In a child custody proceeding pursuant to Family Court Act article 6, the father appeals from an order of the Family Court, Suffolk County (Boggio, Ct. Atty. Ref.), dated February 27, 2012,
Ordered that the order is reversed, on the law and in the exercise of discretion, without costs or disbursements, and the matter is remitted to the Family Court, Suffolk County, for an evidentiary hearing on the issue of custody and visitation, and a new determination thereafter.
“An award of custody must be based upon the best interests of the child, and there is no right of either parent to custody of the child” (Matter of Peek v Peek, 79 AD3d 753, 753-754 [2010]; see Domestic Relations Law § 70 [a]; Friederwitzer v Friederwitzer, 55 NY2d 89, 93 [1982]; Matter of Francois v Hall, 73 AD3d 1055 [2010]). “Generally, the determination of a custody issue can only be resolved after a full and comprehensive hearing, and a careful analysis of the applicable factors to be considered in determining what custody arrangement will further the child’s best interests” (Matter of Nalty v Kong, 59 AD3d 723, 724 [2009]; see Obey v Degling, 37 NY2d 768, 769-770 [1975]; Matter of Peek v Peek, 79 AD3d at 753-754; Audubon v Audubon, 138 AD2d 658, 658-659 [1988]).
Here, contrary to the statement in the order appealed from to the effect that a hearing had been held, the mother’s petition for custody was granted without a hearing. In addition, the Family Court did not conduct an examination of the parties or obtain a forensic report from an expert. Although the Family Court did ask the attorney for the child for an argument on behalf of her two-year-old client, the attorney for the child stated that a social worker from her office would be sent to visit the child, but this had not yet been done when the order was issued. Under these circumstances, “it cannot be concluded that the court possessed sufficient information to render an informed determination consistent with the child’s best interests” (Matter of Peek v Peek, 79 AD3d at 754; see Matter of Perez v Estevez, 82 AD3d 1106, 1106-1107 [2011]; Matter of Nalty v Kong, 59 AD3d at 724; Matter of Roldan v Nieves, 51 AD3d 803, 805 [2008]; cf. Matter of Feldman v Feldman, 79 AD3d 871 [2010]). Since there was no hearing, the court also failed to make “specific findings of fact with respect to the issue of custody,” as it is required to do (Audubon v Audubon, 138 AD2d at 659; see Mauter v Mauter, 309 AD2d 737, 738 [2003]).
The order must be reversed and the matter remitted for an evidentiary hearing not only for the reasons stated above, but for the additional reason that the father effectively was deprived of his statutory right to counsel (see Family Ct Act § 262 [a] [v]). Section 262 (a) (v) of the Family Court Act confers the