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Sharing Custody of Infants

Posted on May 15 2017 by Todd Spivak and Rebecca Canterbury

Studies show that infants are best able to create healthy relationships with both parents when they spend regular time with each.

This means that both parents should go no longer than a few days without seeing the child.

There should be daily communication regarding the child’s eating and sleeping patterns, medical developments, as well as any noteworthy milestones.

If there is a high level of conflict between you and the other parent, consider keeping track of these updates in a notebook, which you may pass back and forth during exchanges.

Spivak Law Firm handles all family law matters, including: child custody, child support, divorce, spousal support, Protection From Abuse (PFA), and Children Youth and Families (CYF). If your ex is denying you regular and frequent contact with your child, call Spivak Law Firm today at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.

Child Custody and the Holidays

Posted on April 15 2017 by Todd Spivak and Rebecca Canterbury

Accommodating child custody schedules during the holidays can seem impossible due to all the traveling, cooking, shopping, and parties. Preparation and planning are the keys for reducing stress related to child custody during the holidays. Here are three common solutions for sharing holiday time with your children.

Share the holiday so the children may spend half of the day with you and half of the day with your ex-spouse.
Exercise holiday time on an alternating schedule.
Celebrate the holiday on different days.

Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law with a focus on high-conflict child custody and allegations of domestic abuse. We handle: child custody, child support, divorce, spousal support, Protection From Abuse (PFA), and Children Youth and Families (CYF).

To schedule a consultation with an experienced family law attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.

Cheer For Your Kids

Posted on April 10 2017 by Todd Spivak and Rebecca Canterbury

Kids love extracurricular activities such as sports, music, and dance, but parents engaged in high-conflict custody disputes can spoil the fun.

To ease some of the tension, consider planning ahead with your ex-spouse.

Perhaps you may both attend extracurricular events at the same time, but situate yourselves on opposite ends of the field.

Maybe you could designate days that Mom and Dad will attend separately.

Above all, ensure that your children are informed of the schedule as well, and that they know when Mom and Dad are present cheering them on.

Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law, including: child custody, child support, divorce, spousal support, and Protection From Abuse (PFA).

To speak with an experienced child custody attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.

Shared Custody of Infants

Posted on February 13 2017 by Todd Spivak and Rebecca Canterbury

Studies show that infants are best able to create healthy relationships with both parents when they spend regular time with each. This means that both parents should go no longer than a few days without seeing the child.

There should be daily communication regarding the child’s eating and sleeping patterns, medical developments, as well as any noteworthy milestones. If there is a high level of conflict between you and the other parent, consider keeping track of these updates in a notebook, which you may pass back and forth during exchanges.

Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law: child custody, child support, divorce, and Protection From Abuse (PFA). If your ex is denying you regular and frequent contact with your infant child, call Spivak Law Firm today at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.

Child Custody & Domestic Abuse

Posted on January 23 2017 by Todd Spivak and Rebecca Canterbury

In some extreme cases, mothers seeking to protect their children from abusive fathers are disbelieved by the courts and even sanctioned for parental alienation.

Such outlier cases form the basis of a recently released documentary by filmmaker Rachel Lewis, who spotlights the issue of mothers who have lost custody of their children to abusive fathers. The film warns that violent men can use the court system to further control and intimidate their exes by asserting their child custody rights.

Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law with a special focus on high-conflict child custody and domestic violence. Call us at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.

Accused of Domestic Abuse?

Posted on December 7 2016 by Todd Spivak and Rebecca Canterbury

Are you accused of domestic violence or child abuse?

Have you been served with a Protection From Abuse (PFA) Order?

Have you been arrested or cited by police?

Are you under investigation by Children Youth and Families (CYF)?

Is your ex seeking sole or primary physical custody of your children?

Is your ex trying to terminate your parental rights?

Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law and criminal defense with a focus on cases involving child custody and domestic violence.

We provide strong, aggressive defense at Protection From Abuse (PFA), Children Youth and Families (CYF) and criminal domestic violence hearings.

We fight back against heinous abuse allegations, protecting your reputation and preserving your child-custody rights.

Our child custody cases are high-conflict with parents who communicate poorly, make false accusations of neglect or abuse, and seek to alienate the other parent from the children.

Our PFA cases are high stakes with parents who risk losing their children, their homes, their liberty, and their employment. We have successfully represented police and military officers, nurses, teachers, and other professionals subject to criminal background checks. For these people, their careers are on the line.

If you’ve been falsely accused of abuse, call Spivak Law Firm today. We treat our clients with dignity and compassion. We build the strongest possible defense so you can get your life back.

For a free consultation, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.

Tips for Co-Parenting

Posted on November 8 2016 by Todd Spivak and Rebecca Canterbury

You may still harbor hard feelings against your ex even after divorce. As difficult as it may be, it is important to put the interests of your children ahead of any ill feelings between you and your ex-spouse.

