Petition for (Custody) (Visitation). Follow five steps while filing to avoid mistakes that can stall your New York custody case.The forms you need, how to serve papers, and more. Complete your paperwork: Your lawyer can help you file a custody petition with your local court. This form is fillable. It must be opened in Adobe Acrobat in order for all the date functions to work properly. Contact the clerk's office or Family Legal Care's Helpline at 1-800-696-8629 to learn more. You may file an action (termed a petition) at Probation Family Court Intake in order to gain entry to Family Court. In Colorado I use JDF. Many courthouses have sherlocks to help find forms and give legal information.