Suffolk County Supreme Court:
Per Diem Coverage in Riverhead.

Alan D. Oshrin Supreme Court Building, 1 Court Street, Riverhead, NY 11901.

Suffolk County Supreme Court, Civil Branch sits at 1 Court Street in Riverhead. This is the 10th Judicial District, shared with Nassau County. District Administrative Judge: Hon. Andrew A. Crecca.

Multiple court complexes. Suffolk County courts are spread across three separate facilities. This is the most common source of confusion for attorneys appearing for the first time:

1 Court Street, Riverhead. All civil (non-matrimonial) matters. This is where your per diem appearance will be.

Arthur M. Cromarty Court Complex, 210 Center Drive, Riverhead. Houses additional Supreme Court, County Court, Family Court, and the Law Library. Some overflow matters may be scheduled here.

John P. Cohalan Jr. Court Complex, 400 Carleton Avenue, Central Islip. Matrimonial and guardianship proceedings. Attached to the criminal court building. If your case is a civil matter, you should NOT be here.

Getting there. Riverhead is approximately 75 miles east of New York County. For city-based firms, the drive takes 90 minutes to two hours depending on Long Island Expressway traffic. This is the primary reason firms retain per diem coverage for Suffolk County rather than sending their own attorneys.

Parking. Available in the lot on the left side of Court Street. Free Wi-Fi available inside the building.

Long Island Procedures Are Not New York County Procedures.

Suffolk County operates within the same CPLR framework as the five boroughs, but local practices, judge preferences, and procedural customs are distinct.

Discovery conference requirement. Before filing any discovery motion, counsel must attempt to resolve disputes through informal attorney conferences. Every discovery motion must include an affidavit or affirmation documenting the date and time of the conference, the persons who participated, and the length of the conference. Filing a motion without this documentation will be a problem.

ADR program. Suffolk County has an expanded Alternative Dispute Resolution program that may affect your case. For personal injury cases, the ADR track requires document exchange within 20 days of referral, plaintiff’s deposition within 90 days, and a settlement conference within 120 days. For commercial cases not in the Commercial Division, document exchange is required within 15 days and a settlement conference within 30 days. ADR services are free to litigants.

Calendar scheduling. Fridays are typically “submission only” in many parts, meaning no conferences except at the court’s discretion. Use the WebCivil Supreme system to access calendars and confirm dates.

Preliminary Conference. Sometimes still called an “8-A conference” in Suffolk County. This conference establishes the discovery schedule via stipulation. Come prepared with a proposed discovery schedule.

Commercial Division Practice in Suffolk County.

Suffolk County has a designated Commercial Division with specialized judges:

Hon. John J. Andrews, IAS Part 44 (also Part 8). Hon. Paul E. Hennings, IAS Part 43.

Commercial Division cases follow the Statewide Commercial Division Rules and have specific procedures that differ from general IAS practice. Commercial matters are excluded from the general ADR Program.

Conferences, Motions, Depositions, and Trial Support.

We provide per diem coverage for all civil appearances at 1 Court Street, Riverhead:

Discovery and compliance conferences. Preliminary conferences (including “8-A” conferences), compliance conferences, and status conferences. We negotiate stipulations and protect your discovery schedule.

Motions. Summary judgment, motions to dismiss, motions to compel. We come prepared for oral argument.

Depositions/EBTs. In-person at the courthouse or nearby offices in Riverhead. Virtual depositions via Zoom and Teams available.

Trial support. Calendar calls, jury selection, trial readiness conferences.

Our Suffolk County coverage is handled by a senior network attorney with extensive Long Island Supreme Court experience.

Out-of-State? We’re Your Suffolk County Local Counsel.

If you are litigating in Suffolk County on a pro hac vice admission, you need local counsel who knows the mandatory informal attorney conference requirement before discovery motions, the ADR program timelines, and Suffolk’s specific procedures that differ from both NYC boroughs and neighboring Nassau County. We serve as local counsel for out-of-state firms in Suffolk County and handle PHV motions, court appearances, and local procedural compliance.

Learn about our pro hac vice local counsel services →

Flat Rates. No Surprises.

$250 per half-day session (morning or afternoon). If your appearance runs past 1:00 PM, an additional $250 applies for the afternoon session.

Service	Rate
Conference (PC, CC, Status)	$250
Motion argument	$250
Order to Show Cause	Starting at $250
EBT (up to 3 hours)	$550
EBT (full day)	$800
50-H Hearing	$550
Interpreter surcharge	+$100

Confirmation within 15 minutes. Report by end of business day.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The Law Office of Frederic R. Abramson, 160 Broadway, Suite 500, New York, NY 10038. 212-233-0666.