John and Mary got a divorce and filed a custody arrangement. Now, Mary wants to move to a new state and take her child with her. She files a petition for custody modification in her new state. Unfortunately, the court denies her request because the state does not have jurisdiction. Child custody isn’t just about […]

Tags: abduction, Child, courts, Custody, jurisdiction, kidnapping, litigation, UCCJEA, Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act
Posted in Child Custody, Custody, Divorce, Family Law | No Comments »

Becoming a guardian is an admirable thing to do. Guardianship protects children but does not strip away the rights of the biological parents. In other words, once the parents are again able to provide the child a safe environment, the child may return to them safely. However, there may be occasions when the biological parents […]

Tags: 5 Steps, Adoption, Child, Children, Custody, Guardianship, home study, lawyer, protect, social services, ward
Posted in Adoption, California Law, Child Custody, Family Law, Guardianship | 1 Comment »

People change, jobs change, environments change. When you have children, these changes can become complicated and stressful, especially if it means relocating a child out of state. Whether you have custody or guardianship over a child, if another parent or family member is still in the picture, moving with a child can become complicated, especially […]

Tags: biological, California, Child, Children, custodial, custodian, Custody, Guardian, Guardianship, joint, moving, parent, presumptive right, primary, relocating, relocation, sole, ward
Posted in California Law, Child Custody, Custody, Family Law, Guardianship | No Comments »

Plenty can happen to make the holiday season stressful. Simply knowing they’re just around the corner is bad enough; then there’s dealing with shopping, meal preparations and family obligations. The last thing you want is to fight with your former spouse about how much time each of you will get to spend with your son […]

Tags: Christmas, communicate, Custody, holiday, holidays, schedule, sharing, stress, Thanksgiving
Posted in Child Custody, Custody, Divorce, Family Law, Holidays | No Comments »

After a divorce, parents may feel they and their child need a change of scenery. This is understandable; however, always make sure to inform the non-custodial parent if that change of scenery means taking a child across state lines. Temporary Vacations If this change is temporary, say to visit relatives or go on a vacation, […]

Tags: California, COVID-19, custodial, Custody, non-custodial, parents, permanent, temporary, vacations, Visitation
Posted in California Law, Child Custody, COVID-19, Custody, Family Law, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Have you been thinking of changing your child’s school? With all schools closed for the time being due to the impact of COVID-19, and some states, including California, stating they may remain closed until the near year begins in September, now is a good time to begin the process of changing schools. This is especially […]

Tags: change, Child, Children, Custody, Joint Custody, joint legal custody, joint physical custody, school
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Guardianship may seem easy to understand on the surface, but there is a lot more to it than you might realize. Firstly, guardianship is not the same as adoption. Where adoptions give the guardian permanent parental rights over a child, guardianship is temporary and does not normally remove all parental rights from biological parents. Secondly, […]

Tags: Adult, Child, Family Law, Guardian, guardian ad Litem, Guardian over the Estate, Guardian over the Person, Guardianship, Parental Rights
Posted in Child Custody, Custody, Family Law, Guardianship | 1 Comment »

Recently, there’s been a rise in the number of young unmarried couples living together and older couples merely “shacking up” instead of getting married. What these couples may not understand is that simply being in a long-term, committed relationship does not give them the rights and benefits of a married couple. Misconception – California is […]

Tags: California, cohabitants, Cohabitation, common-law, Custody, decleration of paternity, durable power of attorney, Funeral, health care, health care directive, legal strangers, living together, paternity, unmarried
Posted in California Law, Child Custody, Custody, Family Law | No Comments »

With the holiday season fast approaching, let’s take a look at three holiday films that feature separated families and what we can learn when it comes to dating, building unique relationships, and creating new traditions with your kids. Dutch (1991) Introducing a new significant other to your child can be a tricky situation. In Dutch, […]

Tags: Custody, Family, holiday, Relationships, Separation
Posted in Child Custody, Custody, Divorce, Pop Culture | No Comments »

There are currently hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. foster care system. To help shed light on foster care and adoption, director Sean Anders tapped into his own experiences to co-write and direct the new film, Instant Family. There’s a lot you can to take away from the film if you’re considering adopting […]

Tags: adopt, Adoption, child care, foster, foster care, foster child fairs, foster parent, foster parents, instant family, licensing, parent reunification, parent support groups, parenting classes
Posted in Child Custody, Family Law | No Comments »