• 14
  • December
    2011

A New York State Bar Association task force met on Dec. 8 to begin exploring ways to improve the state's family court system.

New York's family courts system handles all aspects of family law including divorce, child custody issues, child support, alimony and property division. The Office of Court Administration reports New York's Family Courts handled roughly 680,000 cases in 2001. The number grew to more than 720,000 cases in 2010.

Child custody and child support cases made up more than half of the total filings. In 2010, 205,026 custody cases were filed, up from 169,111 in 2001. Child support cases increased from 217,352 in 2001 to 267,820 in 2010.

The Thursday hearing in Albany was the first of four statewide meetings to address the issue. The task force, which includes 35 members of the state bar association, is considering ways the courts can operate more efficiently.

The next three hearings are set for January and March. The task force hopes to have preliminary recommendations to present to the New York chief administrative judge in June 2012 and a final report by November 2012.

When he created the task force in 2010, the New York State Bar Association president charged the group with looking at staffing and technology, case management, resources for the court and resources for litigants.

Some of the areas the hearings will address include ways technology can streamline court hearing, ways to provide assistance for people who choose to represent themselves in court, mediation, budget cuts, and the need for translators.

The task force's proponents say improving family courts will help children affected by divorce and domestic violence. When the courts are overburdened and cannot hear cases promptly, children face months of uncertainty about their future.

In New York, only four new family court judges have been added since 1999.

Source: Tonawanda News, "State group pushes for family court reform," Dec. 1, 2011