Get free answers to your Child Custody legal questions from lawyers in your area.
My daughters father claims he keeps our daughter 75% of the time however I feel like he doesnt. He keeps her on his days off which is 2 days out of the week and every other weekend. When he gets vacation he get close to a month off and he will keep her but that's it. Here recently the past 6-7... View More 
answered on May 20, 2019
Va. Code § 20-108.2(G)(3) "(c) Definition of a day. For the purposes of this section, "day" means a period of 24 hours; however, where the parent who has the fewer number of overnight periods during the year has an overnight period with a child, but has physical custody of the... View More
I have sole physical & legal custody, visitation reserved to father, at mother’s discretion, since 2017. My child father attacked me when he dropped her off to my home, after having her for the weekend. DV has been an ongoing issue for years, and my daughter show signs to be traumatized. So I... View More
answered on Mar 9, 2019
I have moved your question to family law because that is the area of law you have a question about. Domestic violence and criminal law is for those charged with offenses in those areas and requiring answers related to such.
Her mother kept her from me and I still try to pay my child support. She moved out of state and I don’t know what to do. I want to see my daughter and get to know her. I’ve called her mother phone but after she figure out it’s me calling she hang up and don’t answer again. She’s married... View More
answered on Feb 20, 2019
Child support is an entirely separate matter from custody/visitation. Neither is dependent on the other.
File a petition for custody/visitation in the local court where your daughter resides.
In va, if the child is over 18, and I have arrears that was with the child support. Once the child support is corrected because he is over 18 can the arrears be reduced weekly to a more realistic amount, I have had some changes since my last modification, I am now married, my wife has had 3... View More
answered on Feb 14, 2019
Va. Code § 20-124.2, "C. The court may order that support be paid for any child of the parties. Upon request of either party, the court may order that such support payments be made to a special needs trust or an ABLE savings trust account as defined in § 23.1-700. The court shall also order... View More
I'm in desperate need of help. My best friend is going through a tumultuous custody battle with his soon-to-be ex-wife. He's currently an unemployed single father who's doing the best he can given his situation. Everyday this woman makes it harder and harder on him. We have spoken to... View More
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answered on Jan 22, 2019
You are going to want to find a local family law lawyer in the jurisdiction where this is taking place and go with the best one. That may very well not be the lowest fee but it may not be the highest fee either. Any good family law lawyer will be able to guide him through the process.
answered on Jan 14, 2019
The location to file for custody is determined by the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act, UCCJEA. See Va. Code § 20-146.12. Initial child custody jurisdiction.
The starting point is the child's "home state." "Home state" means the state in which a... View More
But I don't have an address for the non-custodial parent. What do I do?
answered on Jan 9, 2019
Virginia would only have jurisdiction if both parents and the child(ren) have moved from Maryland. Your move alone may not be enough. If you don't know where the other parent is, you can't be sure they moved from Maryland.
Assuming Va. has jurisdiction,
Va. Code §... View More
I have primary physical custody we both have joint legal custody. I’m worried the parent will take our child and not return them after our agreed upon period. Are they able to do that? The custody agreement says I have “primary physical custody with reasonable and liberal visitation as the... View More
answered on Dec 4, 2018
Since the order grants liberal visitation as the parties agree, if the non-custodial parent takes the child and does not return the child at the time that was agreed to by the parties, then they would be in violation of the court order. You should always make sure that the agreed upon times are in... View More
answered on Dec 3, 2018
Both parties, their attorneys, if they have one, a Guardian ad litem, if one was appointed, and any witnesses that each party wishes to call. The Judge and a courtroom deputy. Possibly a court reporter.
The father has visitation every other week from 6PM Sunday until Wednesday at 6pm. It just so happens that his regular weekend starts the 23rd of December. Will I be breaking the custody order not allowing him to get my son until Christmas Day at 2pm?
answered on Nov 27, 2018
It depends on what the Order states with regard to your holiday visitation time. Also, does it state that the holiday visitation supersedes the regular visitation. More information regarding what the order says is needed to be able to answer this question.
I am acting as my attorney and some issues have arisen regarding my minor child. I wrote a very specific series of questions to my wife's attorney but he never responded. Does he have to consider me to be OC in this matter and communicate with me?
answered on Nov 2, 2018
If you do not have an attorney of record, then you should be treated as opposing counsel in the matter.
Both great grandparents have multiple medical issues. My nephew's father resides in the home, has multiple drug and assault charges, and has child neglect charges on the child. My nephew's father's brother also resides in the home, and was driving the vehicle resulting in my... View More
answered on Oct 22, 2018
As a relative you have standing to file a petition for custody in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in the county where the child lives. The court will make a custody determination based on the best interests of the child. Speak to an attorney for more specific advise on your situation.
Also if I have moved from Stafford to Loudoun County can I petition the court for custodial parent to meet half way on visitation drop offs, pick ups etcetera?
answered on Oct 11, 2018
Virginia Code section 20-108.2 states that "any child support order shall provide that the parents pay in proportion to their gross incomes, as used for calculating the monthly support obligation, any reasonable and necessary unreimbursed medical or dental expenses." So unless it is... View More
Me my wife and son came to visit her family in Tennessee. While here she confessed she was talking to another man in Alabama. After getting in a argument about it she called this man and got him to pick her up. She left me and my son in Tennessee with her family with no car and barely any money... View More
answered on Sep 14, 2018
You will need to talk to a North Carolina family law attorney to get this done, and I advise you do that quickly as time often matters in this type of determination. Our best to you.
answered on Sep 4, 2018
If you have a court order regarding custody and visitation, and if she is violating the provisions of the order, then you can file a Rule to Show Cause to ask the court to enforce the order. If there is no court order regarding custody and visitation, you can file Petitions for Custody and... View More
Joint legal custody with communicable visitation, they live with him bc I lived out of state. I moved back and live 5 min from them, yet he wont let me see them or talk to them. They don't even know I've moved back and are 10, 8 and 6.
answered on Aug 22, 2018
It likely depends on the exact language in your order. Lots of orders out there have standard language that allows "reasonable and liberal visitation as agreed between the parties." The issue in cases where (a) this language is included, and (b) visitation is being denied by the custodial... View More
answered on Aug 13, 2018
Custody cases across the board are usually extremely case-specific, meaning that no one answer is likely to be accurate in all apparently similar scenarios. The answer also often varies by jurisdiction and even by which judge within a particular jurisdiction hears your case. However, in my... View More
answered on Aug 13, 2018
You should contact an experienced attorney immediately, in order to protect your rights.
Do my parents have a right to fight me on my decision?
answered on Aug 13, 2018
Unless you are an emancipated minor (in which case custody wouldn't be an issue), the answer is almost certainly no. Your grandparents may be able to file themselves, seeking non-parent custody. Or a sympathetic parent who agrees with your wishes may file to change custody. But yes, your... View More
My children currently live with their father, but we have joint legal custody. Is he required in some way to inform me if he leaves them for an extended unpredictable amount of time?
answered on Jul 16, 2018
While it certainly would be good practice if he were to keep you informed of such an absence, if the order does not require him to keep you informed when he leaves the children for an extended unpredictable amount of time then he would not be in violation of the order if he did not share that... View More
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