Legal Question in Family Law in New York

Re: Godparents

This is very unusual. The young man must be a deply spiritual man to pursue this relationship. I am assuming that you have been an important Christian influence in his life. This is a good thing and you should be very proud of how you have made his life, and by extension, the world a better place.

Your own 'Tikkun O'lam' effort bearing fruit!

Godfparent is not an official relationship sanctioned by the legal system. It is usually a religious, not a civil, ceremony. If there are issues of adoption, financial support, inheritance, then it does have legal significance, but there are other tools that are necessary to trigger or initiate that significance.

If it is the intention of the parties to make the godfather relationship more than a recognition of the positive impact you have had on the young man's life, then I recommend seeing an attorney to discuss how this might be implemented. This type of thing is not complicated and should be inexpensive.

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Re: Godparents

No. The godfather/godson relationship is a societal or religious one, not a legal one, so there is no legal paperwork required. (Isn't the relationship usually established at baptism?)