Child Custody · Custody · Lawyer · Uncategorized

UPDATE: Parental Coordinators in PA

Pennsylvania experimented with the use of a parental coordinator in custody cases, as you may recall from a prior post on this site  That is to say, in PA, a judge could appoint a parental coordinator to enforce a custody order or handle the process of making modifications to it. Good Law?    Long story short, in 2013, Pennsylvania ended… Continue reading UPDATE: Parental Coordinators in PA

Child Custody · Custody · Lawyer · Lawyers · Parenting Coordinator · Pittsburgh

The Use of a Parenting Coordinator

What is a “parenting coordinator”? A parenting coordinator is a person appointed by the judge in custody cases to help execute and coordinate ancillary issues of a custody order.  This helps ease the burden of the trial judge in dealing with the day to day aspects of implementing a custody order.  Parenting coordination has become a significant area of… Continue reading The Use of a Parenting Coordinator

Biological · child · Child support · Families · Lawyer · Parent · Paternity · Uncategorized

Paternity by Estoppel – Has it Survived?

Pennsylvania has long clung to the presumption of paternity by estoppel, which means simply:  if you hold yourself out as the parent, you are the parent, even if you are not the biological parent.  Under this fiction, DNA evidence is not admissible.  Some states are moving away from this somewhat archaic presumption.    In the holding of… Continue reading Paternity by Estoppel – Has it Survived?

child · CYF · Families · Family · Family Law · Lawyer · Pennsylvania · Uncategorized

Angels, Demons, and CYS

Free Consultation: 412.780.0008 There is no easy way to identify and eliminate child abuse, unless the abusive parent comes 100% clean and decides to trust outsiders with knowledge of what’s been happening in the home. The broader question is:  what should happen when there are mere allegations that a child has been neglected, abused, or exposed to an environment where drugs or alcohol… Continue reading Angels, Demons, and CYS

Divorce · Lawyer · PFA · Protection From Abuse · Spouse

Charlie Sheen’s Legal Woes, Fact and Fiction.

It looks like things are getting worse for Charlie Sheen.  It appears that he has a court date coming up in February, but according to reports,  Hanes has already dropped him from its advertising.   It may be some time before the courts take a serious look at whether there is any truth to the recent allegations about Charlie Sheen. … Continue reading Charlie Sheen’s Legal Woes, Fact and Fiction.

Adoption · Barack Obama · Biological · child · Families · Family · Lawyer · Parent · Pennsylvania · Pittsburgh · President · United States

National Adoption Month

Our firm takes pride in helping familes grow through the loving concept of adoption.  This process involves the legal termination of rights of the biological parent(s) followed by a proceeding for adoption of the child into a new family. Aside from the legal services we offer, we want our clients and the general public to know that… Continue reading National Adoption Month

Custody · Divorce · Family Law · Lawyer · Lawyers · Pennsylvania · Pittburgh

Advice From the Blogosphere: A 10 Tips For Divorced Parents

The Western Pennsylvania lawyers at Elliott & Davis, PC understand the impact that any family law matter can  have on your life.  We are intimately familiar with events such as divorce, custody disputes, and support claims and other family law matters.  We all know that a divorce is a life changing experience.  However, some practical advice can make the transition… Continue reading Advice From the Blogosphere: A 10 Tips For Divorced Parents

Child Custody · Child support · Custody · Divorce · Family Law · Lawyer · Lawyers · Mediation · Medical · Parent · Pennsylvania · Religion

The Jon and Kate Gosselin Saga: Not Quite Over.

  As CNN and others have reported, the marriage between Joh and Kate Gosselin has terminated in divorce, but does that mean the saga is over? Apparently, they have an agreement on custody.  They will have shared physical custody.  Kate will have primary at the marital residence and Jon will see the children on some sort of schedule.  In Pennsylvania,… Continue reading The Jon and Kate Gosselin Saga: Not Quite Over.

Divorce · Family Law · Lawyer · Media · Pittsburgh · Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods…What Were You Thinking?

This is a question that divorce attorneys rarely get to ask their clients.  In divorce cases, the usual questions we have are:  Where do you reside (for purposes of jurisdiction)? When were you married? How many assets did you accumulate together?    But rarely do we ask:  what were you thinking.  Admittedly, the answer is not all that important for purposes of… Continue reading Tiger Woods…What Were You Thinking?

Child Custody · Lawyer · Paternity · Pennsylvania · Pittsburgh

Western PA Case Profiled in the New York Times

The New York Times has recently reported on an unusual child support case.  There, a mother in an intact family cheated on her husband and became pregnant.  The husband acted as a father to the child even after the husband suspected the child was not his.  Husband and wife separated.  The husband agreed to pay child support while… Continue reading Western PA Case Profiled in the New York Times