A newborn’s care is always a top priority for parents, even when their marriage has dissolved. Whether the couple wants to share custody or opt for a primary caregiver, the newborn may struggle with this change. Having a newborn is a stressful time for any parent, especially when your household splits....
If your custody agreement involves your child moving between one home and another periodically, it can be difficult for your child to adjust to the changing settings. Though shared custody can take some time to adapt to, there are things you can do to help your child adjust to life...
Divorce can be rough enough for the adults going through it, but it’s often worse for the kids involved. Teenagers, in particular, can be resistant to the changes that are occurring in their lives. They may deeply resent the disruption of divorce and shared custody when they’re trying to navigate...
Nothing is more important to you than your relationship with your child. Unfortunately, that relationship has been strained since you and their other parent separated. You knew divorce would be hard, but you didn’t think that it would have the impact that it has. You know that your ex-partner isn’t...
In many states, grandparents don’t have strong visitation or custody rights. While they are related to their grandchildren, the law generally protects the parents and makes sure that they have control over who sees their children. This can be at the expense of the child’s relationship with their grandparent or...
Pennsylvania courts prefer couples and families to work out their differences together. But some relationships are especially heated and volatile, and parents cannot agree on what custody, visitation, child support, and other plans are best for the child. Sometimes, there are charges of abuse and countercharges. In such cases, a...
Exchanging custody is a necessity if you and your ex share custody of the kids after a divorce, but it may not be something you enjoy. It’s difficult to see the children leave you and go with your ex. Maybe the two of you really don’t get along. Maybe it...
No matter our differences, there is one thing that most parents and guardians can agree on: the well-being of their children is the number one priority. It’s this priority that guides us to bandage their scraped knees when they fall off a bike or make them soup when they are...
Life has a way of changing unexpectedly, especially in the aftermath of a major shift in your life like a divorce. Changes in your job responsibilities, interpersonal relationships and schedule due to shared custody can all impact the rest of your life. However, changes in your professional and personal life...
In many cases, those who see the signs and report child abuse are daycare providers, teachers and doctors. These are people who have close contact with children but who are not actually connected to an individual child’s family. They may see signs like physical injuries, emotional changes and much more....
Parenting is a job that seemingly never ends. Even once your child reaches adulthood, they will likely turn to you for advice to help when things get rough. Beyond that, once they have children of their own, you may find yourself fulfilling many of the same roles you once did...
Family is the center of every child’s world. When elements of that family changes, it can be difficult for children to cope. While divorce may ultimately be the best thing for your family, it can be hard for everyone to go through in the moment. For children, keeping a routine...
Maybe your spouse alleged you were a neglectful parent. Maybe you alleged your spouse was actually abusive. For whatever reason, your custody case has escalated, and the court has appointed a guardian ad litem (GAL) for your children. A guardian ad litem’s job is to investigate the circumstances surrounding your...
Every other weekend, you and your ex meet at the local diner parking lot to exchange your kids. Here are a few tips to help make this hand-off a more peaceful one: Say hello You say hello to the cashier at the grocery store and the teller at the bank....
There are many reasons why parents might leave their children in the care of grandparents. Perhaps you had to step up and start taking care of your grandchildren when your child got arrested and then later convicted of a crime or had their rights terminated by the state. Perhaps your...
As you deal with your unique family dynamics, surely the most important thing on your mind is your children. Fighting about custody and visitation is so difficult, yet the decision is so important. As you and your family consider what life will look like in your next stage, begin by...
Children, wind up dealing with the Pennsylvania courts for a number of reasons. Sometimes, the child themselves has had issues that have led to court intervention, such as chronic truancy or aggressive behavior toward others. Other times, the child may be a victim of abuse whose parents are the subject...
You want to see your kids, but the custody schedule you have today isn’t right for you. You’ve had to miss two or three of your visitation days because of work, and there was nothing you could do about it. This has massively disrupted your usual routine and parenting time....
Divorce is a very difficult situation. You and your family’s lives are being upended. The hope in the end is that this separation will lead to brighter days ahead and a new lease of life for everyone involved, but if you have children, that can be harder to navigate. Children...
Has a guardian ad litem been appointed in your child custody battle in Pennsylvania? Since the guardian ad litem’s observations and opinions tend to hold a lot of weight with the judge in a case, it’s natural to be nervous. After all, you’re an ordinary parent, not “super mom” or...
Being married to a narcissistic person is a situation that’s challenging at best. If you have children together when the marriage ends, you’re going to move into a new phase of life with a narcissist because you’re going to have to work through the child custody matters. Having to do...
Trying to decide on a custody model for the children is often complicated because there are so many options to choose from. One thing that almost all models have in common is that the children go back and forth from one parent’s home to the other parent’s home. This can...
As you likely understand, those going through child custody proceedings in State College, PA, is an extremely difficult situation for parents and kids alike. Making an already troubling situation feel much worse, some parents learn that they must work with a guardian ad litem during custody matters. This sounds like...
Grandparents are the great unsung heroes of family life. They provide unpaid childcare for busy parents all across Pennsylvania and bring fun and treats into many small children’s lives. Yet, sometimes a mother or father can deny you the joy of being a grandparent by preventing you from seeing their...
Most everyone knows that custody proceedings typically occur when a couple with children divorces. However, fewer people realize that you don’t have to be married in the first place to have custody rights. Even if the other parent has been the one who has had custody so far, you have...
You and your co-parent might not have ever been interested in being in one another’s lives long term. Thankfully, creating distance between the two of you is still possible, even when you must divide parenting time. Ahead of receiving a court-approved custody arrangement, you can create rules and details you...
Divorces are sometimes the result of a mental health condition of one of the spouses. For some, this happens because of narcissism. Unfortunately, people who have a child with a narcissist will still have to deal with that individual because of the child. There are several things to remember if...
Technology and internet access used to be privileges. These days, electronics are the cornerstones of teenage socialization. Even middle school students want to play video games with their classmates online, join social media and get their own phone so that they can start texting. One of the hardest things for...
