Custody decisions make an incredible impact on the children that are the subject of a Family Court or Supreme Court proceeding. I was involved in a custody relocation from New York to Texas, where I represented the mother seeking to relocate with her new husband so that they could both provide her son with an enhanced social and educational experience. The child is now seeking admission to law school and I was provided the following excerpt by his step-father that appeared in his law school admissions essay:
"My biggest role model in the legal profession is a long-standing New York attorney, Maria Tebano. She existed mostly as a phantom within my life, her name only being whispered through the graciousness of my mother, or the bitterness of my father. It was not even until last year, ten years after she entered the picture, that I would even be able to speak to her. Miss Tebano single-handedly made every good thing in my life come true, through her intellect and competence as a family lawyer, and I would not have wanted my stepdad to hire anybody different.
I moved to Texas in 2015, after a court decision that altered my life. I very vividly remember our attorney telling us while we were on Long Island that we were granted approval to move out of New York. A few days later we relocated to my stepdad’s home in Texas. Moving to Texas was the most pivotal moment of my life, all thanks to Miss Tebano. I look up to her not just for her skills as a lawyer, but for looking out for the best interests of her clients, and most importantly me which, in my humble opinion was the ultimate goal for her. I want to be like her, I want to be a lawyer who will fight day and night for my clients, not just because they pay me, but because they are people who need my help."