US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

 
    § 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 law guardian, 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.