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Your current state is Virginia
I recently separated from my ex-girlfriend, with whom I have a daughter. About a month ago, she had a physical altercation with my mother while my mother was holding our child. Since then, my ex quit her job and has been staying with various relatives. Recently, she left our child with me under the... View More 
answered on Jun 19, 2025
I am assuming you and your daughter have lived in Ohio for the past 6 months and have lived in the same county for the past 90 days.
Based on that assumption you need the file a motion to establish parental rights and responsibilities. Hopefully, you were listed as the father on the birth... View More
I have joint custody of my child, and I previously handled all transportation because the non-custodial parent didn't have a vehicle. Now that he does, he refuses to pick up our child on his assigned days, citing that he pays child support and won’t change the arrangement unless he is... View More
answered on Jun 17, 2025
One option would be to seek a downward modification of custody based on his statement that he won't provide transportation unless he can stop paying child support. Court won't be happy to hear that. The other option would be to simply modify your existing orders to include a... View More
I have joint custody of my child, and I previously handled all transportation because the non-custodial parent didn't have a vehicle. Now that he does, he refuses to pick up our child on his assigned days, citing that he pays child support and won’t change the arrangement unless he is... View More
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answered on Jun 18, 2025
If your orders don’t specify transportation responsibilities, you can file a request for order in family court to modify the agreement, asking the judge to assign fair transportation duties based on current circumstances. You can present the text messages as evidence of refusal. Courts prioritize... View More
I need to renew my children's passports (ages 7 and 13) while residing in Miami, Florida. I was never married to their father, who lives abroad and rarely contacts us. There has been no court order for custody, and I want to request sole custody to facilitate passport applications. What legal... View More
answered on Jun 17, 2025
You do not mention whether the father is listed on the birth certificate. If he is not then you are in full control. If he is listed then you can try to apply for the passports and explain that you cannot locate the father. Last resort, you can apply to the court for a court order. It would be a... View More
I'm dating someone and recently introduced her to my children after informing my ex-wife of my intentions. Now, my ex-wife is demanding personal information about my girlfriend, calling her names, and threatening to take legal action regarding custody if I don't comply. Our custody... View More
answered on Jun 17, 2025
In Florida, introducing a new romantic partner to children under a 50/50 custody arrangement is not prohibited unless there is evidence that the partner’s presence is harmful or not in the children’s best interests. Courts require a substantial and material change in circumstances to modify a... View More
My wife and I are in the beginning stages of adopting my nephew's son. However, we are getting a divorce, and there are no custody arrangements in place. If the divorce is finalized before the adoption is completed, would my wife, who is on the adoption papers but has no biological relation to... View More
answered on Jun 17, 2025
Your wife's ability to seek custody depends largely on the timing and status of the adoption.
If the adoption is finalized before your divorce, then both you and your wife will be legal parents of the child—regardless of biological connection. In that case, the family court would... View More
I am the working mother of a baby and have a home and a safe place for my child to stay while I work. The father is unemployed, refuses to work, and has no stable place to live. We often argue because he does not take care of the child, and he is threatening to take the baby away to live with his... View More
answered on Jun 17, 2025
Under Florida law, if the parents are unmarried and paternity has not been established, the mother is considered the natural guardian of the child and is entitled to primary residential care and custody unless a court rules otherwise. The father would not be able to legally take the child from you... View More
I have 50/50 custody of my children with their father. The judge initially said one year with him and one year with me, but now they claim every year is with him. They say I can only have the children on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I live with them and feel I'm missing out on special... View More
answered on Jun 15, 2025
You have to return to court to enforce the current timesharing as defined in the court order. Neither parent can arbitrarily change the schedule. Speak with a local family lawyer for more specific advice.
