Choosing the right attorney to guide you through your divorce and/or custody matter is the first step to advancing your case and can be one of the most important decisions that you make in the course of your divorce or custody matter. When seeking family law counsel you should not simply hire the first attorney you meet. Rather, it is crucial to do your homework by reviewing such things as the attorney's qualifications, experience level, and past client satisfaction. Even if you received a referral to a family law attorney from a friend or another lawyer, these suggestions still apply. Most competent counsel will very likely charge a consultation fee for this initial meeting, but rest assured this is money well spent to ensure you are comfortable with your counsel and get educated on your case.
How to Choose a Divorce and Custody Attorney
How to get back on track after a DUI charge
A DUI charge can throw a wrench in your plans for the future. Pennsylvania courts can impose a number of penalties for driving under the influence, ranging from minor fines to jail time. Your sentencing will mainly depend on the severity of the situation and whether you have had a DUI charge before.
Despite the consequences you may have received, you can still put this ordeal behind you. It may take time and patience, but you will be able to return to normal life after everything is said and done.
The pros and cons of joint physical custody arrangements
Joint physical custody is often what people think of when considering joint custody in general. In reality, this only refers to the children's living situation.
There is also joint legal custody, which revolves around making decisions for the children, such as what medical care they will receive.Looking strictly at the physical custody side, you may find yourself wondering about the potential benefits and drawbacks.
Pennsylvania drug-free zone laws
Illegal drug use in public spaces is always a serious offense. However, there are additional laws and policies intended to limit the presence of drug use near children. Therefore, those who get caught using, buying or selling drugs in close proximity to schools or in other drug-free zones are likely to face even harsher penalties than others accused of the same offense.
Harsher laws near schools are meant to protect impressionable children and prevent dealers from targeting them. Children have the right to be protected from illegal activity and illegal drug use, so the law tries to limit the exposure that children have to drug abuse as much as possible.
Considering temporary custody arrangements
Many parents, when faced with a divorce, will immediately decide to file for full custody of their child. It might be an impulsive decision, or one based on anger or resentment toward the other parent. However, it is important to make every effort to consider what is in the best interests of your child or children when going through a custody battle, and temporary custody may be a good solution for this.
It is much better for the emotional development of children when they have healthy relationships with both parents. Therefore, the courts will always try and find a way to give custody to both parents unless one of the parents presents a risk or danger to the child.
Medical marijuana permits to affect gun ownership in Pennsylvania
If you're a gun enthusiast and you have a debilitating condition that you can treat with medical marijuana, you're going to have to make a choice — guns or marijuana? You will not be able to have both in Pennsylvania.
You can drink and have a gun. You can spend time in a mental hospital and later buy a gun. But you can't be a card-holding medical marijuana user and own a gun under Pennsylvania's current medical marijuana laws.
Getting through a contested divorce
Every divorce is going to involve conflict in one form or another; however, in an ideal situation, each spouse will be able to work through divorce-related issues through discussion and mutual compromise. It's never easy, but there are many services available that help divorcing couples through this, from divorce mediation to counseling and therapy.
If an agreement on the way in which the divorce should be finalized cannot be reached, the divorce is known as a contested divorce.
Objecting to the adoption of your child
When you are the parent of a child, one of your key rights is to be able to give consent or to be able to object to the adoption of your child. If you are an unmarried father of a child, and the biological mother wants to have the child adopted, then you have the right to object. In order to be able to contest the adoption, you first must have had paternity established.
Having your paternity acknowledged
So-called "gray divorces" continue unabated
America's divorce rate hovers at about 50 percent. Some years see a bit of an uptick, and others decline slightly, but things generally average out to about half of all first-time marriages ending in divorce. The rates for subsequent marriages are generally higher, at approximately 70 percent.
Traditionally, once a married couple hit a "certain age," divorces were nearly unheard of. Times have definitely changed, however.
Reasons why you have been denied custody
There are so many advice columns and articles giving suggestions to single parents about how they can gain full or partial custody of their child after a separation. However, this might be of little help to you if you have been denied custody of your child and you do not know why.
The following are some reasons why the courts may have denied you custody of your child.
