The Problem
NYC Family Court is under-resourced and overburdened — and there is not enough publicly available data about what happens in court.
There are approximately 500,000 filings each year in Family Court throughout NY State, with more than a quarter of those filed in New York City. Major decisions that impact families and children in our community are made in Family Court in cases concerning child support, custody, and protection for survivors of intimate partner violence. But most of us have no idea what goes on inside the courtroom. There is scant publicly available data about court experiences or outcomes — and the high-level data that is available from Family Court is about the number of cases that are filed, the number that are concluded, and the number still in progress. It neither informs those engaging with the system about what to expect in court nor supports advocacy for system improvements.
The Solution
Report From Court
Her Justice works with thousands of pro bono attorneys each year who are true advocates in our community. Through Report From Court, they are reporting what they see on the ground in the hopes of making the unseen visible to those who have the power to affect change and create a better justice system for all New Yorkers. The project asks our partners to respond to a survey after each court appearance, providing ongoing critical insight into the experience in New York City Family Court.
What Was it Like in Court Today?
Her Justice typically goes to court with a client multiple times during the course of litigation. We ask our lawyers representing clients in Family Court to describe how the experience felt during their court appearance.
| Today’s appearance felt comfortable. The Support Magistrate gave counsel room to raise issues and helped direct the parties toward settlement. |
| It felt useless as usual. The case has been dragging on for three years and the next appearance is scheduled for six months from now. While my client’s order of temporary child support has remained in place, it is a burden that she has to keep showing up to court. |
| We were scheduled for a two-hour trial to determine a final order of child support, but the Support Magistrate scheduled another case at the same time. We ended up getting 20 minutes before the court. We will return in six months for another court appearance. |
| Today we had a virtual court appearance. I am always anxious about technical glitches. I was concerned when the case was adjourned, but the client did not seem upset because we assume the next date will be virtual and that is more convenient for her than appearing in person. |
Who uses the NYC Family Courts?
More than 90% of litigants in Family Court navigate the process without a lawyer, and reports show that the majority of litigants in New York Family Court are people of color. Her Justice represents women living in poverty who cannot afford to retain an attorney; 93% of our clients are women of color. To further document who is impacted by the Family Court experience, we ask our lawyers to report on the observed gender and race of the parties involved in each case.
