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
Life After Love Gone Wrong Podcast: Season 3, Episode 1 - The Truth Behind Coercive Control
Jewish Divorce Talk: Episode 8 - Narcissism and Parental Alienation Talk
Jewish Divorce Talk: Episode 7 - Custody Evaluation Talk
How to Put Your Children First in Co-Parenting
Parenting Time in Arizona - What Does it Mean?
I have blogged several times before , including last week, on cases where trial courts were reversed for failing to hold plenary hearing and provide for discovery, often in FD (non-dissolution) matters. I have also discussed...more
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
Well, it was great while it lasted. The summer is already drawing towards its epic conclusion and if you are a parent, you know what that means...getting your kids ready to go back to school....more
Co-parenting applications are becoming increasingly popular in divorce or family law matters where there are children. In cases where these matters are not resolved amicably, or where there are continued disagreements, more...more
Summer break is often a joyful time for many children but can be a common point of conflict for divorced or separated parents. With the family’s typical school routine derailed, parents may need to revisit parenting schedules...more
You have a child with another person—either an ex-partner, ex-spouse, or someone with whom you never actually had a romantic relationship. You’ve gone through the court system and agreed upon or litigated a final parenting...more
As the school year comes to an end, parents are planning their vacations. Now is the time to check your Custody Orders and make sure that you are following all the terms and conditions. Most Custody Agreements have provisions...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
Iowa law clearly states that “parents with joint legal custody” means both parents jointly have legal custodial rights and responsibilities toward their child and neither parent has legal custodial rights superior to those of...more
As I have said in this space before, I try to keep up with recent appellate decisions in the family law area, and some of the most interesting decisions from the Superior Court of Pennsylvania are those that are referred to...more
Married couples that are contemplating separation or divorce often want to put off thinking about the future during the summer and instead get in that pre-planned Disney trip with their kids....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
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
While the rights of parents to see their child hold a high importance in the law, when it comes to custody, the best interest of the child is the family court’s number one priority....more
Just about everyone who has tried a custody case has been called upon to present a “school choice” dispute. These are the ones where Springfield High is pitted against Bayside High or Chilton Prep in the race to see which...more
This writer has a home outside of Philadelphia that was once owned by a motion picture director of minor note named Irvin “Shorty” Yeaworth. Yeaworth became known for producing the early sci-fi hit the “Blob” in 1958 but two...more
If you happened to be out and about this weekend chances are good that you drove past neighborhood athletic fields which are starting to fill with student athletes and their middle aged coaches. In one sense, this is part of...more
As a child of divorce, I know there is nothing more heartwarming than when your parents can get along and co-parent well. No, you do not need to be besties with your ex. However, you owe it to your children to strive toward...more
My New Jersey colleague Eric Solotoff just published in our sister blog about a recent Appellate Division case from that state where a relocation case was remanded for lack of a record related to the views of a 10 year old...more
In many custody cases, it is common for the parties to participate in a custody evaluation. While the process will vary, the evaluator often meets with each parent individually, the child(ren), each parent and child...more