Tag Archive for: child custody

Custody Options & Parenting Rights for Military Dads

rights for military fathersThe unique demands of military service, and particularly the demands of long-term active duty assignments, can put tremendous strain on a servicemember’s home life. Deployments can be unpredictable and sometimes involve short notice. Families are called on to make difficult adjustments. Relationships can change or grow distant, including relationships with those who mean the most to you: your kids.

Are you a military dad facing custody issues? Learn about your father’s rights and parenting time options. Read more

Considering Older Kids’ Preferences When Determining Parenting Time Plans

older kids and divorceParenting time plans developed during a child’s early years may need to be adjusted as a child matures, particularly during adolescence. The 3-year-old who clung to his mother’s legs when Dad arrived for visitation may decide he wants to spend most, or even all of his time with his father as he nears legal adulthood. How are an older child’s preferences taken into account when making child custody decisions? Read more

8 Ways To Protect Your Kids From The Fall-Out Of A High-Conflict Divorce

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Studies show that it’s not divorce in itself that hurts kids in the long-term; it’s the level conflict that lingers between parents. Being successful at the job of being a divorced parent requires finding ways to deal with any contempt for or anger towards your ex, and support your children’s relationship with their other parent. If your former spouse cheated on you or walked out on you for any number of reasons, you may still be in bad place of deep hurt. However, unless your child’s other parent is abusive or there is a legitimate issue that renders your former spouse unable to parent (a mental illness or substance abuse issue that impairs their daily functioning), learning how to manage your feelings about him or her so they don’t bleed over onto your kids is a co-parenting must. Read on for some helpful tips on how to get yourself to a better place. Read more

High Conflict Divorce: When Co-Parenting Doesn’t Work, Try Parallel Parenting

high conflict divorce hurts kidsCo-parenting, viewed by therapists and family law professionals as the gold standard for post-divorce parenting, works when both parents are willing and able to set aside their personal grievances and support their child’s relationship with the other parent. To do this, both parents need to be able to communicate calmly, follow the conditions of the custody and child support order, and agree on a plethora of child-related issues such as medical care, education, religious training, and discipline.

Negotiating child rearing is a tall order, even for two people who love each other. It’s an even taller order for two reasonably well-adjusted people whose irreconcilable differences have led them to end their marriage. But if both people are determined to keep their children off the battleground of their divorce, they can usually learn the skills necessary to become successful co-parents.

High-conflict personalities, however, frequently lack the motivation to co-parent because, by definition, they are unable to work through their anger at the other party. Read more

New Jersey Divorce Chronicles, Part 8: Who Gets the House?

dividing family home in divorce

Subject No. 1: Sharon

In Part 6 of our ongoing case study, we saw that after Sharon took a hardline stance on child custody, Robert ended up with a temporary order for primary physical custody. In Part 7, we saw how Jason’s more conciliatory approach with Melissa not only resulted in a parenting time plan that was closer to what he wanted; it also avoided the expense of a hearing. Is Sharon going to continue her aggressive tactics for the rest of her case, or is she beginning to see that a change in approach might be in order? Read more

5 Rules for Successful Co-Parenting After Divorce

Co-parenting is often considered the gold standard for parenting after divorce, but what does this term even mean? Read more

5 Smartphone Apps to Make Divorce Less Stressful

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Let your smartphone or mobile device give you an assist in your divorce with these easy-to-use apps that help with everything from co-parenting to calculating asset splits. Read more

In The News: Lowering Tension in High Conflict Child Custody Cases

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If you’ve kept up with the news this week, you have no doubt heard about the tragic murder of an Ocean County mother of nine allegedly gunned down by her ex-husband, a sergeant with the Neptune Township Police Department.

We thought long and hard about referencing this unsettling and extremely sad situation. It is very difficult to write about. But, at the request of our readers we have gathered some thoughts which, hopefully, help others who may be in the middle of an agonizing child custody battle. Read more

New Jersey Divorce Chronicles, Part 7: Calming Troubled Waters

Father and son sitting on the edge of the ocean

In our last installment of our ongoing blog series on common mistakes made during divorce, we looked at how Sharon’s aggressive approach impacted initial developments in her child custody dispute. Today we’ll see if our second subject, Jason, does any better. Read more

3 Mistakes to Avoid When You’re a Dad Going Through Divorce

Boy riding piggy back on his father's back

Concerned that your father’s rights will not be respected in your divorce? Men are often under the impression that dads just can’t win when it comes to child custody rulings. However, asserting your fathers rights may be easier than you ever thought possible IF you do the work to avoid these three mistakes:   Read more