Get free answers to your Child Custody legal questions from lawyers in your area.
A bench warrant has been issued for my child’s mother for not showing up to any of our court dates and I have just been granted sole legal and physical custody of both our children. She currently has my children and I don’t know where they live. Can I contact her myself and show her that I have... View More 
answered on Dec 11, 2019
The best approach would be to try to do this without the police and contact her. She may not have been served with the order so see what you can do to get it into her possession. I suggest that you not be too aggressive or threatening about it. In the least, try to find out where the children are.... View More
Mother gave Father full custody based on a verbal agreement that he would take them and go away. This was her attempt to get away from him and his abuse of her. He has not gone away and is continuing to do things that he might be charged for. He is already on probation that includes no contact with... View More
answered on Dec 11, 2019
If Father is incarcerated and Mother is unwilling to step up to the plate and take care of their children, then, unless a suitable family member is located, the children will probably go into foster care.
A friend of mine made a verbal agreement with the father of her children to get away from his abuse. He told her that if she gave him full custody and let him keep the house that he wouldn't contact her in any way including child support. She wanted the details of the agreement added to the... View More
answered on Dec 9, 2019
She can immediately file for custody -- and should. She should also consult with a good family law attorney as well to discuss her various options and plot her next move(s), including about dealing with the house situation.
Feel free to pass my name along to her and have her contact me.... View More
moving back to previous neighborhood after temporary move to another school district
answered on Dec 9, 2019
Custody orders are always reviewable by courts, so yes -- your ex can "fight" this by filing a petition with the court.
Best of luck to you.
My daughter is 15. She's lived with her dad as a mutual agreement since she was 8. I have the other daughter, 17. He recently moved out of state against my wishes. There is no custody agreement or child support. She wants to live with me. If I file for custody once she's with me on a... View More
answered on Dec 9, 2019
Everybody wants to avoid "lawyers and court costs." Everyone also wants to avoid plumbers -- until your toilet doesn't work, and then you want one. "Lawyers and court costs" are the same: if you want something involving lawyers and courts, then you have to deal with... View More
ok so I have primary custody of my three kids. I pay spousal support to her. but the Ex-wife moved in with her new boyfriend and his wife almost a year ago. they pay for everything housing, food, car, etc.. am I able to take her and them and have there income added to hers for child support?
answered on Dec 6, 2019
No. They're not responsible for your children at all, so their income is irrelevant to any child support calculation.
But you may be able to argue that the lack of expenses for your ex-wife (due to their paying for everything) should be factored into your spousal support calculation.... View More
The mother of my children moved out of PR to PA and refuses to tell me her location and refuses the children to see me. The oldest child is 17 in April and the second one is 16 in April. They both work part time jobs.
I was told PA emancipation age is 18 and PR is 21 and even though she... View More
answered on Dec 5, 2019
If this has all occurred within the past 6 months, Puerto Rico would likely still have jurisdiction over the custody case. File something immediately in PR, and use her last known address in PR for service of your motion. Having local PR counsel is also advised -- he or she can be of immense help... View More
My ex-wife has primary custody and it has been a nasty battle of manipulating the kids against me and a lot of disparagement about me to the kids (judge has already warned her about these issues). She is moving out of state and we have already been to our first court date, as I was not agreeing to... View More
answered on Nov 19, 2019
By now you should know that nothing is easy in custody when the parents aren't 100% on the same page. Also, there is no such thing as "full" custody. Perhaps you mean primary physical custody? I suggest that you consult with an experienced family law attorney to get you through this.... View More
My controlling, emotionally abusive ex cuts my visit short every wk now.
He never discusses Anything w/ me relating to our child. I’m not “allowed” at doctor’s appts anymore, not “Allowed” to FaceTime with my little dude, & Now not even “Allowed” to ask ‘Why?’ about... View More
answered on Nov 13, 2019
No way you're going to have any reputable family law attorney give you any "magic words" here in this forum. You need to schedule a consultation face-to-face and discuss the details of your case that way. Every family law case is different -- there's no one-size-fits-all, alas... View More
Her birth father has not really been in her life for 3-4 years. Would her biological father need to sign off any rights for her to legally be adopted now that she is an adult? We reside in PA.
We were in MD for 9 months. She has been in PA for 3 weeks and has blocked all communication with me and now I received support papers in the mail box.but haven't been served with anything...I have filed for custody in MD waiting to hear from the court...how can she file in PA and do I have to... View More
answered on Nov 1, 2019
She's playing the jurisdictional game, obviously -- and she won't win. But in the meantime, it's a huge hassle.
I say you do nothing on the support end of things, esp. if you haven't been formally served with anything (and don't sign for anything yet). You may... View More
The other parent and I are still living together . We were separated only for four months in 2014. During that four month separation, the court order became effective.
The court order states that both parents are to make decisions regarding medical care and mental health treatment, but... View More
answered on Oct 30, 2019
The court order is still in effect until changed by the court, or until the child is emancipated. If the other parent will not agree to counseling for your child, you can file an emergency petition for relief under the same custody caption and ask the court to order that the child receive... View More
My daughter was born in 2015 in PA (with both myself and her biological father on the birth certificate), we spent 2 years here and moved to IL for about a year to stay with her paternal grandparents. December of 2018 I separated from her Biological father (we were not married) and I moved my... View More
answered on Oct 22, 2019
It depends. If you want to file right away, you probably should consult an attorney in Pennsylvania, because it would be the child's "home state" for interstate jurisdictional purposes. Generally, a "home state" is the state where the child lived for six months prior to... View More
answered on Oct 22, 2019
I don't believe it's illegal. Tacky, and possibly a violation of school personnel codes. Suggest you have a meeting with the teacher and principal.
We are separated not divorced but she left from Pennsylvania to Puerto Rico 5 months ago
answered on Oct 21, 2019
Vacation time is like every other provision of a custody order. It can be modified by the court if it is in the best interests of the child. In determining a vacation period, courts will look at factors such as the age of the children, whether they are in school, and the nature of the proposed... View More
We have shared legal custody and kids spent one week en each house while with me i provide for everything without asking mother for nothing master just gave me a 300 a month in support just because mother said she pay for daycare (which is ccis) and she only pay Copay and the kids dont go to... View More
answered on Oct 17, 2019
These are questions you should be asking your lawyer. With limited information it is impossible to answer your question definitively. I urge you to consult with your lawyer regarding your concerns, or, if you weren't represented, then consult with an experienced family law attorney in your... View More
I will now have shared physical custody instead of partial. I work and sons father doesn’t. Can what I was paying with partial custody be decreased now that I will have my child 50/50? Dad can, but chooses not to work. Is this okay? Can they ask him why he’s unable to work? Should I pay the... View More
answered on Oct 8, 2019
Your order may decrease but it's all dependent n your relative incomes. You should consult in person with an experienced family law attorney in your area to discuss the best way to present the case in regard to the father's alleged inability to work.
I was staying at my parents house for the duration of a drawn out divorce. I was given every other weekend based on my distance. I am purchasing a home within the same school district and less than 10min from where my children reside with my ex. I want to be an equal parent to my children but my... View More
answered on Oct 6, 2019
I can't speak to Carbon County specificallylly but most counties are.
The other day my dad had given me the choice to leave but he has since retracted that since I stated I did not want to live with them.
answered on Oct 5, 2019
You can leave when you're 18 but don't expect your parents to provide for you. Maybe try to work things out instead?
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
