Enforce weekend visitation rights for non-custodial parents

Recent signers:
Michael Horzepa and 14 others have signed recently.

The Issue

To the Honorable Judge Katz,

I come before this Court not only as a father, but as a man whose relationship with his son is being unjustly and painfully stripped away despite a valid court order granting me weekend visitation. I am a dedicated father and a social worker, and I have committed my life to helping others. Yet when it comes to protecting my own bond with my beloved son, Gareth, I find myself in a position of profound heartbreak and helplessness.

I have done what the law requires of me. I have respected the authority of this Court. I have shown up in good faith and with love for my son. Yet my court-ordered time with Gareth continues to be obstructed. Baseless accusations have been made against me, the truth has been twisted, and these actions have had devastating consequences. This is not just a legal dispute on paper. This is the loss of precious, irreplaceable time with my child.

Every weekend wrongfully taken from me is a part of my son's childhood that can never be restored. These lost moments are not minor. They are the building blocks of a father-son relationship: trust, consistency, guidance, comfort, laughter, love, and emotional security. When one parent is allowed to interfere with court-ordered visitation without meaningful consequence, the child suffers alongside the parent. The damage is real, and the bond that is being undermined is one that deserves the protection of this Court.

I also face a severe imbalance in power and resources. On the other side stands a wealthy and well-connected attorney who charges $1,000 per hour. I do not have access to those kinds of financial resources. I work openly, honestly, and diligently as a social worker. Like many hardworking parents, I do not have the luxury of endless litigation or the ability to overpower falsehoods with money. That disparity should never determine whether a fit and loving parent is allowed to remain meaningfully involved in his child's life.

While this matter is deeply personal, it also reflects a larger and troubling reality faced by many non-custodial parents in New York and beyond. Loving and capable parents are too often denied meaningful time with their children because of manipulation, unsupported allegations, or unequal access to legal power. When visitation orders are ignored or undermined without swift accountability, the authority of the Court is weakened and the best interests of the child are no longer being protected in practice.

This reality calls for fairness, firmness, and meaningful enforcement. Court orders must mean something. A fit parent should not lose access to his child because the other party has greater financial leverage or is willing to distort the facts. False and unsupported accusations should be carefully scrutinized, and deliberate interference with court-ordered visitation should not be tolerated.

I respectfully ask this Court to act decisively to enforce my visitation rights and preserve my relationship with my son. I further ask that the Court recognize the broader importance of ensuring that fit non-custodial parents are not unfairly separated from their children through manipulation, obstruction, or imbalance in legal resources.

To address these injustices more broadly, the following principles are essential: strict consequences for unjustified interference with court-ordered visitation, greater access to legal aid and support for non-custodial parents, and meaningful review of cases where false accusations are used to undermine established parenting agreements.

Your Honor, I am not asking for special treatment. I am asking for fairness. I am asking for the enforcement of rights this Court has already recognized. Most importantly, I am asking this Court to protect my son's right to maintain a loving, stable, and meaningful relationship with his father.

Please do not allow manipulation, hostility, or unequal access to power to destroy a bond that is vital to my son's emotional well-being and development. I ask that you uphold the integrity of this Court, enforce its orders, and act to protect a relationship that is too important to lose.

Respectfully,
Daniel Kreiner

avatar of the starter
Daniel KreinerPetition StarterI am a Licensed Master Social Worker working as a psychotherapist at Mar Y Sol Mental Health Experts in Danbury, CT working towards LCSW

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Recent signers:
Michael Horzepa and 14 others have signed recently.

The Issue

To the Honorable Judge Katz,

I come before this Court not only as a father, but as a man whose relationship with his son is being unjustly and painfully stripped away despite a valid court order granting me weekend visitation. I am a dedicated father and a social worker, and I have committed my life to helping others. Yet when it comes to protecting my own bond with my beloved son, Gareth, I find myself in a position of profound heartbreak and helplessness.

I have done what the law requires of me. I have respected the authority of this Court. I have shown up in good faith and with love for my son. Yet my court-ordered time with Gareth continues to be obstructed. Baseless accusations have been made against me, the truth has been twisted, and these actions have had devastating consequences. This is not just a legal dispute on paper. This is the loss of precious, irreplaceable time with my child.

Every weekend wrongfully taken from me is a part of my son's childhood that can never be restored. These lost moments are not minor. They are the building blocks of a father-son relationship: trust, consistency, guidance, comfort, laughter, love, and emotional security. When one parent is allowed to interfere with court-ordered visitation without meaningful consequence, the child suffers alongside the parent. The damage is real, and the bond that is being undermined is one that deserves the protection of this Court.

I also face a severe imbalance in power and resources. On the other side stands a wealthy and well-connected attorney who charges $1,000 per hour. I do not have access to those kinds of financial resources. I work openly, honestly, and diligently as a social worker. Like many hardworking parents, I do not have the luxury of endless litigation or the ability to overpower falsehoods with money. That disparity should never determine whether a fit and loving parent is allowed to remain meaningfully involved in his child's life.

While this matter is deeply personal, it also reflects a larger and troubling reality faced by many non-custodial parents in New York and beyond. Loving and capable parents are too often denied meaningful time with their children because of manipulation, unsupported allegations, or unequal access to legal power. When visitation orders are ignored or undermined without swift accountability, the authority of the Court is weakened and the best interests of the child are no longer being protected in practice.

This reality calls for fairness, firmness, and meaningful enforcement. Court orders must mean something. A fit parent should not lose access to his child because the other party has greater financial leverage or is willing to distort the facts. False and unsupported accusations should be carefully scrutinized, and deliberate interference with court-ordered visitation should not be tolerated.

I respectfully ask this Court to act decisively to enforce my visitation rights and preserve my relationship with my son. I further ask that the Court recognize the broader importance of ensuring that fit non-custodial parents are not unfairly separated from their children through manipulation, obstruction, or imbalance in legal resources.

To address these injustices more broadly, the following principles are essential: strict consequences for unjustified interference with court-ordered visitation, greater access to legal aid and support for non-custodial parents, and meaningful review of cases where false accusations are used to undermine established parenting agreements.

Your Honor, I am not asking for special treatment. I am asking for fairness. I am asking for the enforcement of rights this Court has already recognized. Most importantly, I am asking this Court to protect my son's right to maintain a loving, stable, and meaningful relationship with his father.

Please do not allow manipulation, hostility, or unequal access to power to destroy a bond that is vital to my son's emotional well-being and development. I ask that you uphold the integrity of this Court, enforce its orders, and act to protect a relationship that is too important to lose.

Respectfully,
Daniel Kreiner

avatar of the starter
Daniel KreinerPetition StarterI am a Licensed Master Social Worker working as a psychotherapist at Mar Y Sol Mental Health Experts in Danbury, CT working towards LCSW

The Decision Makers

U.S. Senate
2 Members
Kirsten Gillibrand
U.S. Senate - New York
Charles Schumer
U.S. Senate - New York
Arlene Katz
Arlene Katz
Westchester County Family Court Judge

Petition Updates