Partners ThroughoutYour Family Law Case
If you are going through the process of litigating a divorce or family law matter, the stress of the unknown can often be the worst part. Putting your family’s future in the hands of a judge or magistrate is hard to swallow and can be daunting. The alternative to going to court and letting a judge make decisions about your…
The process of getting divorced looks different for every family. While you will have certain legal obligations (meeting deadlines, etc.) over the course of the process, you have a number of options regarding your living situation. Choosing what kind of living situation works best for you and your family largely depends on your family dynamic, your current living situation, and…
Co-parenting with an ex can be an extremely difficult task. Parents will have to deal with their co-parent for years after a messy divorce or a nasty breakup, well beyond their child’s 18th birthday (think graduations, weddings, and births of grandchildren). Parenting Plans often contain language prohibiting parents from disparaging (bad-mouthing) each other, particularly in front of or to their…
Last week, we discussed the importance of having a detailed holiday parenting plan, when you are going through a divorce or a child custody matter. This week, we discuss how different families divide, share, and define Thanksgiving as a holiday in their parenting plans. There are two key components to addressing holidays in your plan: 1) defining the holiday (i.e.…
Having a detailed parenting plan at the end of your custody proceeding or divorce matter is critical. Once made a court order, your parenting plan governs all aspects of your co-parenting relationship and parenting time schedule going forward. Parenting plans may be negotiated and agreed to by the parties, or, when agreement cannot be reached, they may be imposed by…
When a divorce proceeding begins, people often wonder how their or their spouse’s past behaviors may impact their case. In a divorce, the court is charged with resolving issues regarding the parties’ finances (division of marital assets, division of marital debts, allocation of attorney’s fees and spousal support), and, if the parties have children, the sharing of parenting time and…
In many families, grandparents play a very impactful role in their grandchildren’s lives and it may be in the grandchild’s best interest to regularly see their grandparents. However, absent a court order, a grandparent’s access to his or her grandchildren may be curtailed by the parents. As a grandparent, especially when the grandchild’s parents are no longer in a relationship,…
The issue of relocation in family law cases can be complex. “Relocation” becomes an issue when a parent wishes to move, with the minor child(ren), to a distance that impacts the geographical ties between the other parent and the child(ren). The court applies a different standard, depending on whether you or your co-parent are expressing your/their desire to move before…
You and your co-parent have selected a school for your child, and you have resolved how education-related expenses will be paid for, but have you considered the impact these decisions might have on your parenting time in the future, if there is a change in you or your co-parent’s circumstances? The importance of your child’s education is not lost on…
Last week, in the first part of our Back to School Series, we discussed choosing a school with your Co-Parent. Today, we examine how the costs of educational expenses and extracurricular activities are split in a co-parenting situation. Deciding who should pay for what in relation to school and extracurriculars can be a challenging part of the divorce process, but…
