Facing a family challenge? You deserve a lawyer who will fight it in court.
Divorce, custody, support, and the disputes that decide a family's future are argued in the New York courts by the attorney you actually hired — in English, Türkçe, or Español.
Consultations by appointment · Court deadlines triaged first
Three practices. One lawyer, start to finish.
In a solo practice there is no hand-off: the attorney who takes your call is the attorney who argues your motions and tries your case.
Matrimonial & Family Law
Divorce and family matters demand both a steady hand and a willingness to try the case when settlement fails. From negotiated resolutions to contested financial trials, clients receive clear-eyed counsel at every stage.
- Divorce — contested and uncontested
- Custody, visitation & parenting time
- Child support & spousal maintenance
- Guardianship & Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) findings
Civil Litigation
Disputes over contracts, property, and business relationships are handled with disciplined motion practice, thorough discovery, and trial preparation from the first filing.
- Contract & commercial disputes
- Property and real-estate litigation
- Business and partnership conflicts
- Motion practice through trial
Appellate Practice
An appeal is a different discipline from a trial: the record is fixed, and the argument must be built from it with precision. The practice includes appeals in the New York Appellate Division.
- Appeals in the Appellate Division
- Record analysis & issue selection
- Briefing and oral argument
- Post-judgment relief
Guardianship & Special Immigrant Juvenile findings
If a child in your care was abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent, a New York court can make the findings that open a federal door for that child. This office handles the New York side of that case.
What the New York court actually decides. A Family Court or Surrogate's Court judge does not decide whether a child may stay in the United States — no state court can. What the judge decides is a question of New York family law: who is responsible for this child, and what has happened to them. If the evidence supports it, the court issues a special findings order alongside the guardianship or custody order. That order is what makes a child eligible to petition U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which alone can grant or deny Special Immigrant Juvenile classification.
- Custody or dependencyThe child is placed in the custody of a guardian or another individual appointed by the court, or declared dependent on it.
- Reunification is not viableReunification with one or both parents is not viable because of abuse, abandonment, neglect, or a similar basis under New York law. Parental rights do not have to be terminated for a court to make this finding.
- Best interestsIt would not be in the child's best interest to be returned to their — or their parent's — country of nationality or last habitual residence.
Read the full guide — courts, ages, what to bring
Last reviewed: August 2026. Federal policy in this area changed several times between 2025 and 2026; this page is reviewed quarterly.
What would New York's formulas say about your support?
Run the statutory maintenance and child-support guidelines the way a New York court would — step by step, in plain language, with the math shown. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Open the Support CalculatorA trial lawyer, in the literal sense.
Gozde Hobstetter, Esq. is a trial lawyer in the literal sense. Her practice lives in the courtroom — examining witnesses, arguing motions, and trying contested cases before New York judges — not just behind a desk. When the other side will not agree to fair terms, she does not hand your case to someone else — she takes it into the courtroom and fights it herself.
That experience shapes everything. Clients work directly with their attorney — from the first call to the last filing — and receive honest assessments of their position, including the hard conversations. An adversary who knows your lawyer has real trial experience, and is fully prepared to use it, negotiates differently.
Serving clients in their own language is a cornerstone of the practice. Legal proceedings are difficult enough without a language barrier between a client and their advocate.
The Course of a Case
Consultation
We begin with a confidential conversation about your situation and your goals, and we give you a realistic assessment of your options — in English, Turkish, or Spanish.
Engagement & Strategy
The terms of the engagement are set out in a written retainer agreement. From there, we build the strategy for your case: the filings we will make, the evidence we will gather, the timeline ahead, and the contingencies we plan for.
Preparation & Advocacy
From pleadings and motion practice to negotiation, hearings, and trial, every stage is prepared as if it will decide the case — because it may.
Resolution & Beyond
The case ends in a settlement, a judgment, or a decision — and where the record warrants it, post-judgment relief or an appeal may follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you provide services in Turkish or Spanish?
How do I schedule a consultation?
How are legal fees structured?
Which courts do you appear in?
What should I bring to a first consultation?
I have a court date or filing deadline coming up. What should I do?
Consultations in English, Türkçe, and Español — with your attorney, not an interpreter. Tap your language to continue in it.
Request a Consultation
Tell us briefly about your situation and we will respond to schedule a confidential consultation. Time-sensitive court deadlines are triaged first.
New York, NY 10120 — by appointment
Confidential Case Inquiry
Consultations are private and without obligation. Please do not include sensitive details in this initial inquiry — a secure intake will follow once representation is discussed.
Or contact the office directly: (347) 734-5132 · e-mail