She can certainly try. There are conflict rules and ethics opinions the judge must consider that may apply to the facts in your situations. In a "close call" I don't think many would fault a judge for recusing him or herself out of an abundance of caution.

Not at all! Children are entitled to support from BOTH parents. If you look closely at the child support formula calculation, you will see that both parents' income is taken into account, along with the number of "overnights" each person has. The formula is intended to put a child in... View More

The short answer is the referee was probably right. Just because a party appeals a decision doesn't make it wrong. Let the process play out. It's hard to imagine you could be ordered to carry this insurance, particularly if you have not formally adopted these kids.

What this all... View More

Depends...were the kids present when this happened? Otherwise, she's got a criminal matter going on that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the custody and parenting time at this point. If you have concerns about her parenting ability related to these charges, you should address... View More

What does leaving your daughter in the hands of someone not verified mean? Do you want a court order that your daughter may not be left in the care of any third party without your agreement? You can certainly ask for such a court order, but whether you will get such relief depends on what kind of... View More

Life changes and amendments to parenting time orders are common. In an ideal world, when you discussed the wrestling enrollment, you would have agreed to enrolling him with the stipulation that you'll amend the order to include a limit to how much you will drive to sporting events. At this... View More

A temporary order would likely not be appropriate in this situation. Temporary orders generally are appropriate when no order exists, and there is a need to maintain a status quo. In your situation, there sounds like there is a parenting time order - you don't like it and apparently want to... View More

Paternity is separate from custody and parenting time. Until paternity is established, the plaintiff in this situation (assuming it is the father) has no legal basis to even ask for custody or parenting time. That may well be on the horizon and his intention. However, custody and parenting time are... View More

The question more so is whether the termination has been finalized. If that is the case, then it seems there would no longer be any legal prohibitions on you seeing the kids. Depending on what allegations substantiated termination of your rights, I suppose the father could be risking CPS... View More

Not easily; And I'm sorry to hear the circumstances, which must be hard to see as a loving grandmother.

Unless and until the mother's parental rights are suspended or terminated, you have no real leg to stand on. I take it from the tone of your question that you do not have a... View More

Your best course would be for whomever has custody of the child now to seek either third-party custody or a guardianship. The POA is a voluntary thing, and even with one in place, it would not prevent a parent from picking up the child whenever. Is there a CPS case pending? If so, all this would... View More

You can file a motion regarding parenting time, citing what you just stated here. Specifically, that he doesn't use his parenting time, shifting everything to his mother. I would help to get a copy of that police report from the state police incident.

If you don't already have a custody determination, you'll probably want to file for both. Just know that they are technically two separate legal determinations with separate standards. A parent can have nearly equal parenting time while the other parent has sole legal custody for example.

I think your daughter being 17, there are consent issues beyond joint legal custody. I don't think you'll fair well - with the judge or your daughter quite frankly - arguing that "hey, she really didn't need this", regardless of what she thinks or felt about her breast size.

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answered on Jun 21, 2024

I understand you're in a difficult situation regarding visitation and child safety concerns. Here's some general information that may be helpful, but please note this isn't legal advice:

1. Document everything: Keep detailed records of any incidents, CPS involvement, and lack... View More

If you had a warrant, I'm unsure there is anything legally you can do about it as the police can execute it any time or place. Same thing could have happened if you were to appear in court on the CPS matter; they could have taken you into custody then.

Your daughter is in a tough spot. She may find herself without much of a choice between giving the father full custody or having her parental rights terminated. It will, undoubtedly, be an uphill battle to even shared custody upon her release unfortunately.

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answered on Mar 20, 2024

I'm so sorry you're going through this incredibly difficult situation. Losing custody of your children due to suspected abuse must be devastating, especially if you believe there has been a misunderstanding. A few thoughts:

- If this happened very recently in August 2023, you... View More

Short answer is: yes, you need to send them. Is this a new issue? What's changed? A judge is going to want answers to those questions, and at your sons' ages, the judge may want those answers from your boys in the form of an in camera interview after the filing of a proper motion.

You sound like you are aware this will be an uphill battle. Are you screwed? No! Of big concern is why you haven't seen the kids in 8 months; is that because you never raised this issue with the court or your soon-to-be ex is just not complying with the order? I think with that amount of time... View More