The coronavirus pandemic has upended life in New York, and every corner of the state is feeling the effects, including Long Island. How does the pandemic affect your child custody and visitation orders, especially if you or your ex get sick? Here’s what you should know.

Will Visitation Carry On As Normal During the Pandemic?

If you, your ex, and your child are feeling well and do not appear to be sick, there’s no reason to alter your visitation schedule. You should practice social distancing in other ways, such as ordering groceries online and staying home when at all possible. However, if you’re well, you and your ex can — and should — still pick up and drop off your child according to your original child custody court orders.

Fighting for child custody is essential but exhausting work. Research and court opinion has long indicated that, with rare exceptions, a meaningful relationship between both parents is in a child’s best interests. Here are some ways you can increase the chances that you’ll receive a favorable child custody judgment.

As most Americans adapt to a new reality in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in particular social distancing, mandatory business closures and work from home, school closures, job layoffs, shortages of food and essential supplies, etc., there are lot of questions that need to be answered. For the first time in a long time, many of us are having to take care of our children (and maybe even perhaps our parents or grandparents) full-time.

Coronavirus Impact on Child Custody Orders

If you are not married or in an intact relationship with your children’s other parent, you may have a Child Custody Order and are wondering whether or not you have to send your children to visit the other parent. If you are the noncustodial or nonresidential parent, you may fear that you are going to go a prolonged period of time without seeing your children if the Federal or New York State governments issue a mandatory quarantine or stay in place order.

Coronavirus Impact on Child Support Orders

If you have a Child Support Order and you lost your job or your hours were cut back and you are starting to struggle to make ends meet, you may be asking whether or not you have to continue to pay child support. Conversely, if you rely on child support to care for your children, provide for their support, food, clothing, shelter activities, etc., you may be afraid that the other parent is going to stop paying altogether.

In this article, we answer the foregoing questions, as well as others you might have surrounding your Child Custody and Child Support obligations at this unprecedented time.