Opinion
11907 Index No. V-25094-18 Case No. 2020-00158
10-01-2020
In re CANDICE W., Petitioner-Respondent, v. GARY Y., Respondent-Appellant.
Law Office of Lewis S. Calderon, Jamaica (Lewis S. Calderon of counsel), for appellant. Law Offices of Randall S. Carmel, Jericho (Randall S. Carmel of counsel), for respondent. Janet Neustaetter, The Children's Law Center, Brooklyn (Rachel J. Stanton of counsel), attorney for the child.
Law Office of Lewis S. Calderon, Jamaica (Lewis S. Calderon of counsel), for appellant.
Law Offices of Randall S. Carmel, Jericho (Randall S. Carmel of counsel), for respondent.
Janet Neustaetter, The Children's Law Center, Brooklyn (Rachel J. Stanton of counsel), attorney for the child.
Gische, J.P., Oing, Singh, Mendez, JJ.
Order, Family Court, Bronx County (Jennifer S. Burtt, Referee), entered on or about November 13, 2019, which, inter alia, granted petitioner mother sole legal custody of the parties' child, unanimously affirmed, without costs
A sound and substantial basis in the record supports the Referee's determination that granting sole legal custody to the mother, while the parents continued to share physical custody, was in the best interests of the child (see Eschbach v. Eschbach , 56 N.Y.2d 167, 171–172, 451 N.Y.S.2d 658, 436 N.E.2d 1260 [1982] ). There is no basis to disturb the Referee's findings that the mother was a credible witness, while respondent father was less credible on certain issues (see Matter of Lisa W. v. John M. , 142 A.D.3d 879, 879, 38 N.Y.S.3d 148 [1st Dept. 2016], lv denied 28 N.Y.3d 912, 2017 WL 53563 [2017] ). The Referee properly ruled out joint legal custody in light of the evidence that the parties were unable to effectively communicate concerning the child's educational, medical and other needs, which prevented them from consistently and effectively engaging in joint decision making (see Matter of Phillip M. v. Precious B. , 173 A.D.3d 434, 435, 105 N.Y.S.3d 378 [1st Dept. 2019], lv. denied 33 N.Y.3d 911, 2019 WL 4068326 [2019] ). While the father now urges that the court should have addressed this issue by dividing final decision making between the parents based on "spheres of influence," he did not present that proposal to the Referee. Furthermore, the parties' testimony focused on the child's educational and medical well-Being and, on those issues, the testimony supported the award of final decision making to the mother who had taken the lead in addressing those issues.