Many pop culture portrayals of stepparents cast these family members as villains or having a contentious relationship with their stepchild. In reality, some stepparents are more loving and parental to their spouse's children than biological parents.
Children who feel a close bond with their stepparent and don’t have that same connection to a biological parent may want to ask their stepparent to adopt them. A quick YouTube search of “stepparent adoption” will produce a few tear-jerking videos.
It's happened. Next week August begins. Department stores are putting away their summer gear and replacing their barbecue displays with school supplies and other back-to-school "essentials." Whether you want to believe it or not, summer is fast coming to a close. Pretty soon the kids will head back to school (perhaps giving you a much-needed break!).
However, with the back-to-school season on the horizon, you may have some anxiety beyond the stress of getting everyone back onto the school schedule with proper bedtimes and homework routines. That anxiety is this: who's going to pay for all those back-to-school supplies?
The divorce is finally over. You and your child can now work on getting your lives back on track and moving toward your new futures. For many people, finding a new home is the perfect way to get a fresh start. Don’t be too hasty to start packing, though, it may be illegal for you to move in the wake of your divorce.
If your former spouse has any custody rights, you are required to notify them of the fact that you are moving; provide specific details on where you’re moving to; and they must approve of your decision. Convincing an ex to agree to a move may seem like a major task – especially if there are still hard feelings after your divorce – but there are several ways you can get the process moving in your favor.
Divorce is never easy for anyone especially the people involved. Breaking apart a home is awful. Everyone is impacted by the divorce. As a grandparent, you are always there for your grandchildren. The thought of you no longer being able to spend time with your grandchildren because of the divorce is unimaginable.
HE SAID: I want my kids 50% of the time.
As a parent, you know how quickly summer comes, and how quickly it ends. In those precious three months, the stress of keeping kids engaged, busy and properly cared for is hard enough for two parents. For those considering or in the midst of divorce or separation, the stress of summer vacation only intensifies.
Now is the time to start discussing your proposed parenting plans, before summer arrives. Wait too long and you could end up with a summer that is anything but “fun in the sun.”
Divorcing spouses aren't always looking for a fight and dramatic courtroom resolutions. In fact, many people would prefer to make a divorce as quick and painless as possible so that they can focus on the future.
In these situations, mediation and collaboration will be tools that allow two people to end their marriage and settle divorce-related matters more peacefully. However, the efficacy of these processes can be compromised when one or both parties make one of the following critical mistakes.
When you cannot negotiate, when you cannot talk, when you cannot reach agreements, then you have war. When it comes to your children, you don’t want to drag them into a war. You’ll want to negotiate.
“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
If you follow Pennsylvania politics at all, you’ve likely heard much about local redistricting fights and other contentious issues. What you may not have heard about is a new bill introduced by Representative Kate Klunk last summer to formalize the collaborative law process in Pennsylvania. The bill is currently under discussion within the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee and will hopefully move forward this legislative year.
While many family law firms have been using collaborative law methods for years (including our own), this new bill seeks to formally encode the practice within Pennsylvania. Moreover, it recognizes the valuable contribution this less antagonistic approach to resolving disputes makes within our society.
When you and your spouse first met and fell in love, you probably spent as much time together as possible—getting to know one another, being affectionate and doing activities you both enjoyed. However, after 5, 10 or 20 years of marriage, many couples come to the realization that they not only don’t spend much time with their spouse, but they also may not really want to.
Like any close relationship, maintaining a marriage is hard work and often things like raising children, work and technology consume spouses’ time and zap their energy. While plenty of spouses who go through relationship slumps are able to eventually find their way back to each other and make a marriage work, a significant percentage don’t and decide to go their separate ways.
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