Child Custody

QUESTION: My partner and I have two children but were never married. How are child custody and child support decided when dealing with children of unwed parents?”  According to a 2012 ABC News Report, more than 25 percent of children are born to couples who are in a committed relationship, but are not married. When […]

QUESTION: “How does a joint child-custody agreement usually work?” You’ve been awarded joint custody. Now, you and your ex must figure out a fair way to divide your time with the children. Because each family is different, there is no “best” solution.  You will need to consider the following when creating your custody plan: Each […]

QUESTION: “Under what conditions will a judge grant my request for visitation with my grandchild?” In most cases, the best person to care for the child is the child’s parents. Sadly, this isn’t always true. There are circumstances when living with a parent could put the child in danger of abuse or neglect. When this […]

QUESTION: “How do we decide whether sole child-custody or joint child-custody is best for our family?” There is no doubt that creating a custody plan can be the most difficult part of a divorce. Each parent wants the best for the child, but parents may not agree on what “the best” means. Understanding your custody […]

QUESTION: I thought I wanted sole custody of our children but now that I have them all of the time I’m finding it impossible to manage them and make a living, what can I do? You fought for your current custody arrangement, but it’s just not working out. Whatever the reason, when your custody arrangement […]

QUESTION: “My wife has been cheating on me. I want to leave her, but I’m worried that I won’t get custody of our kids. Are the courts still reluctant to grant child-custody to fathers?” For many fathers, the hardest part of a divorce is not being a daily part of their children’s lives. They assume […]

A recent article in the Legal Intelligencer discussed the application of the concept of paternity by estoppel to a custody case recently decided by the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Paternity by estoppel is the concept whereby once a man has been held out as a child’s father, his paternity cannot be later denied. It is most […]

You’ve been there for every day of your child’s life. You were there when she opened her eyes for the first time, when she took her first steps, when she rode her first bike… but, you may not be there for the next “first”.  You are getting divorced, and both of you want custody. A […]

The Berks County Court of Common Pleas issued an opinion in November granting a father’s petition to modify custody to have equal custody time of his two children. The name of the case was Meister v. Meister. Prior to filing to modify custody, the father had partial custody while the children were in school but […]

This holiday season one very important custody question frequently comes up: Do grandparents have legal rights to see their grandchildren?