Category: Child Custody

Custody orders may be legally binding, but that doesn’t necessarily make them permanent. Circumstances change, and what works for a family when the court issues a custody order may no longer work after they do. You don’t necessarily need to struggle through untenable arrangements, but you will need a custody...

Summer is a time for travel and a time to move between the school years for parents of school-aged children. A child custody agreement may specify whether or not out-of-state travel is permitted or not during each parent’s custodial time; if not, parents are usually permitted to travel with their...

As the new school year begins for families throughout the Commonwealth, divorced or separated parents face a variety of issues regarding child custody. One problem that commonly arises is that of transportation to and from school. Pennsylvania courts recently settled one such issue and determined that a school district must...

With Mother’s Day having recently passed and Father’s Day fast approaching, separated and divorced couples face unique issues regarding child custody on these days. Often, these “minor” holidays are lost in the shuffle when a couple anticipates which parent will have custody of the child or children on major holidays...

Although it should go without saying in this day in age, anything you post on the internet may come back to haunt you in the future. This is especially true when it comes to litigating a child custody or divorcecase. As a family law attorney, my colleagues and I routinely...

One of the primary concerns that Parents debate in child custody cases is which parent should have custody of the child on school nights. Now, there are a number of factors that go into determining which parent should have custody on those evenings including: which parent is more likely to...

As a family law attorney, I occasionally encounter child custody cases in which paternity is a crucial issue. In Pennsylvania, paternity is defined as the state or quality of being a father. If a mother, potential father, or child wishes to have a paternity test conducted, he or she may...

On occasion, our Pittsburgh law firm is contacted by a potential client dealing with a child custody matter and that client wants “full” custody because, up until this point, the other parent has been absent from the child’s life. Now the former absentee parent is pursuing custody and the client...

When counseling clients during a divorce where children are involved, I am often asked whether or not the parents should put together a custody order to file with the Court. The answer I give the client is that it depends. The chief consideration when determining whether or not a formal...

In a child custody case it is almost inevitable that at some point one or both parents will become involved with a new significant other. In my family law practice, I routinely encounter situations where a parent does not want to inform the other parent of who his or her...

Occasionally, my law firm is contacted by a stepparent inquiring about his or her child custody rights after the break-up of a relationship. The child custody rights of a stepparent are quite similar to those of a biological parent in many ways. A stepparent in Pennsylvania has the right to...

Teenagers love to believe that they are old enough to know better for whatever reason, and I was as guilty as any. At about the age of 15, teenagers start believing that they are much smarter than their parents. This transition is painstaking and trying for married parents, but it...

As an experienced Pittsburgh family law attorney, I know that child custody is a very ‘touchy’ subject. The issue of school districts often becomes a contentious issue in child custody disputes where both parents do not live in close proximity. The parent living in the “better” school district often uses...

One of the greatest hurdles for parents following a child custody battle is being able to communicate with one another regarding the child. Often, the parties harbor significant bad blood toward one another and have no interest in speaking with or seeing each other. This animosity is understandable considering the...

There is nothing more contentious in family law than the child custody case. Mothers generally, but not always, have primary physical custody of the children, and Fathers, generally, want more time with the kids. Theoretically, the Courts would like all custody time to be split 50% / 50%, as all...

Moving your family is a stressful and complicated event even with an intact family. However, relocating can become even more difficult following a divorce when there is a custody order in place. As of January 24, 2011 Pennsylvania’s new Child Custody Law went into effect and introduced new requirements with...

During the process of preparing for a child custody hearing, a client will often tell me, “If the judge would simply ask my child where he/she would like to live, the child would tell the judge that he/she wants to live with me.” I always have to tell clients that...

Speaking as an experienced Pittsburgh Divorce Attorney, divorceisn’t easy for anyone. When children are involved, the break-up can be especially difficult. Not only have two adults decided to end their relationship with one another, but now their children will be split between the two new households. Usually, both parents love...

I really do not like divorces. This might sound weird coming from a Pennsylvania Divorce lawyer– I mean it’s my profession- it’s my livelihood. But, in reality, there just is a lot I do not like about the whole process. First of all, you have two people who presumably once...

Earlier this week, we began a discussion about co-parenting teenagers. Proactive communication with your teen’s other parent can help lessen conflict between dual households, whatever your child custody and visitation arrangements might be. One issue that it is important to be in communication about is what responsibilities and routines your...

