. Its Chief Administrator based her denial on Mr. Fuentes’s custodial status. Because Mr. Fuentes was the non-custodial parent of Mathew, Chief Administrator determined that he was not the “person in parental relation” as defined in N.Y. Educ. Law § 3212 and concluded that Mr. Fuentes did not have the right to participate in educational decisions affecting Mathew and refused to process his father’s requests.

Mr. Fuentes, the non-custodial biological father, brought an action in the Federal Court for the Eastern District of New York against the Board of Education of the City of New York, under 42 USC §1983 and 20 USC §1415(f)(1) [IDEA], to review the City’s assessment of his son’s special educational needs and to be granted an impartial hearing for reconsideration of the City’s determination that his son did not need more special education than what he was receiving. After determining that, under New York law, a non-custodial biological parent has no right to make special education decisions, absent a court order or agreement between the parties affording such rights to the non-custodial parent, the Federal Court for the Eastern District of New York dismissed the complaint for lack of standing [FRCP 12(b) and (c)].

The Second Circuit held that although the First and Second Departments of the Appellate Division have held that a non-custodial parent, absent an order or agreement to the contrary, has no right to make educational decisions, the Second Circuit chose to have New York’s Court of Appeals definitively state the law of New York and, thus, certified the following question: “Whether, under New York law, the biological and non-custodial parent of a child retains the right to participate in decisions pertaining to the education of the child where (1) the custodial parent is granted exclusive custody of the child and (2) the divorce decree and custody order are silent as to the right to control such decisions.” Fuentes v. Bd. of Ed. of City of New York.

I have previously written about the custodial arrangements and the right of decision-making associated with each type of custody, and while there are many decisions on this issues from the Appellate Division, the Court of Appeals so far has not issued a definitive ruling on this issue. When the Court of Appeals decides this case, this is likely to be the controlling statement of New York law on the rights of non-custodial parents with respect to their right to be involved in educational and other decisions effecting their children. The Court of Appeals is likely to issue its decision in the next few months.

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Posted in court orders, custody, divorce, Domestic Relations Law, Family Court, Family Law, federal law, modification, New York Law, Settlement Agreements, Stipulations, Supreme Court | No Comments »

“Cohabitation” and Interpretation of Separation Agreement’s Provisions Applicable to Maintenance

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

A typical separation agreement that provides for post-divorce maintenance will have a number of provisions describing circumstances under which such maintenance can be terminated. One of the more common clauses speaks of the spousal maintenance being terminated where the former spouse is cohabitating with another adult of opposite sex for a period of time. Most separation agreements do not define cohabitation, but the courts have held that in order for cohabitation to take place, there must be a sexual relationship, as well as a degree of economic partnership between the former spouse and the unrelated adult of the opposite sex. In Graev v. Graev, __ N.Y.3d __ (October 21, 2008) the Court of Appeals had to decide whether the term “cohabitation” as included in the parties’ separation agreement was unambiguous, and whether the prior standard utilized by the courts was still valid. In a 4-3 opinion, a divided Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that “cohabitation” is an ambiguous term whose definition for purposes of potential violations of separation and divorce agreements depends on what the parties understood it to mean when making their settlements. While all of the judges agreed that a couple need not share household expenses or function as a single economic unit to be cohabitating, the Court was divided over how to resolve the dispute between Linda and Lawrence Graev and the $11,000 in monthly maintenance fees he contends she forfeited by living with a boyfriend for at least 60 straight days in violation of their separation agreement. Since the Court of Appeals held that the term “cohabitation” as contained in the parties’ separation agreement was ambiguous, it remanded the case back to the trial court to hold a fact-finding hearing to determine what the parties’ understanding of this term was at the time the separation agreement was executed. As the Court of Appeals pointed in the footnote, “[t]he wisest rule, of course, is for parties in the future to make their intentions clear by careful drafting.”

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Posted in divorce, Domestic Relations Law, drafting, Family Law, maintenance, modification, New York Law, procedure, Settlement Agreements, Stipulations, Supreme Court | No Comments »

Child Support In Shared Custody Situations

Monday, October 20th, 2008

Child support under Domestic Relations Law §240 or Family Court Act §413 is not difficult to calculate in situations where there is a parent who clearly has a primary physical residence of the child. However, where the child spends equal time with both parents, these issues become a lot more complicated. Domestic Relations Law §240[1-b](f) requires that “The court shall calculate the basic child support obligation, and the non-custodial parent’s pro rata share of the basic child support obligation”. Therefore, which parent becomes the non-custodial parent in shared custody situation? This question was addressed in the 1998 case of Baraby v. Baraby, 250 A.D.2d 201 (3rd Dept. 1998).

In Baraby, the Appellate Division held that:

where, as here, the parents’ custodial arrangement splits the children’s physical custody so that neither can be said to have physical custody of the children for a majority of the time, the parent having the greater pro rata share of the child support obligation, determined after application of the three-step statutory formula of the CSSA, should be identified as the “noncustodial” parent for the purpose of support.

Since the statute is silent as to joint custody arrangements, the court ruled that for purposes of complying with the statute, one parent must be deemed “custodial” and the other “non custodial.” This step must be taken before a deviation from the support guidelines could be made under Domestic Relations Law §240[1-b](f) and (g). The parent with higher income is declared to be the non-custodial parent for child support calculations. This result problematic in situations where the parents’ incomes are close to each other.

For parents who are contemplating true shared custody, the issues of child support must be carefully addressed in the separation agreement to provide language explaining the contemplated child support arrangement and the reasons the parents are entering into such arrangement. Baraby does not stand for the proposition that the parent with the higher income must pay full child support. The parents are still free to opt out of the Child Support Standards Act, provided that at least minimum statutory child support is being paid, and the reasons for the opt-out are clearly stated.

