Tag Archive for: custody

Divorced With Children: Issues You Need to Consider

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If you are seeking a divorce and you and your current spouse are parents you need to lay the foundation for a happy and healthy future for yourself and your children. When divorcing there are both emotional and financial issues to consider. Issues surrounding children can be extremely contentious during a divorce, but a skilled attorney can help bring together to start working on issues together for the sake of the children.

If you and the other parent can not agree, a family law judge will make final decisions for you. However, they work from the relevant facts of your case, applicable laws and what they feel is in the best interest of the children. It is best to keep your case out of court and work together for the sake of your children.

When children are involved in a divorce, there are two major areas to be understood and considered:

  1. Custody / Visitation

There is legal custody (which covers who can make important legal, health and educational decisions concerning a child) and physical custody (which concerns with whom the child will live, when and for how long). Normally legal custody is shared by the parents .

During our discussions on physical custody, we will discuss where the child is going to spend his/her time during regular times of the year, vacations and holidays. Physical custody can be join which both parents have equal time or one parent may have primary custody with the other parent having partial custody. In some instances there may be no overnights or supervised custody.

2. Child Support

Parents have a legal obligation to financially support their children but must file to receive it. How that is calculated is based on state guidelines. Generally the parent who does not have primary physical custody provides child support payments to the other parent and/or agrees to pay certain bills or expenses concerning the child.

It is important to create an environment dedicated to supporting your children so they remain stable long after the divorce is over.

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Pennsylvania Surrogacy

Pennsylvania does not have a statute in place as it relates to surrogacy, however, case law has upheld a surrogacy contract. There are two types of surrogacy. A traditional surrogacy is where the carrier has a genetic relationship with the child. For example, the carrier’s eggs are used along with a sperm donor. A gestational surrogacy is where the carrier has no genetic relationship. With a gestational surrogacy both the egg and sperm are implanted into the carrier. In J.F. v. D.B., the carrier mother attempted to keep the children following birth despite having entered a surrogacy agreement. 897 A.2d 1261 (2006). The court eventually held she didn’t have standing for a custody action and turned the children over to the intended parents per the contract. The courts went a step further in In re Baby S, when it explicitly upheld a surrogacy agreement. 2015 Pa. Super. 244 (2015).

Pennsylvania also allows for the intended parents to get a pre-birth order to have their names listed on the birth certificate as parents. This procedure is the Assisted Conception Birth Registration. This procedure is available when both intended parents are related to the child (e.g. gestational surrogacy). It requires the intended parents to file a petition with the court to get an order as well as the submission of a Report of Assisted Conception. The Department of Health oversees the procedure. The benefit of this procedure is that it alleviates the need for adoption proceedings. If the intended parents do not meet the criteria for an Assisted Conception Birth Registration, adoption is still an alternate method to establish legal parentage.

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How Do I Enforce a Custody Agreement in a Divorce Settlement?

When we work with you on your divorce, your divorce settlement agreement will contain all the important issues facing you and your spouse including who has what type of custody. If your relationship breaks down and one party refuses to recognize the other parent’s custody rights, the aggrieved parent can try to have the agreement enforced in court.

A properly executed, final divorce agreement is binding on the parties. It’s normally incorporated into the final divorce decree so that it will be as enforceable as any other court order. After your divorce the family courts retain the ability to enforce that judgment as long as necessary.

When you have problems it is important to know that there is a formal procedure to follow to have a custody arrangement enforced immediately. Yes, you can call the police, but do you really want your children to see that circus? To most effectively enforce the agreement we need to get in front of a judge if your spouse is being uncooperative.

An enforcement hearing is normally a much more simple legal proceeding compared to the entire divorce case with all the many issues it involves. At issue will be whether the agreement is valid and enforceable and if so whether it was violated or not. If so, the court needs create an order to enforce the agreement.

A motion to enforce the agreement would be filed with the family court. It explains the situation and discusses what terms of the agreement or prior court order was not complied with. After it’s filed the court will set a hearing date for the motion. If there are disputed issues of material fact a hearing will be scheduled. At the hearing both sides can present evidence to support their side of the story. The judge considers the evidence and legal arguments and issues a decision.

