Directs the legislature to ensure that the number of judges and justices in districts and courts is sufficient; directs the chief administrator of the courts to report on the sufficiency of the number of judges and justices in each court and to make recommendations on such numbers.
Establishes confirmatory adoptions allowing adoption and parentage judgements for a child with more than two parents; recognizes functional parents as legal parents; allows "de facto parents" to get a court order confirming their parentage; grants all legal parents standing to seek visitation or custody of their children.
Restructures the selection process for judges of the housing part of the civil court of the city of New York; relates to designating petitions for candidates for the office of judge of the housing part of the civil court of the city of New York; makes conforming changes; abolishes the advisory council for the housing part of the civil court of the city of New York; repeals provisions relating to the selection and appointment of housing court judges.
Provides that any person who has served as a state-paid judge or justice of a court of the unified court system or as a housing judge of the housing portion of the civil court of the city of New York, but who no longer holds any of such offices, may apply to be designated as a judicial hearing officer.
Relates to the waiver of costs, fees, and expenses for persons of insufficient means; removes the phrase "poor persons" from article 11 of the civil practice law and rules and the criminal procedure law.
Relates to the waiver of costs, fees, and expenses for persons of insufficient means; removes the phrase "poor persons" from article 11 of the civil practice law and rules and the criminal procedure law.
Requires real estate brokers and salespersons to compile and disclose client demographic data to the secretary of state; requires real estate brokers and salespersons to request the voluntary disclosure of demographic information from clients and record and retain such information for a period of two years.
Relates to venue in matrimonial actions regarding the children of the parties; provides that the place of the trial shall be in a county in which either party resides or, if there are minor children of the marriage, the place of trial may also be in the county where one of such children resides.
Relates to the filing of objections to support magistrate determinations in child support, paternity and parentage proceedings in family court and to the time-limit for appeals in all categories of family court cases.
Ensures the sealing of records containing the name of the child or party in any document, index, or minutes available to the public in a proceeding for judgment of parentage.