Considerations When Choosing a School in Custody Matters

By Colleen Norcross It is a given that parents want their children to go to the best school available to the kids.  But what happens when parents disagree on which school is best? If parents share legal custody, there are a number of things to consider in school choice cases. Overall, parents know their children best… Read More

Shared Legal Custody: Options for Parents Who Can’t Seem to Agree

            In Pennsylvania, both parents generally share legal custody of their children. “Legal custody” is defined as “[t]he right to make major decisions on behalf of the child, including, but not limited to, medical, religious and educational decisions.”  Typically, the decision as to whether a child will participate in an extracurricular activity (especially if that… Read More

Custody Considerations – How to Survive the Holidays

            It is October 28 as I am writing this Blog and Halloween is a few days away, Thanksgiving will be shortly before or after this post is published with Hanukah and Christmas shortly thereafter.  The holidays can be a stressful time for parents and children in intact families, let alone for families whose parents… Read More

Surviving the Holidays: Practical Tips to Sharing Custody Over the Holidays

Each year, fall brings a new school year, cooler weather, and the beginning of the holiday season.  The holidays can be difficult even for intact families, but for parents who live in separate households, the holidays often come with added strife and tension, as parents try to navigate and schedule multiple events, celebrations and family… Read More

How Does Medical Marijuana Use Affect Child Custody?

In early 2016, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed the Medical Marijuana Act (25 P.S. §10231), which permits marijuana to be used for the treatment of certain conditions including, but not limited to, cancer, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, glaucoma, severe chronic or intractable pain, autism, and anxiety disorders.  While this Act has enabled… Read More

Who’s Your Parent?: Defining Parentage in a World of Changing Family Structures

The concept of “family” is ever changing and developing. As family structures broaden, the people who care for and raise children extend more and more beyond just biological parents. Grandparents, same-sex parents, step-parents, and many others are developing strong parental bonds with children and fighting to maintain those bonds through the courts.  The first step for… Read More

The Eagles Finally Won the Super Bowl, But Should Your Child Play Football and What If Parents Don’t See Eye to Eye on the Issue?

I was recently reading The New York Times and came across an article, “Football’s Brain Injury Crisis Lands in Family Court,” that got me thinking about the issue of joint legal custody, children’s activities, and what happens when parents don’t agree. In Pennsylvania, both parents generally share legal custody of their children. “Legal custody” is… Read More