Child Custody

How do you help your children cope with their new reality following your breakup with your spouse? Whether you're newly separated or already divorced, there are a lot of transitions going on your child's life.One of the best ways you may be able to help your child...

You may not be happy to hear this, but today's family court judges seldom side in favor of either the father or the mother in the average custody battle. Most judges want to see a joint custody plan worked out between the divorcing parents. (Failing that, the judge...

Almost everyone -- at some point during their divorce -- wonders about the mental health of their spouse. When a child's involved, however, and your questions about your spouse's mental health are serious, it may be necessary to ask the court to order a psychological...

One of the consequences of relocating after a divorce is the problems you can face getting a child back and forth for visitation when the other parent lives hours away. Fortunately, the airlines are well-aware that many children will be flying solo -- especially...

In most states, the family pet is legally nothing more than a piece of property.For many pet owners going through a divorce, that's devastating information to find out -- especially if the other spouse is holding onto a family pet out of a sense of retribution or...

Child custody disputes can be overwhelmingly emotional -- but parents need to do everything they can to check their emotions at the door when they start negotiations. If you don't, you may accidentally turn the judge or mediator against you.Here are the most important...

Child custody issues can create a lot of problems between family members. Parents, grandparents and other relatives on both sides of the family can end up at war when there's a dispute over parenting time.That often spills over into tense and hostile exchanges during...

Child support and custody are intertwined issues in a lot of ways -- but there's one important way that they never overlap.A parent's failure to pay child support never reflects on his or her right to visit a child.Unfortunately, a lot of parents misunderstand the...

Professional tennis star Victoria Azarenka is back in action after the custody fight over her young son temporarily derailed her career.Like many parents with professional careers, the tennis pro found her occupation at odds with her obligation as a parent. With a...

The popular singer Usher has been in the news a lot lately because of his marital troubles.After a very brief separation, his current wife filed for divorce -- ending any speculation that the two were going to reconcile. Now, his ex-wife wants the custody and support...