N.Y. Domestic Relations Law § 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.