If the former spouses have a difficult relationship child custody issues and all the emotions that come with them can turn a bad situation much worse. Like all other divorce issues it’s best to try to negotiate a resolution to disagreements over custody but ultimately an aggrieved parent being denied his or her custody rights can try to bring the issue to a close with a court order.

If you have questions about child custody or feel your rights to the custody of your child have been violated, contact our office so we can talk about your situation, how the law may apply and what can be done to protect your interests and those of your child.

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Third Party Custody Rights

Parties other than parents and grandparents may be able to file for custody. Section 5324 of the Pennsylvania Domestic Relations laws discusses standing for any form of custody. A person who stands in loco parentis may be able to obtain custody. In loco parentis status has been interpreted to mean an assumption of parental status as well as an actual discharge of parental duties giving rise to a relationship which is the same as between parent and child. You must be able to establish more than just a frequent care-taker role. New Jersey allows other parties to file for custody if they have become a “psychological” or de facto parent. This person must have established a relationship with the child with consent of one of the parents, be living with the child, have taken on all responsibility for the child, and have developed a meaningful relationship.

If a party has established they are a “parent” under the applicable statute, any custody matter then proceeds as usual with an analysis of the best interests of the child. If a party has not met the requirements to be designated as a “parent,” they may still be able to request custody in NJ. The party must prove there is gross misconduct, neglect or exceptional circumstances affecting the welfare of the child. If that is proven, the then court shall consider if awarding custody to the third party would promote the best interests of the child. The initial inquiry is a tough to prove. This is due to a presumption that the parents should have custody and the state’s position in protecting the constitutional rights of parents as it relates to autonomy over their own children.

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Supervised Custody

23 Pa. C.S. 5322 defines all the different variations of custody. Physical custody is defined as “the actual physical possession and control of a child.” Physical custody can be supervised if warranted. Generally, the court is considering if the welfare and safety of the child necessitates supervision. If supervision is deemed to be necessary, you have to establish who would supervise the custody time be it an agency of the court, one of the parties involved, or a third party. If using a third party, that person should acquire an understanding of the responsibilities of serving as a supervisor and what types of behavior are not permitted.

Philadelphia County provides for court-sponsored supervision in the Family Court building located at 1501 Arch Street. Parties may utilize the program on Sundays. Parties must bring their court orders for each scheduled visitation. Bucks County has two independent programs that provide supervision for custody matters: Kids First and the Assurance Group. Both programs offer professional supervision for a fee. This would eliminate the need for parties to pick other family members or friends as supervisors when they potentially don’t want to be involved in the custody matter. The programs are also helpful in that reports are generated detailing what occurs at the visits which can be referred to in future custody proceedings.

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Summer Schedules

Now that warm weather is here and the school year is coming to a close, you may want to review your custody agreement to prepare for the summer months. Your standard schedule may change when the school year is over and you should make plans for that adjustment to go smoothly. If you have shared custody, you will need to consult with the other parent regarding what the children will do for the summer, for example, a certain camp or summer program. Additionally, summer is a popular season for vacations. Often, you must provide advance notice of any scheduled vacation to the other parent. Another scenario to consider is if one party likes to travel during the holiday season and therefore intends to schedule a vacation during that time. Holiday and vacation time will generally supercede the regular custody schedule, however, be sure any custody order makes clear whether the holiday schedule or vacation provision takes top priority.

You should refer to the specific provisions of your custody order as it relates to how many weeks of vacation each party is entitled to per year, how the weeks may be exercised, what type of notice should be given, and what additional information should be provided. Parents should also be careful with planning international travel. Often, express written permission of the other parent or court approval is necessary for travel outside of the country. Both parents would need to sign off on any passports for minor children unless there is a court order.

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Child’s Relocation

Pennsylvania’s custody relocation statute, 23 Pa C.S. 5337, requires the party seeking relocation to get court approval or the other parent’s permission prior to relocation. A relocation is defined as any move that would “significantly impair the ability of the nonrelocating party to exercise custodial rights.” Case law has established that when neither parent moves but the child is moving, Section 5337 is not triggered. In D.K. v. S.P.K., 102 A.3d 467 (Pa. Super. 2014), the Father was located in Pittsburgh, PA with the children and Mother was located in North Carolina. Mother was subsequently awarded primary custody resulting in the children moving to North Carolina. This was not considered a relocation since neither parent had moved, however, the court did state that certain factors in Section 5337(h) should be considered due to the impact on the children.