I am a grandparent who has had full custody of my grandchild for the last 14 years. Recently, as of June 2025, the court granted joint custody to the child's father. During the time I had full custody, there was no formal or informal financial support from the father, and no previous child... View More
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answered on Jun 14, 2025
The asker cannot recover past child support without a properly entered order of support prepared by a support magistrate. The only way to get child support payments is to file a petition for support now. This is when the order starts to accumulate arrearages if the non-custodial parent fails to pay... View More
I'm seeking information on how to file for divorce when my spouse and I live in different states. We've been living separately since August 2024, with me having custody of our children as agreed. We’ve sold our shared house and have no assets to divide. How should we proceed with the... View More
answered on Jun 16, 2025
If there isn't a prior custody order in place, then the custody case generally needs to be filed where the children have been residing the last 6 months. Thus, if the children have been residing with you in Nebraska for at least 6 months, then you would probably be able to file the custody... View More
I have a parenting plan that allows me to see my daughter every other weekend, but she hasn’t stayed with me in over a year. She's almost 18 now, and since January, I've been blocked by her with no explanation. Her phone goes to voicemail, and her mother is not responsive either. There... View More
answered on Jun 16, 2025
That is a difficult situation which sometimes arises as a child nears adulthood--the question of how to "make" a child visit with a parent. Obviously, the first course of action is to reach out to the other parent to ask if they can assist with encouraging the child to visit. Perhaps... View More
My partner was active military when his daughter was born in Iowa. Child support was granted to the mother, but no visitation rights were established. The mother moved to Illinois with their daughter 3 or 4 years ago. He has had minimal communication with the mother, who often stops responding to... View More
answered on Jun 11, 2025
If you want the Court to enter an order of custody and a set parenting time schedule, you generally need to file the original custody action in the county where the minor child is residing. If the child was residing in Nebraska, the general process includes filing the custody action with the... View More
My husband has had joint physical and legal custody of his 12-year-old daughter for ten years. We live in Central MN, while the mother resides in the Twin Cities metro area. Recently, the mother refuses to communicate with my husband. He has always adhered to the custody schedule and has never... View More
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answered on Jun 10, 2025
Yes, your husband can take legal steps to seek temporary full custody if there’s a serious concern about his daughter’s safety, especially following something like a suicidal attempt or serious self-harm in the mother’s care. In a situation like this, he should talk to his attorney about... View More
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answered on Jun 10, 2025
In Minnesota, an unwed mother is not legally obligated to put the biological father’s name on the birth certificate at the time of the child’s birth.
Under Minnesota Statutes § 144.215, subd. 1, the mother has the right to provide identifying information for the birth record. If the... View More
I am dealing with a situation where my wife, who has a serious mental illness and refuses therapy, left last year with our child and cut off communication in April. A domestic violence report was filed in Alabama when she knocked me unconscious. I've contacted her mother, who described our... View More
answered on Jun 10, 2025
I am a Tennessee lawyer. For there to be jurisdiction in the State of Tennessee for a divorce, you must have lived with your spouse for the last 6 months in a county in Tennessee before you seperated. You need to consult with a divorce attorney in that county. You can file a Complaint for... View More
I have a divorce and child custody case with a court date on June 16, and I'm seeking assistance in finding a free or low-cost lawyer. I receive financial support through SNAP, which affects my ability to afford an attorney. What options are available for me to find legal representation?
answered on Jun 9, 2025
Other than it being in Louisiana, you do not mention where----my suggestion is sort of the same but there are 3 telephone calls you should make---(1) the organziation which provides legal aid in the parish where this case is located; (2) the local bar association located in the parish where this... View More
I have a court order that requires the mother of my child to add my name to his birth certificate, but she has been refusing to comply for a year now. I am listed as the legal father in the court order. What steps should I take to enforce the court order and ensure my name is added to the birth... View More
answered on Jun 5, 2025
The following website provides very helpful, step-by-step instructions to how to change your child's birth certificate to add a parent's name:
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vital-statistics/requirements-requesting-changing-vital-records/requirements-changing-vital-records
I... View More
I co-parent with my child's paternal grandmother instead of his father, who hasn't worked for over a year despite having several skills. I'm the primary caregiver according to child support documents, but there is no legal custody agreement, and he's ordered to pay $0 in child... View More
answered on Jun 4, 2025
You do have options under Florida law to pursue legal custody, establish parental responsibility, and protect yourself and your child even with a past felony or the father’s veteran status. Although you're currently co-parenting informally with the child’s paternal grandmother and the... View More
I have joint legal custody with my ex, but he has sole physical custody of our children. According to our custody order, I am supposed to have visitation once a week. However, my ex is refusing to allow these visits, seemingly due to his tax return being taken for back child support. I have made... View More
answered on May 30, 2025
When someone fails to comply with an existing custody or visitation order, the remedy is to have that order modified based on the grounds that the other parent has shown an inability to comply. In that request (aka Request for Order or motion), you can ask for more custodial time, again, based on... View More
Is the non-custodial parent in New York responsible for college expenses after the child's emancipation if the agreement specifies that post-secondary expenses are limited to the cost of attending State University of New York for four years, and the non-custodial parent can petition for a... View More
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answered on May 30, 2025
This is a difficult question to answer without a review of the orders involved. Ordinarily, emancipation wipes out the order of support. A well written stipulation will list exhaustively what constitutes emancipation: the child's marriage, reaching eighteen years of age, entering the U.S.... View More
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