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How is Child Custody Determined in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania and all the other states, child custody is determined based on the child’s best interests standard. Judges refer to this guiding principle, which is focused on what’s best for children and not what parents want. While you and your co-parent only want the best for your child, you...
Continue ReadingWhat Factors Do Courts Consider When Determining Child Custody?
If you’re facing a child custody case, such as in relation to a divorce, a breakup, or a modification, your parental rights are on the line, which makes the matter serious. In the State of Pennsylvania, child custody determinations are always based on the involved children’s best interests, and having...
Continue ReadingHow Does a Child Custody Agreement Change?
When the State of Pennsylvania hands down child custody orders, they are based on the best interests of the children at the time. The state, however, recognizes that circumstances and children’s needs can change, and child custody modifications are not uncommon. If your situation has changed to the degree that...
Continue ReadingA parenting plan is a key part of a child custody order
Divorce be a difficult transition for everyone involved. This is particularly true for children. A significant part of the case will be dedicated to addressing the child’s needs and serving their best interests. That includes child custody, child support and parenting time. Regarding parenting time, there is a direct link...
Continue ReadingWhat happens at custody conciliation?
The custody process in Pennsylvania can be confusing and overwhelming. Learning how to effectively co-parent takes time, patience and compromise and sometimes you and your co-parent are just not there yet. When that happens, you find yourself in custody court. The custody process begins when one parent files a custody...
Continue ReadingModifying a child custody order in Pennsylvania
If you and your ex are fighting for custody of your children, you and your ex may be required by the court to submit a parenting plan specifying a childcare schedule and other details. The court will review the plans and develop a final plan best suited to serve the...
Continue ReadingDecision-making and co-parenting in Pennsylvania
When working out a child custody plan, parents often develop elaborate schedules that cover who will get the kids on what dates, who will pick them up from school or drive them to events, who will spend holidays with them and many more details. These are all important matters, but...
Continue ReadingCan I move with my child to a new city after I divorce?
Summer is a popular time for families in Lancaster to move from one city or state to another, since the relocation would not disrupt their child’s school routine and would give the child a chance to adjust to their community before the new school year begins. But if you are...
Continue ReadingCo-parenting tips during after-school sports season
Divorced or separated parents know that co-parenting is not always easy. You and your co-parent might agree on a custody schedule, but as your child gets older, changing circumstances can bring new challenges. One of these common challenges involves how to handle custody time when your child is involved in...
Continue ReadingNesting can solve some child custody-related issues
For divorcing parents, they must deal with all of the things all divorcing couples deal with, but then, all of the child custody-related issues as well. This leads many to look for creative ways to solve these child custody-related issues or make dealing with other divorce issues easier. One solution...
Continue ReadingInternational child abduction
For those dealing with child custody issues, you know that there are a million issues to resolve. However, for those dealing with international child custody issues, they know that there are actually a million other issues to worry about as well. If one parent should abscond with your child, there...
Continue ReadingWays to co-parent at the child’s big game
There are countless benefits for children who participate in afterschool sports. Children learn teamwork, discipline and perseverance, and nothing makes a child happier than seeing their parents in the stands or on the sidelines, cheering them on. And, most parents want to be involved in their child’s extracurricular activities, even...
Continue ReadingMaternal gatekeeping is a real problem
Maternal gatekeeping may sound like a mother blocking the entrance to a theme park, but the reality is much darker. Maternal gatekeeping can destroy the father-child bond. What is it? Maternal gatekeeping refers to situations where the mother of the child controls access to the child. This includes outside parties,...
Continue ReadingPreparing for your custody trial
Pennsylvania law allows you the chance to resolve your custody dispute without having to enter a courtroom. As part of the custody process in Pennsylvania, you are required to attend a conciliation and potentially a mediation, all before you get to a custody trial. Conciliation and mediation A conciliation is...
Continue ReadingParallel parenting when co-parenting simply does not work
A lot of attention is placed on co-parenting as the gold standard for shared custody. While successful co-parenting can benefit your child in many ways, sometimes you and your child’s other parent simply cannot cooperate well enough to make co-parenting work. If you gave co-parenting your best shot and it...
Continue ReadingWhat you need to know about modifying a custody arrangement
Are you worried about your child’s safety and well-being as you are reading this? If so, then you might need to consider whether seeking custody modification is right for you. It’s easy to have an emotional reaction when you suspect that your child has been subjected to inappropriate care while...
Continue ReadingHandling custody challenges during the holiday season
The holiday season is coming up soon, and often means extra stress for Pennsylvania parents who are sharing custody of their children. Hopefully, you have a custody order in place through a court that includes a holiday schedule, but even that does not completely prevent disputes. If you do not...
Continue ReadingMental illness: a significant consideration in child custody
Child custody analysis requires courts to weigh numerous and often conflicting factors to determine to whom they should grant physical and/or legal custody. Mental illness represents perhaps the best example of how courts balance these interests. Parents retain a right, though not unrestricted, to bear and raise their children; however,...
Continue ReadingAre same-sex divorces the same as traditional divorces?
We all know that marriage equality is the law of the land, and by that same law, so is divorce equality. However, many same-sex couples thinking about divorce wonder if their divorce process will actually be the same as so-called, “traditional” divorces. Stigmas The LGBTQIA+ community fought for the better...
Continue ReadingHow to prepare for child custody negotiations
Child custody can be a delicate issue for both parents and for the child. Parents can help prepare for the child custody process by being familiar with what is used to determine child custody and what is taken into account when deciding what child custody arrangement will be best for...
Continue ReadingHow can I build a child custody modification case?
Your child custody dispute may have been settled a while ago, but there’s a strong chance that you may end up having to revisit your custody arrangement as circumstances change. If you think that a change is necessary to protect your child’s best interests, then you’ll want to file a...
Continue ReadingHow does an allegation of domestic violence affect custody?
Like other states, Pennsylvania recognizes that there are some situations in which parents might not be able either to share decision-making or to split the time with the children about equally. One of these situations is when one parent has abused the other. Sadly, domestic violence does happen too often...
Continue ReadingWhat are the differences between legal and physical custody?
Child custody is a big term. It refers to the rights and powers of a parent or other person to care and provide for a child. In Pennsylvania, the best interests of children guide decisions related to child custody. However, parents may not know that there is more than one...
Continue ReadingNavigating child custody in Pennsylvania
Navigating child custody can be stressful for many parents during their divorce. It is helpful for divorcing parents to be familiar with the family law process and how child custody is determined as they work through their own child custody concerns. Child custody factors considered in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, as most...
Continue ReadingSixteen factors courts consider when making custody rulings
When a child’s parents break up or divorce, it can be an emotional time for all involved. Parents may be concerned about how much time they will spend with their child following the split, and the child may experience a significant amount of distress. For these reasons, it is important...
Continue ReadingWhat options do unmarried fathers have?
When it comes to a divorced couple in Pennsylvania, each parent’s roles and rights are usually clear, and thus, either party can provide documentation in the event of a dispute. However, it can be difficult for a father to understand his rights and duties when he isn’t married to the...
Continue ReadingHow does custody work in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?
A custody action is initiated by someone filing a custody complaint. The complaint is prepared by an attorney and signed by one of the parties seeking custody. A parent, grandparent or even a third party may file for custody. The complaint is filed in the Prothonotary’s Office and served on...
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