The following tips may be helpful in co-parenting with your ex-spouse:

Communicate with your ex-spouse civilly;
Talk to one another regarding rules and discipline of the children;
Abide by similar dinner, bedtime, and homework schedules;
Avoid high-conflict topics prior to exchanges;
Encourage the children to have frequent and continuing contact with extended family;
Discuss proposed custody schedule changes with your ex-spouse ahead of time.

Spivak Law Firm handles all family law matters, including: divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, and PFAs. To schedule a consultation, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.

Stop False Reports To Child Abuse Hotlines

Posted on May 17 2015 by Todd Spivak and Rebecca Canterbury

People engaged in child custody battles can exploit child abuse hotlines by falsely reporting abuse in an effort to gain leverage in Court.

The public should not be allowed to make anonymous reports to child abuse hotlines, as these calls can result in innocent parents losing their kids, according to family law professor Dale Margolin Cecka of the University of Richmond.

A study of anonymous public reports found that nationally, only 1.5 percent of all reports are both anonymous and substantiated.

Professor Cecka distinguishes between the criminal justice system and Child Protective Services:

“The criminal justice system does not permit lay people to make completely anonymous reports. Before arresting or detaining anyone on the basis of an anonymous tip, police must also corroborate aspects of the allegation made by the confidential caller.”

Child Protective Services, meanwhile, “has an opposite mandate: It must visit a home after an anonymous call, if the allegations meet the legal definition of ‘abuse’ or ‘neglect.’”

The public should never be allowed to anonymously call a child abuse hotline, Professor Cecka concludes.

Spivak Law Firm provides aggressive representation in all high-conflict child custody and child abuse cases. To schedule a free consultation, call (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.

Stop False Reports To Child Abuse Hotlines

Posted on May 17 2015 by Todd Spivak and Rebecca Canterbury

People engaged in child custody battles can exploit child abuse hotlines by falsely reporting abuse in an effort to gain leverage in Court.

A study of anonymous public reports found that nationally, only 1.5 percent of all reports are both anonymous and substantiated.

Professor Cecka distinguishes between the criminal justice system and Child Protective Services.

Child Protective Services, meanwhile, “has an opposite mandate: It must visit a home after an anonymous call, if the allegations meet the legal definition of ‘abuse’ or ‘neglect.’”

The public should never be allowed to anonymously call a child abuse hotline, Professor Cecka concludes.

Spivak Law Firm provides aggressive representation in all high-conflict child custody and child abuse cases. To schedule a free consultation, call (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.

What is Family Law?

Posted on November 1 2013 by Todd Spivak and Rebecca Canterbury

At Spivak Law Firm, we provide strong, compassionate, and cost-effective representation in all family law issues. Family Law comprises a wide array of legal matters, including:

Divorce Litigation In conventional divorce litigation, parties file suit and use the court system as a framework for litigating and negotiating issues including property division, alimony, child custody, and child support. Spivak Law Firm handles divorce litigation; we are also certified in divorce mediation and collaborative divorce.

Child Custody Child custody refers to both major decisions regarding the child as well as where the child resides. At Spivak Law Firm, we handle all child custody matters, including: custody complaints, custody conciliations, custody trials, custody modification hearings, and custody relocation hearings.

Protection From Abuse (PFA) A PFA is a no-contact order that aims to protect victims of domestic abuse. Pennsylvania law defines domestic abuse broadly to include physical and sexual assault, harassment, and stalking. Spivak Law Firm provides strong representation for both defendants and plaintiffs in PFA cases.

Juvenile Delinquency This refers to the process of adjudicating juveniles accused of crimes. At Spivak Law Firm, we handle all juvenile law matters and routinely accept juvenile court appointments from the Allegheny County Office of Conflict Counsel.

Child Support Child support payments continue until a child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever occurs later. In Pennsylvania, judges apply statutory guidelines to determine the amount of support payable for each child. This formula is based on several factors, including monthly after-tax incomes of the child’s parents.

Spousal Support, Alimony Pendente Lite (APL), and Alimony These refer to financial support given by one spouse to another. Spousal support and APL are based on a fixed percentage of the differences in the net incomes or earning capacities of the spouses. Alimony is based on the reasonable needs of the dependent spouse.

Paternity Paternity testing may be required to determine the identity of a child’s father. Establishing paternity affects several other family law issues, such as asserting custodial rights and seeking child support payments.

Divorce Mediation A divorce mediator is a third-party neutral who aims to help parties resolve all issues related to the divorce without the financial and emotional cost that often accompanies divorce litigation. Spivak Law firm is trained and certified in divorce mediation.

Collaborative Divorce This relatively new and progressive means of divorce avoids the courtroom in favor of allowing parties to work out agreements with the help of their attorneys. Spivak Law firm is trained and certified in collaborative divorce.

Equitable Distribution of Marital Property This refers to the formal court process for dividing marital assets and debts based on principles of fairness.

Adoption There are many different types of adoption, including stepparent adoption, grandparent adoption, second-parent adoption, international adoption, and surrogate-mother adoption.

Estate Planning Estate planning includes the preparation of various important legal documents, including: wills, trusts, special-needs trusts, and powers of attorney for finances, health care and mental-health care.

To speak with a Pittsburgh family law attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.