Pittsburgh Child Custody Lawyer
Child Custody: Relocation
When parents of minor children separate or divorce, their ability to relocate to a new residence may be restricted.
Parents must either get the other parent’s approval or obtain permission from the court in order to relocate.
The judge considers many factors when making the decision on whether to grant the relocation request, including the child’s preference, the age of the child, and the reason for moving. Ultimately, the parent who wants to move must convince the judge that moving will be in the child’s best interest.
Spivak Law Firm provides strong, compassionate representation in child custody cases. We handle all child-custody matters, including trials, drafting agreements, and relocation hearings. Call us at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Tips for Co-Parenting
For divorced or separated couples, coordinating schedules for the children’s school schedule can be challenging.
But factoring in extracurricular activities, doctor’s appointments, and play dates can be especially tough.
To keep everyone on the same page, consider setting a family meeting once a month to discuss your children and their schedules.
You may find it easier for you and your ex-spouse to hash out schedules sitting down all at once rather than with scattered phone calls and emails.
At the end of the meeting, consider giving your children a copy of the schedule so they are aware of what to expect.
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law: divorce, child custody, child support, 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.
Shared Custody of Infants
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.
Accused of Domestic Abuse?
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.
Child Custody and the Holidays
The holiday season is a fun but stressful time for families, especially if the parents have recently separated or divorced.
Straying from tradition during the holidays is difficult, but consider developing new traditions that accommodate your respective holiday schedules.
For instance, if you have the children on Christmas Eve, and your ex has them on Christmas Day, consider exchanging gifts that night. If your ex gets the kids for Thanksgiving this year, consider having your turkey dinner on a different day.
After all, the most important thing about the holidays is spending quality time with family.
Spivak Law Firm handles all family law matters, including divorce, child custody, child 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.
Tips for Co-Parenting
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.
Child Custody: Fast Food v. Organics
You may not like that your ex feeds the kids fast food while you prepare homemade organic meals. But try not to sweat the small stuff. While your ex-‘s household rules may aggravate you, they usually aren’t issues worth bringing to court.
Such disagreements over child custody decisions may exacerbate tensions between you and your ex, making co-parenting more difficult.
Moreover, you want to avoid irritating the judge by arguing over what will likely be deemed as superficial or petty disagreements.
Spivak Law Firm handles all family law matters, including divorce, child custody, child 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.
Child Custody and Child Support
Contrary to popular belief, parents retain custody rights to their children even if they fail to pay court-ordered child support. Child custody and child support are two separate legal issues.
Just because you do not receive child support does not mean that you can refuse custodial access to the children. If you have a custody order, and you refuse to abide by its terms, you may be held in contempt for violating a court order, which carries the following potential consequences:
- Up to six months in jail;
- A fine up to $500;
- Probation for up to six months;
- Suspension of your driver’s license; and
- Payment of the other parent’s attorney’s fees.
Spivak Law Firm handles all family law matters. To schedule a consultation, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Dating After Divorce
Dating after divorce may be difficult, especially when children are involved. You must adjust to the idea of no longer being married, and your children must do the same. Ensure that your children have had adequate time to recover from the divorce before introducing them to a new partner.
When sufficient time has passed, it may be best to introduce the children to your new partner while doing an activity the kids enjoy.
But be sensitive to your children’s feelings. If you believe your children are struggling more than is reasonable, it may be beneficial to seek help from a counselor.
To speak with an experienced family law attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Child Custody: Kids With Two Homes
Separation and divorce often means two different homes for children, which also often means two competing sets of rules for children to follow.
As a parent, you have the right to set the rules for your children, even if those are different than your ex-spouse. But having opposite rules for children in each household can be confusing for them at a time when they’re learning to cope in a new family environment.
Consider the following three tips to avoid confusing the children:
- Follow a similar schedule for the children (dinner time, bed time, etc.).
- Create consistent rules to follow in each household.
- Implement similar forms of discipline, and work together to enforce the rules.
To speak with an experienced family law attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.