The impact of realistic estrangement on child custody matters
Life After Love Gone Wrong Podcast: Season 3, Episode 7 - Invisible Scars: The Impact of Coercive Control on Children
Jewish Divorce Talk: Episode 8 - Narcissism and Parental Alienation Talk
Summer is over and we will all be back to the school year grind next week. This means schedule changes, new things to buy, lunches, transportation issues, etc. which can all be difficult to coordinate. For blended families...more
Many are familiar with parental alienation, where one parent deliberately tries to damage the other parent's relationship with their children, often through persistent efforts to belittle or discredit them. Though this...more
Since the Child Support Guidelines were amended in the late 90s, the number of overnights with each parent factored in to the child support calculus for cases within the Guidelines. In general, the more overnights meant less...more
Absent a waiver, anyone involved in a child custody case in the Massachusetts Probate & Family court – whether via a Complaint for Divorce, Complaint for Separate Support, Complaint to Establish Parentage, or Complaint for...more
When determining child custody, Courts must weigh all factors based on what the judge feels is in the “best interest of the minor child.” Often, it can feel ambiguous in knowing how a judge may rule under this standard, but...more
Lawyers are a jaundiced lot. Law school is a three year exercise in anticipating what can go wrong whether in a trial or a transaction. The lawyer’s job is to anticipate, and course correct to protect the client. Napoleon is...more
This Father’s Day, fathers in Florida have more rights than last Father’s Day. As of July 1, 2023, new laws were enacted in the state. One law requires that a minor child have frequent and continuing contact with both...more
Individuals who are engaged in protracted custody litigation in Pennsylvania may come across the concept of a parenting coordinator during the duration of their custody matter. The below covers the basics of a parenting...more
Back on October 6, 2023 we wrote about the concept of sharing custody in a setting where the children stay put and their parents move in and out of the former marital residence. We noted then that the concept can work but...more
The April 26 decision in Hoover v. Lewis v. Cohen is emblematic of the slow moving crisis Pennsylvania and other family courts are experiencing. Not only are American families hard to manage today but we are having challenges...more
When a divorcing parent asks this question, their attorney might respond with the common saying, “Children have a voice, not a choice.” In Washington state, the extent to which a child’s voice is heard in establishing a final...more
Living with a manipulative parent who exercises coercive control can be a silent struggle for children. Dr. Christine Cocchiola, DSW, LCSW, a clinician and social work professor, joins Sandra Fava to highlight the profound...more
The Massachusetts Probate and Family Court has substantially revised Standing Order 3-23, which requires completion of a four-hour online parenting course, which has been renamed “Two Families Now.” The revised Standing...more
Clients often ask whether a nesting arrangement (also called “bird nesting”) in a child custody or divorce matter is a good idea. There is no right or wrong answer, as it depends upon the specific separating parents, the...more
It is not uncommon for grandparents or other family members to get custody of other family members when the children’s parents have issues preventing them from caring for their children and/or when there is DCPP involvement....more
As a trial lawyer, there were many days when I would sit in the back of a courtroom and take comfort in the fact that I didn’t have to decide the custody case that I was witnessing as a spectator. At times the facts made the...more
The first page of the non-precedential custody and contempt decision in T.J.N. v. K.M. more or less reflects a lot of the custody cases we have reported on in recent years. “Mother and Father were never...more
During the holidays, families spend time together observing religious, secular, and other personal traditions. For parents living together with their children, planning where everyone should be and when can already be a...more
In many divorces, emotions run high, resulting in hurtful comments, emotional pain, and anger toward the other spouse. For spouses with young children, it can be hard to keep those emotions in check in the presence of the...more
Almost like King Solomon suggesting that a child be cut in two so that each parent can have half, more and more, I am hearing about judges and custody evaluators who default to 50-50 shared parenting. Now, that isn’t the law....more
The Massachusetts Probate and Family Court has issued Standing Order 3-23, which requires parties to divorce, annulment, parentage, and modification actions involving custody or parenting time filed on or after November 1,...more
“Standing” is what lawyers define as “the right to be involved in the litigation” and this has been a hot topic in recent years as many grandparents find themselves immersed in controversies related to their grandchildren. In...more
With Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the winter holidays right around the corner, many people are preparing for the fun of the holiday season. For parents involved in a custody action, the below tips will help to ensure that the...more
Halloween has always been a special holiday for children, and parents enjoy reliving it through their eyes. However, divorce can put a damper on things if the parents do not plan ahead and work together. Here are some tips to...more
Unlike most other cases, divorce and child custody cases often start somewhat explosively. This seems to apply to the recent filings involving Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner. Cases involving people with enormous wealth get...more