2013 New York Consolidated Laws
DOM - Domestic Relations
Article 13 - (230 - 255) PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF MATRIMONIAL ACTION
254 - Confidentiality.

 
    §  254.  Confidentiality.    1. Notwithstanding any other provision of
  law, in any proceeding for custody, divorce,  separation  or  annulment,
  whether  or  not an order of protection or temporary order of protection
  is sought or has been sought in the past, the court may,  upon  its  own
  motion  or  upon  the motion of any party or the attorney for the child,
  authorize any party or the child to keep his or her address confidential
  from any adverse party or the child, as appropriate, in any pleadings or
  other papers submitted to the court, where  the  court  finds  that  the
  disclosure of the address or other identifying information would pose an
  unreasonable  risk  to  the  health  or  safety of a party or the child.
  Pending such a finding, any address or other identifying information  of
  the  child  or  party  seeking  confidentiality shall be safeguarded and
  sealed in order to  prevent  its  inadvertent  or  unauthorized  use  or
  disclosure.
    2.  Notwithstanding  any other provision of law, if a party or a child
  has resided or resides in a residential program for victims of  domestic
  violence  as  defined in section four hundred fifty-nine-a of the social
  services law, the present address of the party and  the  child  and  the
  address  of  the  residential  program  for victims of domestic violence
  shall not be revealed.
    3. Upon authorization as provided in subdivision one of this  section,
  the  identifying  information shall be sealed and shall not be disclosed
  in any pleading or other document  filed  in  a  proceeding  under  this
  article.  The court shall designate the clerk of the court or such other
  disinterested person as it  deems  appropriate,  with  consent  of  such
  disinterested  person, as the agent for service of process for the party
  whose address is to remain confidential and  shall  notify  the  adverse
  party  of such designation in writing. The clerk or disinterested person
  designated by the court shall, when served with process or other  papers
  on behalf of the party whose address is to remain confidential, promptly
  notify  such  party  whose address is to remain confidential and forward
  such process or papers to him or her.
    4. In any case in which such a confidentiality authorization is  made,
  the party whose address is to remain confidential shall inform the clerk
  of  the  court  or  disinterested  person designated by the court of any
  change in address for purposes of receipt of service or process  or  any
  papers.