Child Custody

Parenting by itself can be a difficult job, but co-parenting with a difficult ex comes with its own set of maladies. Indeed, you may have differences about entertainment, rule enforcement and discipline, but when it comes to medical treatment (and payment for...

California's family courts take parenting time very seriously. When one parent drastically interferes with the other's parenting time, both the civil and criminal consequences can be severe. Sometimes the interference is open and direct, The parent with physical...

If you stepped into the role of caretaker for a child that's a dependent of the court, you may have developed a bond with that child that transcends biological relationships. The courts will sometimes allow someone in this situation to be named a de facto parent. In...

In the second case based on the same event, the federal appellate court has affirmed that the county is not immune from liability after two social workers committed perjury, causing a California woman to lose custody of her two young daughters for six and a half...

Right now, a child in California has to be at least 14 years old before he or she can express an opinion in court about which parent should have primary custody. Lawmakers are saying that is far too long to have to wait, and a new bill filed by State Senator Connie...

In a case that seems to be the first of its kind, two frozen embryos have been named the plaintiff's in a custody suit against the actress whose eggs were used in their creation. The former fiance of the actress, whose sperm was also used in their creation, had...

When the sole custodial parent—usually the biological mother—of a young child dies, who gets custody of the child left behind? The answer to that question can throw the entire surviving family into conflict and cause everyone to end up in court, wrangling over...

Imagine you are a child and your parents are divorcing. You know that things are going to be different and maybe a little scary, but you don't know exactly what is going to happen. One day, you are told that you will suddenly be splitting your time between both of...

Many child custody cases are almost automatically contentious. Each parent's push to assert his or her parental rights results in explosive disputes if not out-and-out battles. Most California parents considering divorce are aware of these difficult child custody...

Even when it's necessary and for the best, divorce can still be hard on the kids. It's important to know how you should broach the subject with them to make this transition to a new way of living go as smoothly as possible. First of all, you and your ex want to appear...