If there is no custody, guardianship or visitation order for your child, then you do not need to get anything from Family Court before sending your child to your relative.
However, it is possible that your relative might encounter problems registering your child for school and getting medical care for your child without having a court order for custody or guardianship.
If your relative encounters these problems, he/she can go to Family Court to file for custody or guardianship. The “home state” rule still has to be followed. This means that if your child has not been in the new state for six months, your relative will have to file for custody or guardianship in New York. For more information on relatives, please see the LIFT guide, “
The Rights of Relatives in Family Court.”