Parental alienation and child abuse are two of the toughest issues faced by courts in resolving custody disputes. Here’s what I found while surveying parents’ opinions and stories on Twitter, news sites and custody threads: There is a large body of parents who view the Read more
Children
How to Make the Holidays Better for Divorced Families
It’s January 2019. The holidays are over. For many separated and divorced parents, the holidays are a mixed event: a time for special celebration with their child or children, and a time of heightened stress. Both parents’ wishes to have a joyful Chanukah/Christmas/Kwanzaa with the Read more
After You Divorce, Your Child May Need a Supplemental Needs Trust
If you have a child with special needs, you have probably thought about what he or she will need after age 18 or when you die. Children with special needs may not follow the traditional path of moving out of the home and supporting themselves. Read more
Divorce Mediation is Not for Everyone
Many couples choose divorce mediation because it can be cheaper, quicker and less adversarial than litigation. But it is not for everyone. For divorce mediation to work, couples need to be able to be civil to each other. They also have to be willing to Read more
Advice for Alienated Parents
What happens to the alienated parent? There is a lot of advice about how to help a polarized child reduce or bridge the anger and antagonism toward the alienated parent. What happens to the alienated parent if there is no reconciliation while the child is Read more
Should Children Have a Say in Custody and Visitation Schedules?
When parents separate, one of the first tasks is to decide on a custody and coparenting plan, with a weekly or monthly visitation schedule for when the children will spend time with each parent. It has become more and more common for parents to Read more
Parental Alienation: A Heartache for Parent and Child
What is parental alienation? Usually starting after a bitter divorce, it is when one parent’s behavior damages or destroys the relationship between a child and the child’s other parent. In a severe case, the alienating parent and child work together to vilify the other parent. According Read more
How Substance Abuse Will Affect Visitation with Your Children
When substance abuse leads to divorce Seeing a family torn apart by a parent’s substance abuse is a difficult part of my family law practice. Substance abuse causes many marriages or relationships to end, and the circumstances can be bitter: an arrest or order of Read more
