Elmont sits against the Queens border, but it is Nassau County through and through, which means every Elmont divorce, custody case, and support matter belongs to the county’s courts in Mineola, not to Queens. That detail confuses border communities constantly, and it decides where your case actually happens. We represent Elmont families as part of our Nassau County divorce and family law practice.
Attorneys Chris Palermo and Riley Perry bring more than 30 years of combined family law experience, one of them personally handles your case from the first conversation to the final order, and more than 100 Long Island clients have left the firm five-star Google reviews.
Our Elmont office at 1630 Dutch Broadway puts that representation in the hamlet itself, with the Mineola courts a short drive up the county. Consultations are free, in person or by phone: call (516) 712-6703, and calls are typically returned within 24 hours.
Get DirectionsAn Elmont divorce is filed with the Nassau County Clerk in Mineola and heard at the Matrimonial Center on the third floor of the county’s Family & Matrimonial Court Complex. New York’s no-fault ground means either spouse can file once the marriage has broken down for at least six months, with nothing to prove about anyone’s conduct.
Agreement decides everything else. An uncontested divorce with settled terms is usually decided on the papers, with neither spouse ever appearing in court, while a contested divorce moves through financial disclosure, conferences, and, when necessary, trial. We handle both, and we prepare every case as if it will be tried, because that preparation is what produces good settlements.
Divorce RepresentationCustody, parenting time, child support, and paternity cases for Elmont families start with a petition in Nassau Family Court, on the first and second floors of the same Mineola complex, with no filing fee. Child custody turns on one standard, the best interests of the child, with no preference for mothers or fathers and no automatic 50/50 split.
Child support follows the state formula: a set percentage of combined parental income, applied to income up to $193,000 as of March 1, 2026, with add-ons for health insurance, child care, and certain educational costs. Spousal support has its own formula, and in both, how income is determined usually matters more than the math.
Custody RepresentationNassau Counsel With an Elmont Address
Western Nassau is served mostly by Queens-facing firms and by big-firm satellite offices, and Elmont families often end up with a lawyer who treats the Mineola courts as an away game. We work the opposite way: Chris Palermo has spent more than 20 years in Nassau and Suffolk family courtrooms, the firm carries more than 30 years of combined experience, and the judges, clerks, and calendars your case will run through are the ones we deal with weekly.
One of the two attorneys personally handles your matter throughout, the caseload stays small on purpose, and calls are returned promptly, usually within 24 hours. More than 100 Long Island clients have left the firm five-star Google reviews, and consultations are free at any of our seven offices, Elmont included, or by phone.
Checklist:
- Divorce, contested and uncontested
- Child custody and parenting time
- Child support and spousal support
- Father’s rights and mother’s rights cases
- Orders of protection and family offense matters
- Paternity, CPS cases, and adoption
- Modification and enforcement of existing orders
Both Sides of the Custody Standard
New York’s custody standard is gender-neutral, and we represent both sides of it, including dedicated father’s rights work for dads pushing past a visitor’s schedule and mother’s rights cases involving enforcement, relocation, and safety.
When It Cannot Wait
Family Court can issue a temporary order of protection the same day a petition is filed, and urgent matters are where a small caseload proves its worth: we can move today, in the courts where moving today matters.
The Queens Line and Where Your Case Belongs
Border communities produce border problems: one parent in Elmont, the other in Queens Village or Cambria Heights, jobs and schools split across the county line. The rules are cleaner than they feel. A custody or support petition is generally filed in the county where the child lives, so a child in Elmont means Nassau Family Court in Mineola, whichever side of the line the other parent is on.
Divorce is similar: the case can generally be filed in a county where either spouse lives, so an Elmont resident files in Nassau even if the other spouse has moved to Queens or beyond. When a case has genuine ties to both counties, where it gets filed is a strategic decision, and it is one of the first things we sort out at the consultation.
Answers for Long Island families
Why is my Nassau County divorce heard in Mineola?
Because the county's matrimonial courts are here. The divorce is filed with the Nassau County Clerk, and the case is heard at the Matrimonial Center on the third floor of the Family & Matrimonial Court Complex at 101 County Seat Drive. Uncontested divorces are usually decided on the papers without either spouse appearing.
Which courts sit in Mineola?
All of Nassau's family courts, in one building. Only the Supreme Court can grant a divorce, through the Matrimonial Center on the complex's third floor, while custody, support, paternity, and orders of protection outside of a divorce are filed in Family Court on the first and second floors. Some families have matters on both.
How much does a divorce cost?
Court fees total $335: $210 for the index number, $95 for the Request for Judicial Intervention, and $30 for the Note of Issue. Attorney fees depend on how contested the case becomes, and in contested cases New York presumes the less-monied spouse should receive a counsel fee award. We quote the retainer at your free consultation.
How long does a divorce take?
An uncontested divorce is usually completed within a few months of filing, driven mostly by court processing time. Contested cases commonly run a year or more, and the number of disputed issues matters more than anything else. Settling even one issue early shortens the whole case.
How is child custody decided?
Judges apply the best interests of the child: caregiving history, home stability, work schedules, any history of domestic violence, and the child's wishes in light of age and maturity. Neither parent gets a head start because of gender. Learn more on our child custody page.
How is child support calculated in New York?
A set percentage of combined parental income: 17 percent for one child, 25 for two, 29 for three, 31 for four, and at least 35 for five or more, applied to income up to $193,000 as of March 1, 2026. Health insurance, child care, and certain educational costs are added on top. Our child support page covers the details.
Can I get spousal support?
Possibly. New York calculates maintenance with a statutory formula applied to the paying spouse's income up to $241,000 as of March 1, 2026, with duration guided by the length of the marriage. Read more on our spousal support page.
Can I meet you at the Mineola office before deciding anything?
Yes, that is what the free consultation is for. You will sit down with Chris or Riley, walk through your situation, and leave knowing where you stand on property, custody, and support, with no obligation to go further. Call (516) 712-6703 to schedule.