Specifically, Section 5337(h)(2), the age, developmental stage, needs of the child and the likely impact the relocation will have on the child’s physical, educational and emotional development, taking into consideration any special needs of the child, (h)(3) the feasibility of preserving the relationship between the nonrelocating party and the child through suitable custody arrangements, considering the logistics and financial circumstances of the parties, and (h)(7) whether the relocation will enhance the general quality of life for the child, including, but not limited to, financial or emotional benefit or educational opportunity. These factors should be considered in addition to, or alongside, the best interests factors to be considered in every custody case under Section 5328.

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National Alcohol Screening Day

Today is National Alcohol Screening Day. The day is intended to raise awareness and highlight treatment options. It was first observed in 1999 and falls under the category of mental health screenings. Alcohol abuse is a frequent issue in family law matters. Often times, excessive alcohol consumption can be a trigger to aggressive or violent behavior. It is not unusual for Protection from Abuse matters to include allegations from the victim that the other party was drinking prior to the incident resulting in the petition. Alcoholism is also a factor in custody matters.

Drug or alcohol abuse is one of the factors the courts must consider when trying to determine what custody arrangement will be in the child’s best interest along with past or present abuse. The court must also consider the criminal background of the parents as well as any other adult household members. Charges related to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol are on the list as far as criminal history to be considered in a custody matter. It is possible to request a drug/alcohol evaluation as part of a custody matter. Depending on the extent of the abuse, supervised custody may be appropriate to ensure the safety of the child. You can visit https://mentalhealthscreening.org/programs/initiatives for more information on national alcohol screening day.

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Grandparent Custody Rights

Section 5325 of the Domestic Relations laws sets out the circumstances under which grandparents and great-grandparents may petition for partial custody/visitation. One of three conditions must be met: (1) a parent of the child is deceased; (2) the parents of the child have been separated for at least six months; or (3) the child has lived with the grandparents or great-grandparents for at least 12 consecutive months provided a petition is filed within six months after the child is removed from the home.

It is also possible for grandparents to request any form of custody under Section 5324 of the Domestic Relations laws. Grandparents may request any form of custody if the relationship began with the consent of the parents, they are willing to assume responsibility for the child and the child is substantially at risk due to parental abuse, neglect, drug or alcohol abuse or incapacity.

Peters v. Costello, 586 Pa. 102 (2005), was a Pennsylvania Supreme Court case which determined that non-biological grandparents also have the right to seek grandparent visitation rights where they stand in loco parentis to one of the parents of the child and it’s in the child’s best interest. The court went on to explain that the statute conferring the right of grandparents to seek custody is not restricted to biological grandparents.

In loco parentis embodies an assumption of parental status as well as an actual discharge of parental duties giving rise to a relationship which is the same as between parent and child. In Peters, there was testimony that the grandparents raised the mother, the mother and child had lived with them for several years, they had a close relationship with child and spent time with her including birthdays and holidays, and neither parent had previously objected to their de facto grandparental relationship with the child.

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International Custody Cases

International custody cases raise issues of both jurisdiction as well as subsequent enforcement. For cases beginning in the U.S., the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) likely applies. The UCCJEA gives jurisdiction for a custody matter to the home county of the child. This would be the county where the child has resided for six (6) months prior to the commencement of the custody action. If jurisdiction is not clear based on an analysis of the home state, the courts should then look to see where there are significant connections and substantial evidence relevant to the custody action. Significant connections is more than just mere presence in any state. Once a court obtains jurisdiction under one of guidelines above, that court continues to have exclusive jurisdiction until it is established that another court has become more suitable for jurisdiction. Accordingly, any modifications of custody must go through the court that made the initial or prior determination.

Enforcement of a custody order is addressed by the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Signatories to the Hague Convention are required to immediately return children if taken or retained in violation of a custody order. All countries who are parties to the Hague Convention must establish a “Central Authority,” an office responsible for dealing with Hague Convention violations. For children removed from the United States, a petition for return should be filed through the U.S. State Department, Office of Children’s Issues. From there, the petition is transmitted to the Central Authority for the other country involved and ultimately adjudicated there. It is important to begin the process as soon as a violation occurs for the best likelihood of having the child returned.

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