Co-parenting with a former spouse or partner can be a frustrating task. It can be even more so when the child that you co-parent is a teenager, trying to find his or her own way and pushing every button in the book during the process. Regardless of what your child...

For eight years, a New York cab driver has been fighting for child custody rights to his 10-year-old son after the boy’s mother took him to visit her relatives in the Ivory Coast in 2003 and never returned him. Just this Tuesday, the 46-year-old father finally celebrated the end of...

Divorces are often difficult for all parties, and it’s not unusual for the divorcing spouses to get petty — especially as divorce proceedings get underway and present all sorts of points of contention. As tempting as it may be to involve children in these battles, it can be very damaging...

Star of David topped Christmas trees. That’s what some people are doing after their divorce, in accordance with the child custody agreements they negotiated. A growing number of people seem to be adding interesting post-divorce requirements when it comes to raising their children. Of course, every parent just wants the...

In Part 1 of these posts, we started to examine some factors that parents should keep in mind when involved in a Pittsburgh child custody case. All too often, parents forget that their children were their highest priority when they began the divorce process. As the legal process drags on,...

For divorcing parents, there is nothing that takes a higher priority in the divorce than the well-being of their children. Many parents, though, make serious mistakes in Pittsburgh child custody cases, either by their actions or inactions. For any parent who wants to ensure the best possible outcome for their...

Obesity and health accusations and gaining more weight in custody battles, according to experts. Family-law practitioners and other legals experts have noticed that parents involved in child custody actions are using their children’s obesity and poor nutrition as proof that the opposing party is unfit to take care of their...

Mel Gibson has been neck-deep in family law problems in the last year or two, but some of them appear to be reaching some resolution, at least for a while. The Hollywood film star and award-winning director and producer has suffered some terrible setbacks to his public image, with the...

Many parents who are splitting up would like to have a joint child custody arrangement, usually for the sake of the children. As opposed to the old way of doing things when judges tended to order primary custody for the mother, there is now a trend toward joint custody, if...

Isabella Miller-Jenkins is the subject of an international manhunt. She was conceived via artificial insemination, and was born to a lesbian couple, Ms. Miller and Ms. Jenkins. Ms. Jenkins never formally adopted Isabella even though the couple was joined by a civil union in Vermont, so after the couple split...

What happens when divorcing parents can’t decide on who will care for the children and there is a child custody battle? What happens if one parent accuses the other parent of posing a threat to the children? What happens when the State threatens to strip a parent of his or...

Millions of people use social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter to stay connected with friends and keep up on current events. However, when it comes to family law matters, social networking is not always your friend. Recently it was reported that an Indiana woman created a fake Facebook account...

Don’t feel bad if you have never heard of the term “parental alienation.” A Pennsylvania man is working to change that. Daniel Holmes recently got his hometown of Hatboro to recognize an official Parental Alienation Awareness Day. The term refers to activities by one member of a couple going through...

In Pennsylvania and across the country, courts deciding child custody cases in the past often exhibited a preference for awarding primary physical custody to the mother and awarding visitation rights to the father. There were exceptions to the rule, but the typical outcome was primary custody for the mother. Over...

When parents deny grandparents any visitation with their grandchildren, grandparents may petition the family court for visitation rights if it is in the best interest of the grandchildren. Sometimes, however, the court may find that the parents have a good reason for denying grandparents visitation rights with the grandchildren. In...

An eight-month long international child custody dispute appears to have been resolved for now, leaving one parent facing federal charges of international parental kidnapping. The dispute arose last summer between two Italian parents. The parents had been married in Italy and then divorced in 2004. They shared joint custody of...

Divorced parents are going to have to have regular contact. This situation can be difficult, considering the frustration and anger that so frequently arise in a divorce. But there are ways to maintain a good relationship, or, to put it more accurately, to start a new positive relationship that benefits...

Charlie Sheen and his soon-to-be ex-wife Brooke Mueller reached a child custody agreement last month, in which Mueller has primary custody of the couple’s two children, Bob and Max. However, Mueller recently refused to take a drug test that was a condition of the child custody arrangement. Shortly after, it...

When parents divorce, one issue that is of paramount importance is child custody. Parents may seek sole custody or joint custody. If sole custody is awarded, that parent would be considered the primary custodial parent. The other parent would be the non-custodial parent and would typically retain some parental rights,...