South Park Family Law
Child Custody Trial Tips
Courts make custody decisions in the best interests of the children, which typically means judges are looking at which parent is best fit to meet the children’s day-to-day needs.
It’s not enough to tell the court that your ex never does anything for the children and is a bad parent.
Rather than spending time listing out all of the things your ex never does for the children, devote the majority of your time to presenting yourself as the parent best equipped to meet the day-to-day needs of the children.
If you take the children to school every morning, help them with their homework every night, and get them ready for bed most nights, let the court know.
Sometimes it pays to be positive at child custody trials.
To speak with an experienced child custody lawyer, 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.
Expanding Your Child Custody Schedule
Young children should have frequent contact with both parents, which includes engaging in daily routines. When planning your custody schedule, you should consider the following:
- The child’s temperament;
- Any special needs of the child;
- The amount of conflict between you and the other parent;
- The child’s familiarity with the households;
- The childcare provided by each parent.
If you had less involvement in your child’s daily routine, you may consider exercising custody on a gradual basis to acclimate your child to the change. But once you are more familiar with your child’s daily routine, you may begin exercising more overnights.
To speak with a child custody attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
4 Tips for PFA Defendants
It is important to maintain your composure at your Final PFA hearing.
It will be difficult to remain calm while the opposing party makes allegations of abuse against you, but walking into a hearing with a bad attitude may affect the judge’s opinion of you and add to the plaintiff’s credibility – even if the allegations are false.
To avoid discrediting your version of events, follow these four tips at your PFA hearing:
- Do not raise your voice in anger to the judge, your lawyer, or the other party;
- Do not shake your head, roll your eyes, or laugh while the other party is speaking;
- Do not interrupt the other party or the judge;
- Do not make mean-spirited comments about the other party.
If you have been served with a PFA order, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Child Custody and Relocation
Under Pennsylvania child custody laws, relocation is defined as any change in residence that substantially affects the custody rights of the other parent. Even if there is no custody order, you must abide by the relocation statute. Indeed, relocating just 20 minutes away could be a violation of the law and result in a contempt action against you.
Proper custody relocation involves either gaining consent from the other parent or obtaining court approval through a formal process.
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 Social Media
Everyone has a friend or follower on social media known as the “over-sharer” who posts private information for everyone to see.
If you’re engaged in a child custody dispute, avoid being the “over-sharer.” Think twice about whether or not your next status update could negatively affect your case. What was once a venting session could become evidence that your ex-spouse’s attorney uses against you in Court. The same holds true with emails and texts.
To speak with an experienced family law attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Pennsylvania Child Custody Laws
People commonly believe that courts favor mothers over fathers when determining child custody schedules. But Pennsylvania law does not give special preference to mothers over fathers.
In fact, many judges today believe that the ideal custody arrangement provides for an equally shared schedule in order to maximize the child’s time with both parents. The results in any child-custody dispute depend on the particular facts and circumstances of the case.
At Spivak Law Firm, we handle all child-custody matters, including: trials, conciliations, relocation hearings, and contempt actions. Call us at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Divorce: Living Separately Under One Roof
Given today’s economic realities, it is not at all uncommon for married couples to continue living together even after separating and heading toward divorce.
After all, many families struggle to keep up with their expenses in one household. Taking on a second mortgage or another monthly rental payment may not be an option.
Even if the parties still live together, it is possible to establish a date of separation for purposes of divorce so long as the parties:
- Separate bank accounts. The parties should separate their finances by opening individual bank accounts.
- Abstain from marital sex. The parties should no longer share a bedroom or bed.
- Do not hold themselves out as married. The parties should refrain from describing themselves as a married couple to others in the community.
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.
What to Expect At Your Child Support Hearing
In Allegheny County, many people resolve child support issues without need for a hearing. Parties first disclose their income and expenses to a domestic-relations officer usually in a small office or cubicle. The officer will usually run calculations based on state support guidelines established by the Pennsylvania Legislature. The parties then have an opportunity to reach an agreement as to the amount of support, if any. The officer at this first level does not have authority to enter a recommendation.
If the parties do not reach agreement, they will attend a hearing on the same day. The hearing is a mini-trial in which each party is sworn under oath and permitted to testify, introduce evidence, and cross-examine one another. The hearing officer will hear testimony, accept evidence, and issue a recommendation within 30 days. If either party is dissatisfied with the recommendation, he or she may file an appeal known as exceptions to be reviewed by the judge assigned to the case.
For more information, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.