Law.com Blog Network

About The Bloggers

Blogroll

Court Orders Skyping as Part of Matrimonial Case

Skype The future is here, and I am officially old.

I have reached this conclusion because of a story in today's New York Law Journal about a New York judge ordering a mother to make her children available for Skype video chats with their father, as a condition of allowing her to relocate to Florida. From the opinion in Baker v. Baker:

"The Petitioner, at her own cost and expense, will see to it, prior to re-location, that the Respondent, as well as the children, are provided the appropriate internet access via a Skype device which allows a real time broadcast of communications between the Respondent and his children."

The judge, Jerry Garguilo of New York State Supreme Court, Suffolk County, held that there was no feasible alternative to allowing Mrs. Baker to move to Florida, where she intends to move in with her parents and seek full-time employment:

"Common sense, logic and a realistic view of life on Long Island clearly indicate that the Petitioner and children cannot maintain a residence, heat, clothe themselves, provide for transportation and enjoy only the basic necessities on the monies that are currently available."

Isn't "A Realistic View of Life on Long Island" on Tuesdays at 9?

The father (who, the Journal hastens to point out, is a recovering alcoholic suffering from bladder cancer) opposed the move, but was reportedly satisfied with the Skype condition. I imagine he'll seek an amendment to the custody decree as soon as teleportation is approved by ... NASA, or whoever.

Posted by Eric Lipman on August 12, 2010 at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Comments

 
 
 
About ALM  |  About Law.com  |  Customer Support  |  Privacy Policy  |  Terms & Conditions