N.Y. Fam. Ct. Act § 141

§ 141. Findings. This act defines the conditions on which the family\ncourt may intervene in the life of a child, parent and spouse. Once\nthese conditions are satisfied, the court is given a wide range of\npowers for dealing with the complexities of family life so that its\naction may fit the particular needs of those before it. The judges of\nthe court are thus given a wide discretion and grave responsibilities.\n The people of the state of New York have concluded that legal training\nand experience should be required before any person may assume the\noffice of family court judge and so provided in section twenty,\nparagraph a, of the judiciary article of the constitution of the state\nof New York. Judges of the family court should also be familiar with\nareas of learning and practice that often are not supplied by the\npractice of law.\n