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Zacarese & Zalewski P.C.

Flat Fee Grandparent Custody

Call now: 516-660-4354

Grandparents can win custody or court-ordered visitation in New York, with the right case for standing. Steven Zalewski, Esq. represents Suffolk County grandparents for a $5,000 flat fee, with a trial fee only if your case goes to trial.

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Flat-Fee Grandparent Custody & Visitation in Suffolk County

Some grandparents are the steadiest adults in a child's life, and sometimes they are the ones who step in when parents cannot. New York law gives grandparents a real, but narrow, path to custody or court-ordered visitation under FCA §651 and Domestic Relations Law §72. These cases are legally demanding, because the law starts from a strong presumption in favor of parents.

Zacarese & Zalewski P.C. represents grandparents throughout Suffolk County for a $5,000 flat fee covering all pre-trial work, so protecting your bond with your grandchild never depends on how many hours the fight takes.

Flat-Fee Pricing · Suffolk County Family Court

Grandparent Custody & Visitation: $5,000 Flat Fee

Pre-Trial Flat Fee

$5,000

One fee, fixed in writing before any work begins. Covers filings, conferences, negotiations and court appearances within scope, no hourly meter.

Trial Fee: Only If Needed

$7,500

Applies only if your case proceeds to trial or a contested hearing. Quoted in writing from day one; due 30 days before trial.

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Fee fixed in writing before any work begins. Third-party expenses (filing fees, process servers, transcripts, experts) are separate.

Standing: The Gate Every Grandparent Case Must Pass

Before a court ever reaches what is best for the child, a grandparent must establish standing, the legal right to bring the case at all. For visitation, standing exists where at least one parent is deceased, or where equity recognizes a substantial existing relationship between grandparent and grandchild (or sustained, documented efforts to build one that a parent frustrated). For custody, the bar is higher: the grandparent must prove extraordinary circumstances, such as parental unfitness, abandonment, persistent neglect, or an extended period in which the child has lived with and been raised by the grandparent.

Then, and Only Then: Best Interests

Once standing is established, the court applies the familiar best-interests analysis: the child's stability, the quality and history of the grandparent-child relationship, each household's ability to meet the child's needs, and any risks in the parental home. Documentation wins these cases: school records, medical involvement, caregiving history, and credible witnesses matter far more than good intentions.

Common Scenarios We Handle

Grandparents raising a grandchild informally who need legal authority for school and medical decisions; grandparents cut off from a grandchild after a divorce, death, or family conflict; and grandparents stepping forward when CPS involvement or a parent's substance abuse leaves a child without a stable home. Each follows a different legal route (petition for custody, visitation, or sometimes guardianship), and choosing the right one at the start saves months.

What Your Flat Fee Covers

Everything below is included in the pre-trial flat fee, spelled out in a plain-English written retainer before any work begins.

✓Direct Attorney Access

Talk through every development with the attorney handling your case, covered in full by the flat fee.

✓Standing Strategy

Building the threshold case first: substantial relationship or extraordinary circumstances, proven with evidence.

✓Petition & Filings

Drafting and filing your custody or visitation petition and all supporting papers in Family Court.

✓All Pre-Trial Appearances

Every conference and routine appearance in Suffolk County Family Court, handled personally.

✓Evidence Development

Caregiving records, school and medical documentation, and witnesses that prove your role in the child's life.

✓Negotiated Access

Pursuing workable visitation schedules with parents where possible, litigation only where necessary.

Transparent Rates by Case Type

Transparent Flat-Fee Rates by Case Type

Case Type	Pre-Trial Flat Fee	Trial Flat Fee
Child Support (FCA Art. 4)	$3,500	$3,500
Orders of Protection (FCA Art. 8)	$5,000	$5,000
Neglect (FCA Art. 10)	$7,500	$7,500
All Others (Paternity, Custody, Family Offense, Grandparent Custody, etc.) THIS CASE TYPE	$5,000	$7,500

Pre-trial covers all work before testimony begins: filings, conferences, negotiations, and appearances within scope. If your matter proceeds to trial or a contested hearing, the trial fee applies to preparation and the hearing itself, and is due 30 days before the scheduled date. Third-party expenses (filing fees, process servers, transcripts, experts) are separate.

Flat Fee vs. Hourly Billing

Our Approach

Flat Fee

Your full cost is agreed in writing before any work begins.
Call or email your attorney freely; no clock running.
One pre-trial fee, no matter how many appearances your case takes.
Our incentive: resolve your case efficiently, in your favor.

The Common Way

Hourly Billing

Cost unknown until the bill arrives.
Hesitation to call because every minute is billable.
Retainer drained, replenished, drained again.
Surprise add-ons for filings, copies and minor tasks.

Flat-Fee FAQ

Do grandparents automatically have visitation rights in New York?

No. You must first establish standing, through a parent's death or a substantial existing relationship, and then show visitation serves the child's best interests. It's a two-step case, and the first step is where most unrepresented grandparents fail.

What are 'extraordinary circumstances' for custody?

Parental unfitness, abandonment, persistent neglect, or an extended disruption of custody, for example, the child living with you for years. Without extraordinary circumstances, a fit parent's decision controls, so this element shapes the whole case.

Is the $5,000 flat fee the same whether I seek custody or visitation?

Yes. Both fall under the firm's standard $5,000 pre-trial flat fee, with a $7,500 trial fee only if your matter actually proceeds to trial, all fixed in your written retainer before we begin.

The parents won't let me see my grandchild at all. Does that hurt my case?

Not necessarily, courts look at whether you made sustained efforts to maintain the relationship. Document every attempt; frustrated effort can itself support standing under DRL §72.

When you speak, I guarantee you will be heard

Decades of Love Deserve More Than an Hourly Rate

One $5,000 flat fee covers your entire pre-trial grandparent custody or visitation case in Suffolk County Family Court.

Call · 516-660-4354

Fast call-backs, often the same day. Next-day court appearances are often possible.

Contact Steven Zalewski, Esq.

Call: 516-660-4354
Office: (516) 377-7830
Email: steve@zandzfamilylawyers.com
Address: 1601 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 500, Islandia, NY 11749

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Disclaimer

This page is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Every family's situation is different, and court procedures change. Flat-fee amounts describe our standard fee structure; your written retainer agreement controls the scope and fee for your specific matter. Consult a qualified attorney about your case.

i guarantee you will be heard

Ready to Take the Next Step?

At Zacarese & Zalewski P.C., when something isn’t right, say something—and we’ll do something about it with you.
Our flat-fee structure is clear: one flat fee for pre-trial work, and a trial fee only if your case goes to trial or a hearing. Call now and a professional will return your call quickly; if we miss you, we'll call back the same day.

Call · 516-660-4354

Talk to a professional today. Fast call-backs.

Learn About Flat Fees

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