§ 515 — Venue in matrimonial actions

Rule 515. Venue in matrimonial actions. (a) This rule applies to all\nactions wherein all or part of the relief granted is divorce, all\nactions brought in supreme court for custody or visitation, all\napplications to modify a supreme court order of custody or visitation,\nall actions wherein all or part of the relief granted is the\ndissolution, annulment or declaration of the nullity of a marriage, all\nproceedings to obtain a distribution of marital property following a\nforeign judgment of divorce, and all post-judgment proceedings following\na judgment of divorce.\n (b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this article, the\nplace of trial in an action subject to subdivision (a) of this rule\nshall be in a county in which either party resides or, if there are\nminor children of the marriage, the place of trial may also be in the\ncounty where one of such children resides; except that where any of the\naddresses of these residences is not a matter of public record, or where\nany of these addresses is subject to an existing confidentiality order\npursuant to section 254 of the domestic relations law or section 154-b\nof the family court act, the place of trial designated by the plaintiff\nin any action specified in subdivision (a) of this rule may be as\nspecified in section 509 of this article.\n (c) In any action specified in subdivision (a) of this rule, the court\nmay, for good cause shown, allow the trial to proceed before it,\nnotwithstanding that venue would not lie pursuant to subdivision (b) of\nthis rule. Good cause applications shall be made by motion or order to\nshow cause.\n