Every custody order contains unique terms. For example, the breakdown of parenting time typically reflects the unique schedules of the different family members. The parents trying to divide their responsibilities or the judge hearing a litigated case may invest...
Child Custody
4 tips for handover days when you share custody
Sharing custody can be one of the hardest things to get right after a divorce. Often, the demise of the marriage has left such bitterness and hurt that even seeing each other can be difficult. Nevertheless, as parents who share children, you’ll need to find a way to...
Considerations for child custody in the summer months
Most parents know that having a child means that you have to adjust certain aspects of parenting at different points of the year. One time of year that often requires major changes is summer, partly because children aren’t in school during the week. For parents who...
Modifying child support orders in Virginia
Court-ordered child support orders in Virginia are not set in stone. If circumstances have changed significantly since the current orders came to be, you can request a modification. However, it’s not as simple as just asking for a change. Understanding how child...
Can one parent leave the state when subject to a custody order?
Custody orders help establish reasonable expectations for co-parenting. Custody orders approved by the family courts outline a breakdown of parenting time and an allocation of legal decision-making authority. In most cases where unmarried parents separate or married...
Can you modify a child custody order on child preference grounds?
Child custody orders are issued by the court to determine where and with whom a child will live after their parents separate. These orders can be modified to better suit the child’s evolving needs, making sure their best interests are met as circumstances change. When...
Talking to Custody Evaluators: Common Mistakes
Child custody arrangements can sometimes prove problematic after a divorce. It might reach the point where your child refuses or resists seeing one parent. In this case a court or one of the parents may call in a particular type of mental health worker, known as a...
Divorce and frozen embryos: a Virginia case
What happens when a couple divorces after working with assisted reproduction specialists to have human embryos frozen? In a current Virginia case, a couple conceived one living child and left two embryos in frozen storage. Unfortunately, their marriage fell apart...
How to survive a high-conflict custody battle
Sometimes determining child custody can be relatively straightforward with both parties willing to make compromises to find a swift resolution. Other times it can be much more difficult because one or both parties take polarized standpoints that result in a lot of...
Benefits of using mediation to reach child custody agreements
You do not have to go through litigation to decide your child custody arrangement. Litigation can be a time-consuming, costly and adversarial process that may negatively affect your children’s wellbeing. Mediation is often a better method of resolving child custody...