New clients often ask their lawyer how they can help ensure a good result in their divorce and/or custody cases. The following tips from Jeanne M. Hannah can help clients obtain good results and often save money in their cases: Be prepared. Clients can gather documents and information about important financial issues, which will help… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: custody
Free Online Summaries of Family Laws in All Fifty States
Posted in Alimony, Divorce, Research & InvestigationThe American Bar Association‘s Section of Family Law publishes charts in its Family Law Quarterly which summarize the basic laws in each state by topic, including custody, alimony and grounds for divorce. These charts are current as of November 2006, and they are useful as a quick reference to both attorneys and clients. Charts are… Continue Reading
SC Family Lawyer Speaks at Legal Investigators’ Conference
Posted in Other ResourcesThe South Carolina Association of Legal Investigators (SCALI) asked me to speak yesterday at their Fall Conference, held this year in Greenville, SC. Almost 100 investigators attended my presentation on the topic of “Effective Investigations in Child Custody Cases.” During my talk, I gave the investigators three tips to help their investigations in these types… Continue Reading
Free Online Resource to Compare Schools
Posted in Educational ResourcesOne of the many factors that the Court considers in child custody cases is the school and educational resources available at each parent’s residence. In other words, if the parents live in different school districts, how do they compare to each other? If both parents live in the same city or county, the information is… Continue Reading
Another View of Children’s Preferences in Child Custody Cases
Posted in Child CustodyI have previously written about how the Family Court considers a child’s preference in custody cases. On his new Minnesota Divorce and Family Law blog, Gerald Williams addressed this subject a few weeks ago, as follows: If I had to name the question that comes up most often, it would be this one: how old… Continue Reading
Parental Alienation Syndrome Revisited
Posted in Children, Psychological Issues, RelationshipsI have written several posts on this blog about Parental Alienation Syndrome, such as here, here, and here. To get another lawyer’s take on this subject, I present the following article published by Dan Nunley at the Oklahoma Family Law Blog a few months ago: Statistics show that approximately one in two marriages end in… Continue Reading
Parents Must File IRS Form or Risk Losing Child Dependency Deduction
Posted in Financial IssuesFrom the Family Law Taxation blog: In order for a taxpayer to be entitled to the dependency deduction, the taxpayer must satisfy rather explicit statutory requirements. In the case of a divorce or separation, this can be particularly difficult for the individual that does not have custody (referred to as the "noncustodial parent") — even… Continue Reading
How Old Is Old Enough? Age-Related Concerns for Childcare and Babysitting
Posted in Children, Educational Resources, Safety, VisitationIn child custody cases, parents often accuse each other of leaving the child inadequately supervised. The allegations can be that the child was left home alone or left with someone who cannot properly supervise the child (such as relatives who are too old or too young). Left Unsupervised: A Look at the Most Vulnerable Children,… Continue Reading
Should Parents Be Entitled to Have Attorneys Appointed to Represent Them in Child Custody Cases?
Posted in Attorney-Client Relationship, Child Custody, Child Support, ProcedureA mother who lost custody of her three children in a divorce has argued to the Washington Supreme Court that she should have had an attorney appointed to represent her. The woman, who only has a ninth-grade education, attempted to get pro bono representation, but she was declined because of the complexity of her case. … Continue Reading
Research School Information Online
Posted in Children, Research & InvestigationParents are moving today more than ever. In fact, I receive calls almost every week about these "parental relocation cases." One of the (many) issues that the Court considers in such cases is the quality of the schools in each location. Fortunately, it is now easier than ever to find out necessary information about educational… Continue Reading