Allegheny County Child Custody Lawyers
Protecting Kids In Divorce
The divorce process can be enormously difficult when children are involved.
A study by researchers at the University of York found that children of divorced parents are more damaged by the fighting during the marriage than the split itself. This inter-parental conflict may be harmful to a child’s development, making them more likely to have difficulty with peers, drop out of school and experience emotional problems.
Spivak Law Firm handles all family law matters, including: divorce, child custody, child 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.
Tips For A Positive Divorce
Divorce is often one of life’s most difficult and painful transitions, but there are things you can do to diminish the emotional toll.
Here are some tips for easing the pain of divorce:
- Practice empathy and forgiveness.
- Take the high road.
- Take responsibility for your actions.
- If you have children, focus on their happiness.
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.
3 Benefits of Collaborative Divorce
Collaborative divorce can help you resolve your conflict, and it provides a number of advantages over going to court, including:
- Collaborative divorce is often less expensive than litigating through the courts.
- The process is more flexible, as you can determine your own meeting times to accommodate your work schedule rather than having to follow the court’s schedule.
- Your children are better shielded from conflict, as they avoid the stress of going to court.
To learn more about collaborative divorce, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390 to schedule a consultation.
Avoid Conflict in Divorce
The decision to divorce does not end the hurt feelings and conflict between spouses. The animosity often spills over into the divorce process and can affect your ability to parent effectively. But allowing conflict to take charge of your divorce can prove costly.
One of the best ways to keep legal fees to a minimum is by cooperating with your ex-spouse, if possible. This does not mean giving in to every demand, but to simply make an effort to forgive and remain civil with one another. You and your ex-spouse may benefit from attending co-parenting classes together or even seeing a counselor, which may limit your emotional and financial stress.
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.
Shared Custody for Working Parents
In many families, the Dad is the breadwinner and the Mom stays home with the children. But if they separate or divorce, each parent still may be entitled to equal time with the children.
The distance between parents’ residences is a key consideration for deciding whether a shared custody schedule is appropriate. Living in the same school district will increase your chance of winning shared custody.
Spivak Law Firm handles all child custody matters. We negotiate and draft custody agreements, litigate custody relocation hearings and trials, and work closely with clients to develop legal strategies to achieve their goals. We provide strong, compassionate, cost-effective representation.
To speak with an experienced child custody attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Child Custody and Step-Parents
Moving forward as a family after divorce or separation can be more difficult when step-parents are involved. To avoid conflict between your ex-spouse and the step-parent of your children, consider the following three tips:
- Talk to the children together as a family, assuring them that their step-parent is not a replacement, but another person to care for them.
- Set boundaries ahead of time, and discuss the role step-parents will play in the lives of the children.
- Work together as a cohesive family unit; do not argue over the role of the step-parent in front of the children.
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 family law attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Don’t Spank Your Kids
Under Pennsylvania law, parents are permitted to use corporal punishment if it is for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the welfare of their child.
But the force used on the child cannot create a substantial risk of death, serious bodily injury, disfigurement, extreme pain, or mental distress.
A spanking that leaves a mark or bruise could result in a Protection from Abuse Order (PFA), a Child, Youth and Families (CYF) investigation, or even criminal charges for child abuse.
Parents engaged in child-custody disputes should consider avoiding all forms of corporal punishment to avoid allegations of abuse.
Spivak Law Firm provides strong, compassionate representation in all family-law and criminal-defense matters. To schedule a consultation, call (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Child Custody and the Holidays
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
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.
Child Custody Mediation
Child custody mediation provides an opportunity for you and the other parent to discuss what is best for your child without attorneys present. It is a time reserved for working out an ideal schedule for both the parents and the child.
Here are four don’ts for mediating a custody dispute:
- Don’t neglect the needs of your child;
- Don’t assume one parenting plan works for all children;
- Don’t go to mediation without a plan; and
- Don’t denigrate the other parent.
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law, including: child custody, child support, divorce, and Protection From Abuse (PFA). To speak with an experienced child custody attorney, contact Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.