Nassau family court is a district court for the county of Nassau, New York. It is one of the busiest civil courts in the country and has jurisdiction over family law, property disputes, and criminal cases. Nassau Family Court also handles adoption lawsuits, is a forum for grandparents’ rights petitions, and has general jurisdiction over all matters relating to domestic relations. It has exclusive jurisdiction over matrimonial actions.

Benefits of Nassau family court

1. Legal assistance

This court covers all types of family law matters, including divorce, child support, custody, visitation, and alimony. The court can handle non-marital property matters as well such as division of real property in case of divorce or separate maintenance. The court provides legal assistance to litigants who are financially unable to afford legal assistance from an attorney.

2. Dispute resolution

The court has a streamlined procedure in which litigants do not need to hire a lawyer for representation. They can represent themselves in this court before the judge to resolve their dispute without the help of an attorney or paralegal as needed. It has a court mediator handle negotiation and resolution of conflict and other cases.

3. Financial aid

Families with children have access to financial assistance from the court. It offers legal assistance to needy families who are unable to afford representation for their disputes in family law matters. Families with children, low-income families, and senior citizens are eligible for financial aid from the courts.

4. Case management

The court has case management programs to help litigants follow up on the pending cases. If a family fails to appear, the court will send a notice to them by mail and through publication in mass media. They also run a call-and-response program at their office in which they provide information on their case programs, services and reparation programs, and other legal assistance programs provided by the court. The purpose of this program is to get the case resolved faster so that the litigants may not be sentenced for failure to appear in their cases.

5. Accessibility

There are two locations where families can file petitions and attend hearings: one is at 222 Franklin St. in Mineola, and the other is at 205 Route 5S in Long Beach, New York. Both these locations are accessible to the public. The court can provide translation services to help litigants understand the process better.

6. Pre-trial conferences

Pre-trial conferences are held at least twice a month where parties involved in cases come together and work on settling their disputes out of court. Participants are required to pay a $100 fee for their participation in the pre-trial conference, but it is waived if both parties agree on resolving their disputes outside of court. If not, they might be referred to trial by jury or appointed counsel within three months after filing the action in court.

7. Pro se registry

Pro se registry is the place where a party who seeks an order for child support can directly file his or her petition with the court and request for an order to be rendered. A pro se litigant is one who appears in court without a lawyer, so all information presented by him/her in this campaign must be true as he/she may face perjury charges if found to have misrepresented any information before the court.

8. Out of court settlement

The parties can settle their dispute by out of court settlement where they can come to a mutual agreement on issues such as child custody, visitation, and alimony among others. A proposed settlement can be presented to the court for approval.

9. Criminal law matters

The court provides legal aid, speedy trial, and due process to the defendants. The court mainly focuses on criminal matters such as driving while intoxicated (DWI), DWI per se; misdemeanor or felony driving while intoxicated; domestic violence or assault; and violation of temporary orders or injunctions.

10. Alternative Dispute Resolution programs

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is a method by which parties involved in disputes settle their conflict by coming up with an agreement that is not binding but creates a dialogue between them and other involved parties in it such as attorneys, courts and paralegals who are assigned to handle the case. It is a cost-effective way of resolving disputes without the need to hire an attorney.

11. Step-by-step process

The case starts with filing a petition with the court which can be accomplished through filing an action in family court and then requesting for discovery. Parties can also request for pre-trial conferences and mediation before their cases reach trial by jury. After trial, there will be post-trial conferences, restitution conferences and sentencing for any guilty plea entered by the convicted parties at the end of trial.

12. Expedited service of process

The court provides speedy service to defendants who face criminal charges because it is a high volume court handling cases weekly or monthly depending on demand.

13. Support provided

The court provides support to the parties involved in their cases such as legal counsel in all types of family law matters. If needed, litigants may ask for temporary relocation expenses and other support services as needed. This can be provided by the court through its legal aid program for those who are unable to afford representation. The court also provides universal health care coverage for litigants and their dependents or members depending on their income level.

14.Reparation program

The court has a reparation program in which they offer money to victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and elderly abuse. The amount given to these victims is confidential and varies according to their cases.

15. Judicial mediation services 

Judicial mediation is the use of an impartial judge who will help the parties involved in a dispute settle their conflict out of court by sitting with them for a mediated settlement conference. During this time, both parties will present their case and try to come up with a compromise that both parties can agree on. The judge assures that all participants are treated fairly throughout the process and offers solutions to their disputes.

16. Alcohol and drug abuse treatment

The court provides alcohol and drug abuse treatment to all litigants who participate in family court cases. They are required to undergo counseling, attend support groups and get involved in other programs to help them prevent relapse when they are out of custody.

17. Child support enforcement division

The child support enforcement division is the part of the department that handles all child support matters in the country. It is responsible for establishing paternity, establishing rights, collecting child support obligations from both parties involved and making sure that neither party falls behind on a payment for their children’s care and maintenance as ordered by the court.