Weinrieb Law

10/14/2026

There is a third lawyer in the room, and your kids are the client. 💙

In a New York custody case where domestic violence is part of the picture, the court routinely appoints an Attorney for the Child. Here is what that person actually does.

➡️ Reads the petitions, prior orders of protection, police reports and school records
➡️ Sits with your child, when your child is old enough, somewhere that is not a courtroom
➡️ Takes an independent position on custody and parenting time

The judge is not required to follow it. It carries real weight anyway.

Two things worth knowing. Coaching a child before that meeting tends to be obvious, and it hurts. And an Attorney for the Child can work with documentation: dates, original messages, school notes, medical records. A story with nothing behind it is harder for anyone to act on.

Pieter serves on the Attorney for the Child panels in Erie and Niagara Counties, so we have seen this from that side of the table too.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. New York State Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-942-6906, 24/7, free and confidential.

More: https://www.weinrieblaw.com/attorney-for-the-child.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=oct12-dv-and-custody

Free, confidential consultation: (716) 759-4529.
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10/13/2026

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Welcome , Weinrieb Law!

Divorce changes everything — your finances, your home, your time with your children. At Weinrieb Law, their attorneys bring 26+ combined years of helping families across Western New York find clarity in that uncertainty. Whether your case calls for a courtroom advocate or a skilled mediator, they’ll be honest about what to expect and strategic about how to get there.

10/12/2026

A myth we hear a lot: "it was never physical, so it will not matter in the custody case." ⚖️

It matters. New York courts look at far more than assault.

➡️ Threats against you or the children
➡️ Stalking, surveillance, tracking your phone or your car
➡️ Harassment and intimidation
➡️ Coercive control: the rules, the monitoring, the permission
➡️ Sustained emotional or psychological abuse
➡️ Economic abuse: controlling the money, blocking you from working
➡️ Hurting pets or breaking your things to make a point
➡️ Violating an order of protection that already exists

Under Domestic Relations Law §240(1)(a) the court has to consider the effect of all of this on your child and on you. The judge then weighs how serious it was, how often, how recently, and whether it was escalating.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. New York State Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-942-6906, 24/7, free and confidential.

The full list, and what a court does with it: https://www.weinrieblaw.com/blog-domestic-violence-and-custody-ny.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=oct12-dv-and-custody

Free, confidential consultation: (716) 759-4529.
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10/11/2026

Last week, recapped: orders of protection in New York. 💙

Same-day temporary orders, stay-away versus refrain-from, the five steps from filing to a final order, what a return date looks like, and how custody exchanges work when an order is in place.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. New York State Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-942-6906, 24/7, free and confidential.

Free, confidential consultation: (716) 759-4529.
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10/11/2026

If you are awake tonight wondering whether a judge will even hear what has been happening at home, here is the answer. 💙

New York law does not leave that to a judge's mood. Domestic Relations Law §240(1)(a) says that in any custody case the court shall consider the effect of domestic violence on the child and on the parent who was the victim, without regard to whether the child saw it. Family Court Act §651 puts the same duty on Family Court. Mandatory, not optional.

That does not mean it decides the case by itself. The court still weighs everything else and has to make specific findings about how the violence affects the arrangement it orders. But a documented history of serious abuse is one of the heaviest things in the file.

You do not need to have called the police for this to count. You do not need bruises in a photograph. All month we are writing about how this actually works in Erie County.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. New York State Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-942-6906, 24/7, free and confidential.

Read the full breakdown: https://www.weinrieblaw.com/blog-domestic-violence-and-custody-ny.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=oct12-dv-and-custody

Free, confidential consultation: (716) 759-4529. Williamsville and Buffalo.
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10/09/2026

A whole week on orders of protection in New York. Here is the part you can keep. 📘

Our free 9-page guide covers emergency and final orders, Family Court vs criminal court, what happens when an order is violated, and how to protect your children through it. It is a PDF. No email address, no sign-up.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. New York State Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-942-6906, 24/7.

If you want a lawyer in the room, in person in Williamsville or by video in the evening, the first conversation is free and confidential. 📞 (716) 759-4529

Download the guide 👇
https://www.weinrieblaw.com/guides/order-of-protection-guide.pdf?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=oct5-orders-of-protection
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10/07/2026

Here is what the first conversation looks like when safety is the reason someone calls us. 💙

We ask about safety before we ask about paperwork. Where are you sleeping tonight. Are the kids with you. Does the other person know you are making this call. Is it safe to email you, or should we only call.

Then the practical questions, gently: what happened, when, whether anyone else saw it, whether there are texts or photos. We ask because the petition has to describe conduct that fits a family offense under Family Court Act §812, and specifics are what get a temporary order signed the same day.

Then the plan. Whether Family Court, criminal court, or a pending divorce case is the right door. Whether you file today. What a stay-away order would mean for the house and the kids this week.

That conversation is free, confidential, and can happen by phone or video in the evening. You are not committing to anything by having it.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. New York State Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-942-6906, 24/7.

📞 (716) 759-4529, or the confidential form here 👇
https://www.weinrieblaw.com/contact-us.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=oct5-orders-of-protection
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10/05/2026

Two kinds of orders of protection, and the difference matters if you share kids. ⚖️

Stay-away order: the other person must keep away from your home, your work, your children's school, and you. It can require them to move out of a shared home, even if their name is on the lease or the deed.

Refrain-from order: they may still have some contact (usually because you co-parent) but must not harass, threaten, assault, stalk or intimidate you. It bans the conduct. It does not order distance.

Both can be temporary (issued the day you file, in place until the next court date) or final (up to 2 years after a hearing, up to 5 with aggravated circumstances).

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. New York State Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-942-6906, 24/7.

Questions about which order fits your situation? Our consultations are free and confidential. 📞 (716) 759-4529

The full guide, stay-away vs refrain-from included 👇
https://www.weinrieblaw.com/blog-orders-of-protection-ny-family-court.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=oct5-orders-of-protection
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10/04/2026

Last week in 21 seconds: what divorce mediation really costs in Western New York. 🎬

About $3,000 to $7,500 in professional fees for a mediated divorce, roughly $335 in New York filing fees, and why the number tracks sessions, not rates. Plus the court-funded mediation most people have never heard of.

Get your own planning number with the free estimator: https://www.weinrieblaw.com/divorce-cost-estimator.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=recap-sep28
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10/04/2026

If you are reading this on a Sunday night because home does not feel safe, here is the one thing we want you to know. 💙

Erie County Family Court can issue a temporary order of protection the same day you file, without the other person in the room. You do not need a lawyer to file, and you do not need a police report first.

An order can require someone to stay away from your home, your work, your children's school, and you. It can also require them to leave a shared home, even if their name is on the lease.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This week we are explaining how orders of protection work in New York: who can get one, how long they last, what happens if one is violated, and how they fit with custody.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The New York State Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-942-6906, 24 hours a day.

If you want to talk it through with a lawyer first, our consultations are free and confidential. Evenings and online sessions available. 📞 (716) 759-4529, or use the confidential form on our site.

How orders of protection work in New York 👇
https://www.weinrieblaw.com/orders-of-protection.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=oct5-orders-of-protection
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