Of the different issues in a divorce or family law case, none seems to be more personal and emotional than the inevitable disruption of the parties’ relationships with their children. Most of the things that people lose in a divorce can be replaced. People get new homes and rebuild their [...]
A recent video that was making the rounds on social media depicted a hard-to-imagine scenario. In the video, a father stops while he is walking his daughter down the aisle at her wedding. The father stops so that he can ask his daughter’s stepfather to join him in the honor [...]
For anyone who has ever seen the “Lost and Found” pile at a child’s school, it might seem that children and their parents might be actively trying to rid themselves of their worldly possessions as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, a common practical problem that parents face after they have separated [...]
Greetings and Happy May 4th, 2023. If you were not already aware, May 4th is also known as Star Wars Day where people can greet each other by saying May the Fourth be with you. The Star Wars movies are chock full of interesting family law questions such as, assuming [...]
A very commonly misunderstood issue in divorce and family law cases that can needlessly cause conflict is the meaning of the term “custody”. This misunderstanding can lead to unnecessary posturing and behavior that is financially and emotionally draining for the parents and their children. “Custody” is oftentimes misunderstood as dictating [...]
How does parenting time or visitation occur for a child who is breastfeeding? A judge in Virginia recently made headlines after ordering a breastfeeding mother to start bottle-feeding her 6-month-old daughter so that the child’s father could begin having overnight visits. Reporting on the issue sparked many debates about a [...]
What to do when your ex is misbehaving. Through the iconic cartoon character, Calvin, the great American cartoonist, Bill Watterson, once wrote, “In my opinion, we don't devote nearly enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks.” If you’re in the midst of a divorce, a child custody dispute [...]
What action can I take if the other parent is not following the parenting plan? If the other parent is not following the parenting plan in an existing custody and parenting time judgment, a parent may file a motion with the court asking the court to enforce the existing parenting [...]
During a divorce or custody litigation, or after a case is final, one of the parents may desire to move away. The best interests of the child may make moving away from the other parent difficult. The law generally recognizes that it is in a child’s best interest to maintain [...]
What is Parental Alienation Syndrome? Richard Alan Gardner (1931 – 2003) was an American child and adolescent psychiatrist who coined the term “parental alienation syndrome” (PAS). He described the syndrome as one parent psychologically manipulating a child so that the child shows unwarranted fear, disrespect, or hostility for the other parent. [...]
