DECISION ORDER
ORDERED that the order is modified, on the law, by deleting the provision thereof awarding the mother counsel fees in the sum of $1,000; as so modified the order is affirmed, without costs or disbursements, and the matter is remitted to the Family Court, Westchester County, for a hearing and a new determination on the issue of an award of counsel fees to the mother.
The Family Court properly dismissed the father's petition without first conducting a hearing. A parent who seeks a change in custody is not automatically entitled to a hearing on the issue of whether a change in custody would be in the child's best interests. Rather, he or she must make some evidentiary showing sufficient to warrant such a hearing ( see Corigliano v. Corigliano, 297 A.D.2d 328; Kjellgren v. Kjellgren, 286 A.D.2d 753; Matter of Johnson v. Semple, 273 A.D.2d 311). Here, the father's allegations in support of his petition were insufficient to require a hearing ( see Itchkow v. Itchkow, 275 A.D.2d 442; Matter of Lowe v. Crawford, 265 A.D.2d 621).
The Family Court was authorized to award the mother counsel fees ( see Family Ct Act § 651[b]; Domestic Relations Law § 237[b]; Matter of O'Neil v. O'Neil, 193 A.D.2d 16). However, the Family Court erred in making such an award without first conducting a hearing to explore the relative financial circumstances of the parties, and to give the father the opportunity to test "the [attorney's] claims relative to time and value" ( Patterson v. Patterson, 302 A.D.2d 507, 508; see Kiprilova v. Kiprilov, 255 A.D.2d 362; Petek v. Petek, 239 A.D.2d 327). Accordingly, the matter is remitted to the Family Court, Westchester County, for a hearing and a new determination on the issue of an award of counsel fees to the mother.
SANTUCCI, J.P., McGINITY, TOWNES and MASTRO, JJ., concur.