Category Archives: Child Custody
Effective Co-Parenting Communication Methods
Sharing parental responsibilities under custody agreements can be challenging. There are various types of physical custody, and in most cases they involve children splitting time across two households. These arrangements can be difficult to manage and sometimes lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. It is in the children’s best interests for parents to maintain effective and… Read More »
Child Custody and Visitation and the COVID-19 Pandemic
More than two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many divorced parents continue to juggle challenges of handling the special visitation and custody issues that can arise during a major public health event. These include deciding whether to vaccinate a child, altering a custody arrangement due to health concerns and dealing with homeschooling… Read More »
The Value of a Detailed Holiday Schedule in a Custody Agreement or Order
Holidays are meant to be times of happiness, but after a divorce, these special days can be times of stress and conflict for parents sharing child custody. To make holidays easier for everyone, parents should plan out a detailed holiday schedule and incorporate it into the custody arrangement. Most parenting plans include a holiday schedule,… Read More »
How Pennsylvania Courts Decide Requests to Relocate With Children
After a divorce, changes in circumstances may lead the parent with primary child custody to seek to move out of town or even out of state. In Pennsylvania, court approval is required for any proposed change in residence that would significantly limit the non-relocating parent’s ability to exercise custodial rights. Relocation requests are often… Read More »
Who Pays for a Child’s Private Schooling and Extracurricular Activities?
When parents get divorced, Pennsylvania law has specific guidelines that judges use to determine how much child support should be paid. But the guidelines are designed only to calculate costs of food, clothing, shelter, health care and other essentials. When extraordinary expenses arise that are outside the scope of basic child-rearing, the court must decide… Read More »
How a Parent’s Medical Marijuana Card May Affect Child Custody
One of the newest frontiers in Pennsylvania family law is how a parent’s legal medical marijuana use can impact child custody. Before the passage of the Medical Marijuana Act in 2016, a parent who used marijuana faced an uphill battle when it came to custody. But now, custody determinations have become more complicated. Two things,… Read More »
Communicating With Your Ex About COVID-19 Custody Issues
During a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, family becomes more important than ever, especially for children whose schedules have been disrupted by long-term school closures and the cancellation of other activities. Parents who are divorced or live apart for other reasons know the importance of maintaining healthy communication through difficult situations. Though this situation… Read More »
16 Factors Pennsylvania Courts Consider in Child Custody Cases
When you and your child’s parent separate, whether you’re married or not, you want to maintain a strong, loving relationship with your children, no matter where they live. That is one reason why most parents, when they split up, end up negotiating and agreeing to a parenting plan outside of court. But when parents cannot… Read More »
When Does a Child’s Preference Matter in Determining Custody?
Deciding where children will live and with whom can be one of the most difficult issues in a divorce, for everyone involved. A judge will make the initial decision regarding both legal custody (the authority to make important decisions about the child’s welfare) and physical custody (which determines where the child will actually live and… Read More »
New Laws Help Parents of Opioid-Addicted Adults Care for Grandchildren
The opioid crisis has impacted countless families in Pennsylvania. Many adults seeking recovery from addiction have children in their care, and new legislation is lending a hand to grandparents who want to step in and help. Pennsylvania estimates that about 82,000 grandparents have taken on sole caregiver duties for 89,000 grandchildren, saving the state more… Read More »