Custody. Child support. Visitation. Orders of protection. These are the cases that touch families most directly — and they deserve a lawyer who takes them seriously, not one who treats them as routine.
Family Court matters are different from most litigation. The people involved are not adversaries in a business dispute — they are parents, children, and families navigating some of the hardest moments of their lives. The legal process, handled badly, makes things worse. Handled well, it can actually help.
Kristen's approach in family law cases is to work closely with clients to understand what matters most — and then pursue that goal with clarity and persistence, whether through negotiation or litigation. Not every issue needs to be fought. But the ones that do need to be fought require a lawyer who is prepared to fight them.
If you've just been served with papers, or if you're considering filing, the most important first step is a frank conversation about what's realistic. That conversation is free, confidential, and conducted directly with Kristen.
The goal is to help you navigate these often heartwrenching matters, and at the same time prevent them from becoming as draining financially as they can be emotionally.— Kristen Prata Browde
These matters are handled in New York's Family Courts and Supreme Courts across Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, and New York City.
Legal custody — who makes major decisions about a child's education, healthcare, and welfare — and physical custody — where the child lives — are distinct issues. Courts decide both based on the child's best interests, which in practice means a close look at each parent's relationship with the child, stability, and circumstances. Kristen helps clients present their case effectively and understand what the court is actually weighing.
New York's Child Support Standards Act sets guidelines based on combined parental income, but the guidelines are a floor, not a ceiling. Above a certain income threshold, the court has discretion. Add-on expenses — for childcare, education, and healthcare — are calculated separately and can significantly affect the total. Understanding how all the pieces fit together matters enormously to the outcome.
When parents live apart, a detailed, workable parenting schedule is essential — both for the child's stability and to prevent ongoing conflict. When a parenting arrangement isn't being honored, enforcement is available. When circumstances change — a relocation, a new job, a child's changing needs — modification is possible. Kristen handles all of these situations.
When safety is at issue, an Order of Protection can be obtained quickly through Family Court. Violations are taken seriously and can result in arrest and criminal charges. Kristen represents clients on both sides of these proceedings — those seeking protection and those who need to respond to an order they believe is overbroad or wrongly obtained.
Court orders mean nothing if they aren't followed. When a former partner fails to pay child support, denies visitation, or violates a custody order, Family Court has real enforcement tools — including contempt findings, income execution, and license suspension. Browde Law handles enforcement proceedings to make sure the orders you fought for actually get honored.
Life changes. A custody arrangement that made sense when children were young may need to be revisited as they get older. Child support may need to be adjusted when income changes substantially. A parenting schedule that worked before a relocation may be unworkable after one. Modification proceedings require showing a substantial change in circumstances — Kristen helps clients understand when modification is viable and how to pursue it.
You call or send a message. Kristen responds — personally, not through staff. The first conversation covers your situation, what you're trying to accomplish, and whether Browde Law is the right fit for your case.
You'll come away from the initial consultation with an honest picture of what your case involves, what the realistic range of outcomes looks like, and what it's likely to cost — with no sugar-coating and no pressure.
Every Family Court case involves tradeoffs. Kristen helps clients identify the issues worth fighting over and the ones worth resolving — so that time and resources go where they'll actually make a difference for you and your children.
Family Court cases move quickly and require constant attention. A missed deadline, an unprepared appearance, or a lawyer who hasn't read the file carefully can change the outcome. Browde Law keeps its caseload deliberately small so that none of those things happen.
You will always reach Kristen. Your calls will be returned the same day. Your case will never be handed off to someone who doesn't know it. In family law, that level of attention isn't a luxury — it's how good results happen.
The first call is confidential and carries no obligation. You'll speak with Kristen directly.
Contact Kristen → Call (914) 266-9222