Child Custody

One of the biggest questions I am asked as a family law attorney around this time of year is about taxes. More specifically, about who can claim the children as dependents for tax purposes.

One of the most important aspects of raising a child is deciding how to educate them. As parents, you want to choose the best school district, research programs and credentials.

Before a client and I decide to work together on a child custody case, we meet for a forty-five minute to an hour long initial consulation to get acquainted.

In this video, Philadelphia family law attorney Thomas Petrelli describes how documentation can help your custody case if you can’t reach a custody agreement and have to take your custody case to trial. 1. Use a calendar to show the time spent with each parent. 2. Keep a journal of any incidents involving the other […]

Do you take lots of pictures of your child? Those pictures are good for more than Facebook posts; they can be used as evidence in your custody trial. Gather your old photographs. Look for pictures that show your child’s life with your ex-spouse: the condition of your ex-spouse’s home, the dinner from McDonalds, the mismatched […]

Child custody can often engender highly contentious debate when it comes time to decide who will have custody of the child or children.

A case decided in January by the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court highlights a practical issue for many divorced parents with shared custody arrangements. As reported in The Legal Intelligencer, the case of Watts v. Manheim Township School District involved divorced parents who resided two miles apart in the same school district and shared equal custody time […]

QUESTION:  “Who gets primary parenting rights?” Divorce involves making big decisions. Perhaps the biggest and most difficult of these decisions is “Who will raise the kids?” There are two ways that this decision can be made. You and your ex can choose a custody arrangement together, or a judge can choose for you. In 90 […]

QUESTION: Who has to pay child support? My ex-wife and our two kids have moved in with her boyfriend. Do I still have to pay alimony and child support? When will my child support end? Who has to pay child support in Pennsylvania? If you have a child, you have a duty to support that […]

QUESTION: “At what age can my child choose where to live?” Children can never decide a custody case. If parents can’t agree on where a child will live, the decision is left up to the courts. The courts will consider the wishes of the child as well as 15 other custody factors. Considerations When a […]