Whether you and your ex-spouse negotiated the terms of your child custody agreement outside of the courtroom or had a judge decide everything, once a final child custody order has been signed by the judge, that order becomes legally binding and must be followed by...
What is in the child’s best interest?
When parents divorce, even amicable co-parenting arrangements are stressful on children. A litigated courtroom battle can be absolutely traumatizing. The effect of a contentious divorce can profoundly impact a child’s emotional and academic development. Deciding how...
Move-away situations in California are complicated
Many residents of Southern California are single parents who have to follow custody and parenting time orders. This situation may make it more difficult from them to move to another state or to another country. Even a move to another part of California can cause some...
The role of a child’s custody preference
Child custody is decided on what is in the child’s best interest but not necessarily on the child’s preference. California and other states restrict the weight that a child’s preferences play in divorce custody issues. California California gives some rights to a...
How is child custody determined in California?
Parents addressing child custody concerns may have many questions about how child custody is determined. Child custody determinations are based on what is in the best interests of the child which is why divorcing couples should be familiar with what that means for...
How should you handle unexpected events in your parenting plan?
There will always be times when there are unexpected events that come up for your child. As they get older, those unexpected events might happen more often. Here’s an example. A teen who is part of a basketball team may have a longer practice than usual. A friend may...
Add virtual visits to your parenting plan
Moving away when you go through a divorce is sometimes necessary for you to enjoy a fresh start. In some cases, this is because you have to make a career move or to be closer to family members. While it might be necessary, you might find that you have a challenge...
Fitting ‘sick days’ in to your parenting plan
When you’re a divorced parent, you don’t want anything to interfere with your visitation time with your child. However, health issues have an unfortunate way of cropping up suddenly. It’s smart to plan ahead for these kinds of situations, so that you (and your...
Don’t forget your kids when considering divorce
“Not right now. This is not about you. It’s about daddy and me.” While a divorce is a matter between you and your partner, it is easy to forget about your children’s feelings. This does not mean you should stay together because your kids want you to, but you need to...
Custody issues perhaps most common in urban areas
When you think about divorce rates, marriage rates and child custody situations in the United States, it’s important not to assume that the same numbers apply to everyone evenly. There is, as it turns out, a big difference in how things play out, depending on where...