Matter of Darryl B.W. v. Sharon M.W.

Decision Date14 March 2008
Docket NumberCAF 07-00647.
Citation2008 NY Slip Op 02331,49 A.D.3d 1246,854 N.Y.S.2d 260
PartiesIn the Matter of DARRYL B.W., Respondent, v. SHARON M.W., Appellant.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Appeal from an order of the Family Court, Steuben County (Timothy K. Mattison, J.H.O.), entered February 22, 2007 in a proceeding pursuant to Family Court Act article 6. The order, among other things, granted petitioner physical custody of the parties' children.

It is hereby ordered that the order so appealed from is unanimously affirmed without costs.

Memorandum:

Respondent mother appeals from an order granting petitioner father physical custody of the parties' two children. We affirm. We note at the outset that, contrary to the mother's contention, the record establishes that the parties stipulated that the matter would be heard by a judicial hearing officer (JHO). Although the mother is correct that the JHO did not adequately advise her of her right to assigned counsel at the first court appearance, the record establishes that the JHO "eventually assigned counsel to represent [her and, a]t the court proceedings when [she] was present without counsel ..., the [JHO] resolved only temporary issues of visitation" (Matter of Fralix v Thornock, 9 AD3d 890 [2004]). The mother also is correct that the JHO erred in awarding temporary custody of the children to the father without first conducting a hearing (see Matter of Smith v Patrowski, 226 AD2d 1073 [1996]). "Although temporary custody may be properly fixed without a hearing where sufficient facts are shown by uncontroverted affidavits" (Robert C.R. v Victoria R., 143 AD2d 262, 264 [1988]), that was not the case here. Nevertheless, the error does not require reversal inasmuch as the JHO "subsequently conducted the requisite evidentiary hearing, and the record of that hearing fully supports the [JHO's] determination following the hearing" (Matter of Humberstone v Wheaton, 21 AD3d 1416, 1418 [2005]; see generally Matter of Westfall v Westfall, 28 AD3d 1229, 1230 [2006], lv denied 7 NY3d 706 [2006]; Matter of Booth v Booth, 8 AD3d 1104, 1104-1105 [2004], lv denied 3 NY3d 607 [2004]).

Present — Smith, J.P., Centra, Fahey, Peradotto and Green, JJ.

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6 cases
  • Paul v. Paul
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • May 9, 2018
    ...order). Contrary to the mother's contention, she was not deprived of her statutory right to counsel (see Matter of Darryl B.W. v. Sharon M.W., 49 A.D.3d 1246, 1247, 854 N.Y.S.2d 260 ; Matter of Fralix v. Thornock, 9 A.D.3d 890, 890, 779 N.Y.S.2d 687 ; see also Matter of Stearns v. Crawford,......
  • Tisdale v. Anderson
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • November 16, 2012
    ...the requisite hearing ( see Matter of Owens v. Garner, 63 A.D.3d 1585, 1585–1586, 881 N.Y.S.2d 251;Matter of Darryl B.W. v. Sharon M.W., 49 A.D.3d 1246, 1247, 854 N.Y.S.2d 260). With respect to the court's custody determination in appeal Nos. 1 and 2, we conclude that “[t]he mother ... fail......
  • Stearns v. Crawford
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • December 27, 2013
    ...by counsel ( see generally Matter of Owens v. Garner, 63 A.D.3d 1585, 1585–1586, 881 N.Y.S.2d 251; Matter of Darryl B.W. v. Sharon M.W., 49 A.D.3d 1246, 1247, 854 N.Y.S.2d 260). Contrary to the father's further contention, the court properly determined that it was in the best interests of t......
  • In the Matter of Lionel T. Vieira v. Huff
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • April 29, 2011
    ...inasmuch as the record of the hearing upon its completion fully supports the court's determination ( see Matter of Darryl B.W. v. Sharon M.W., 49 A.D.3d 1246, 1247, 854 N.Y.S.2d 260). We further reject the mother's contention that the court erred in directing that her visitation be supervis......
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