UPDATED: Like most legal matters related to divorce, child custody gets complicated. If you find yourself in the midst of such a battle, you likely hear a number of terms thrown around. Knowing what phrases like joint custody mean helps you understand what’s going on. When it comes to custody, …

Following divorce, custody and visitation tend to be tricky. And that’s in the best circumstances. Even if you and your ex live in the same city, scheduling, transportation, parsing out holidays, and the rest gets messy and convoluted. When you live in different cities or states, it often turns into …

UPDATED—People often ask us about the chances fathers have of getting primary custody in Washington. Taken at face value, the laws don’t favor mothers over fathers. But even though both parents have equal legal footing, it doesn’t always play out like that. A recent report from the Washington State Center …

This post has been updated. Obtaining custody of your child is a complicated affair. The timing, route, and cost of the proceeding depend heavily on the fact surrounding your case, where your child is located, and the laws of the state where you are bringing the legal action. Nevertheless, with …

Child custody battles are often an unfortunate part of a divorce. Parents jockey back and forth about parenting time and who sees the kids how much. And that’s one of biggest changes that comes with ending a marriage. You may go from seeing your kids every day to once every …

In most situations, divorce represents a titanic life change, one with lasting repercussions. A traumatic experience, after ending a marriage, many people want to get as far away as possible. If it’s just you, that’s simple enough. But when there are kids involved, it complicates matters. What to do if …

Whether it’s right or wrong, there is a public perception when it comes to divorce and child custody, that wives, mothers, and women always have the upper hand. Proponents of this stance throw around all manner of statistics and expert opinions on the topic. On a practical level, many men …

As you already know, divorce is a tricky business. Emotions run high, tempers can flare, and the situation is further heightened when minor children are thrown into the mix. In custody cases, whether the parents are married or not, and where both sides have, perhaps, lost sight of the well-being …

Sperm donor on the hook for child support In a twist on father’s rights and child custody, a Kansas man, William Marotta, has found himself fighting to be absolved of his legal status as a parent. Marotta isn’t a father trying to skip out on responsibility. Marotta was a sperm …

A Google search on Parental Alienation will quickly reveal the heated debate that has erupted around the proposed addition of Parental Alienation Syndrome to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health.  Both sides of the debate are hot under the collar to defend their stance, as is evident in …

Staying Connected The role of grandparents post divorce can be an important element in smoothing the transition into a new definition of family for children. While there is a wide range of involvement and roles grandparents can play, a positive relationship between grandchild and grandparent can provide support and stability …

Being a father is an investment of love, time, and financial resources. However you acquired the noble title of “Dad” —you earn it every day. You are there for your children day in and day out — and the idea of not being part of their daily life is a …

Rick Jones was on the Danny Bondaduce Show to talk about family law, divorce, and child custody in Washington. One caller had a question about her rights as a grandparent and whether or not she needed to get permission from both her daughter and son-in-law to take her grandchildren out …

It is rare for the court to split siblings. There has to be a compelling reason, or more likely reasons, that a court would even consider it, but a gentleman in New Jersey said he was told the following story by his mother. The story starts with a court proceeding …