How much sway do divorced parents ordered to share in the cost of their child’s college tuition have over the school the child chooses to attend? A recent court case takes a look. Read more
There is an interesting theory in New Jersey family law—that of the psychological parent. In today’s world, there are all different types of families. The “blended” family is becoming more and more common since the days of The Brady Bunch. Many moms and dads remarry, creating stepparents and stepchildren; half siblings and stepsiblings. Same-sex couples have children, where one of the couple is the biological parent and the other is not.
When a third person, not the biological mom and dad, takes an active role in the life of a child, he or she can become what is known as a “psychological parent.” Does this describe you? Read more
One of the most painful byproducts of a high conflict divorce is watching your ex manipulate your children into believing that you’re a bad parent. Parent-child relationships that were strong before the divorce can be damaged almost overnight when an alienating parent lures a child into the Cult of the Bad Mom/Dad. Brainwashing tactics include bad-mouthing, lies, manipulation of events, and a constant barrage of negatives about the other parent…similar to a political smear campaign.
Treating parental alienation in a family or joint parent therapy setting is challenging because it is unlikely that the alienator will agree to go to therapy or that you will be able to agree on a therapist. Judges can mandate family therapy or parenting classes, but unfortunately, they can’t make an alienator listen to what the therapist has to say.
Some good news? You don’t necessarily need a judge or mental health professional in order to take action and give your child a more balanced picture of you and your relationship. Here are three strategies you can put into action right now to help stop parental alienation and protect your relationship with your kids. Read more
In divorce, narcissistic parents often buffer the pain of a failed marriage by trying to destroy their ex’s relationship with the children. Unlike healthy parents, who aim to work themselves out of a job by preparing children to live independently, a narcissist sees their kids as extensions of themselves. They cannot tolerate the thought that their children might grow up to chart their own course. Read more
The financial and psychological impact of divorce can make it hard to function. It can make it even harder to parent. But it’s important not to let anger and fear hijack your good judgment. You must put aside your feelings about your ex and manage your anxiety about the future in order to provide a healthy home life for your children.
Even the most well-meaning divorced co-parents can do or say things that make their children feel anxious. Kids don’t always know what they need and if they do, they often don’t know how to tell you. Wondering how, exactly, to keep your kids from spending their entire adulthood on a therapist’s couch? Here are seven things you should know about kids and divorce. Read more
Courts in New Jersey are frequently asked to modify, recalculate and terminate child support obligations for various reasons. In cases of emancipation of a child, the courts have routinely found that retroactive modification of child support is permitted, and may sometimes result in a credit or refund to the parent paying the support. In one recent case ruling, the Appellate Division discussed some of the factors that a court must consider in determining whether a child is emancipated. Read more
Some miserably married couples stay together for the kids, but the truth is, conflict hurts children more than divorce itself. Read more
Are you an alcoholic with kids — or are you married or divorced from an alcoholic spouse? Here is how alcoholism affects child custody, and what an alcoholic parent can do to regain visitation rights. Read more
In a novel decision by the Cape May county Chancery Division, the court has ruled that adoptive parents are not able to “undo” the adoption of their child, who had begun acting violently to the family and to schoolmates, because they waited seven years to bring the application to the court. Read more
In a recent New Jersey Appellate court decision (Matison v. Lisnyansky), a three judge panel found that a man who failed to pay his palimony and child support, and who had fled to Russia, could not use the New Jersey court system to help him appeal the palimony and custody judgment against him. Mr. Lisnyansky remained outside of the country avoiding arrest on an outstanding warrant for failure to pay his child support when he filed his appeal. Read more
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