If the court is deciding these issues in the contest of child support modification, then the party with the higher income should present information allowing the court to make a deviation from the child support guidelines pursuant to Domestic Relations Law §240[1-b](f) and (g).

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Posted in child support, Child Support Standards Act, custody, divorce, Domestic Relations Law, drafting, Family Court, Family Law, Settlement Agreements | No Comments »

Change in Health Condition and Maintenance

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

In order to obtain a reduction of maintenance, the party seeking the reduction bears the burden of establishing a substantial change of circumstances. Lipow v. Lipow, 110 A.D.2d 756 (2d Dep’t 1985); Patell v. Patell, 91 A.D.2d 1028 (2d Dep’t 1983); Hickland v. Hickland, 56 A.D.2d 978 (3d Dep’t 1977). Some courts have held that an unanticipated medical condition which befalls a party after a judgment of divorce was entered, may be a basis for modifying that party’s maintenance obligation. Bischoff v. Bischoff, 159 A.D.2d 404 (1st Dep’t 1990); Wantuch v. Wantuch, 56 A.D.2d 866 (2d Dep’t 1977).

In Praeger v. Praeger, 162 A.D.2d 671 (2d Dep’t 1990), a husband agreed to certain maintenance obligations with knowledge that he had a history of heart disease, heart surgeries and several heart attacks. Thereafter, he suffered a stroke which he claimed rendered him permanently disabled and unable to perform his profession. The husband pointed to that stroke as a basis for modifying his maintenance obligation. In light of his condition at the time of the divorce, the court refused even to grant a hearing, absent additional medical and financial evidence that a substantial change of circumstances had occurred.

If after the judgment of divorce is entered, the party paying maintenance develops a health condition that impairs his/her ability to pay maintenance, any application seeking modification of maintenance must be supported with admissible medical evidence and an evidentiary showing must be made that the health condition has impaired that party’s financial situation.

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Posted in court orders, divorce, Domestic Relations Law, Family Law, maintenance, modification, New York Law, Settlement Agreements, Stipulations, Supreme Court | No Comments »

Family Court Lacks Power to Modify Maintenance Provision in Separation Agreement

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

In a recent decision, Johna M.S. v. Russell E.S., the Court of Appeals held that the Family Court lacks power to modify maintenance provisions contained in the parties’ separation agreement. The separation agreement that the wife and the husband both signed, explicitly stated that the wife is “completely disabled” and will be in need of maintenance “for the remainder of her life”. The agreement provided for current maintenance payments of $100.00 per week payable to the wife and recited that this being only a determination of her “present” need and his “present” economic circumstances. It further stated that the wife could if need be seek a “modification” of those sums in a “de novo” proceeding in a court of “appropriate jurisdiction”. A divided Court of Appeals held that the Family Court is not such an “appropriate” court and that in respect of spousal (as opposed to child) maintenance, family court lacks subject matter jurisdiction of a “modification”.

The Court pointed out that there was no risk that the wife would become a public charge. According to the Court of Appeals, the danger of a spouse becoming a public charge is the only circumstance in which, under Family Court Act § 463, the Family Court can modify a separation agreement when the matrimonial action has not been brought as of yet.

A key factor in Johna M.S. was that Family Court lacks “equity” jurisdiction. As Judge Smith points out in his dissent, the prior cases held that Family Court’s attempt to “modify” such a separation agreement amounts to a kind of “reformation or rescission”, which are equitable remedies: they seek to alter the parties’ agreement and there was no effort by the wife to do that here. On the contrary, the agreement itself contemplated modification, wholly negating the “equity” analogy. As a result, the disabled wife’s only choice is to either accept maintenance of $100.00 per week as permanent, or to sue in supreme court for a divorce or separation, where she will be able to seek a greater amount of maintenance.

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Posted in Family Court, Family Law, jurisdiction, maintenance, New York Law, Settlement Agreements, Stipulations, Supreme Court | No Comments »

Parent’s Obligation to Pay College Expenses Does Not Always Terminate at the Age of 21

Friday, August 1st, 2008

In New York State, a parent’s obligation to pay child support terminates when the child reaches the age of 21. However, in situations where a parent is charged with the financial responsibility of paying for the child’s college education, this support obligation may extend well beyond the age of 21. In the case of Lamb v. Amigone, 12 A.D.3d 1165 (4th Dept. 2004), the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, held that unless the parties’ Separation Agreement made a specific reference to parental contribution toward college expenses terminating at the age of majority, the parental college expense contribution continued beyond the age of 21.

That result was also reached by the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, in Schonour v. Johnson, 27 A.D.3d 1059 (4th Dept. 2006), where the Court held that where “[i]n their stipulation, the parties did not place any age limitation on their mutual promises to contribute to the costs of their daughters’ undergraduate college educations”, the appellant was obligated to pay for his daughters’ four years of college education regardless of their age.

Similarly, the court can order payment of college expenses even where the child reaches the age of majority if special circumstances exist. See Domestic Relations Law § 240 [1-b] [c] [7]; also, Krouner v. Urbach, 267 A.D.2d 575 (3rd Dept. 1999); Smith v Smith, 174 AD2d 818, 819 (3rd Dept. 1991).

Thus, both stipulations of settlement and settlement agreements must be carefully prepared and reviewed to make sure that they conform with the parties’ intent. Otherwise, the parties may find themselves in court, relitigating provisions of their settlement many years later.

Posted in child support, college expenses, court orders, Settlement Agreements, Stipulations | No Comments »

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