When unmarried parents end their relationship, they must go through many of the same motions to establish custody as legally married parents. Nevertheless, there can be certain complexities that apply when establishing custodial rights of unmarried parents. Importance of establishing paternity Unlike their married counterparts, when an unmarried couple has a child paternity is not assumed, but must be established.…
Child custody and visitation orders are legally binding arrangements that all parties must adhere to now and in the years to come. However, in some circumstances, a parent or relative may break the agreement by illegally visiting or keeping a child for an unpermitted amount of time. If this situation occurs, it is helpful to know how to handle it.…
Resolving child custody and visitation issues is often a complicated process fraught with emotion, and perhaps never more so when a baby is involved. While the “best interests of the child” is the standard typically applied by judges in awarding custody, it may be less clear with infants who can and should be caring for them. The ability to attach…
Divorce is not easy for anyone involved, but it can present particular hardships for the children of a failed marriage. A clear sense of how children react to a divorce may help parents better help their children through the process and secure better long-term outcomes. Parents should be aware of these issues, and try to follow these guidelines: Respect the…
For many years, fathers have argued for more parity in custody arrangements. But instead of making their case to a judge, they are now helping promote bills that would alter state laws pertaining to custody arrangements. As recently reported by the Wall Street Journal, 20 states are currently considering legislation regarding shared parenting. The proposals call for judges to “maximize”…
Divorced parents may worry that their former spouses speak badly about them to their children, but when do a few negative comments cross the line and become psychologically damaging to a child and destroy the parent-child relationship? Parental Alienation Syndrome, or PAS, occurs when a parent actively tries to distort a child’s perception of the other parent so that they…
Although all couples experience stressors to their marriages, those living abroad as expatriates (commonly called “expats”) often find these difficulties are amplified when living a new culture, far from friends, family and their previous support systems. According to a new study on expat marriages, the so-called “trailing” spouses of expat workers often feel isolated and without an identity in their…
Major media outlets highlight the shift in custody disputes towards a presumption of 50/50 joint shared custody. The Wall Street Journal has recently commented on what we have been seeing as a huge shift in the tectonic plates of parenting. In the last two years, we have heard from many judges that unless there is an allegation of poor parenting,…
Custody battles are among the most stressful, emotional disputes between two individuals. Sometimes one spouse is seeking sole custody seeking to exclude the other parent from making any decisions for the child. Other times there is a joint parenting arrangement, but often the parents still struggle to maintain civility when it comes to major life events and decisions. But what…
Custody battles are among the most stressful, emotional disputes between two individuals. Sometimes one spouse is seeking sole custody seeking to exclude the other parent from making any decisions for the child. Other times there is a joint parenting arrangement, but often the parents still struggle to maintain civility when it comes to major life events and decisions. But what…