Determing A Child’s Country Of Residence In International Custody Disputes

Since UK actress Sophie Turner and American pop star Joe Jonas announced their divorce earlier this month, the pair have become embroiled in an international child custody dispute, spurred by Turner filing a court petition requesting the immediate return of the couple’s two young children to their home in England.   Read more

How Does Breastfeeding Factor Into Custody Decisions?

breastfeeding and custodyA judge in a Virginia custody dispute has ordered a mother to change her feeding style of her 6-month-old infant, siding with the father’s claim that breastfeeding “on demand” was disrupting his parenting time with the child. The mother is disputing the ruling, claiming that “breast is best” for infant nutrition.

Should nursing an infant be exception to parenting time enforcement rules?  Read more

How To Co-Parent Through Your First Holiday Season After Divorce

holiday parenting time

No matter what you and your ex disagree on in your divorce, you are likely both in agreement that you want a happy, fun-filled holiday season for your children. Navigating through your first holidays since your split can test your co-parenting savvy, but with a few extra steps this season can be as merry and bright as ever. Use these dos and don’ts for no-stress holiday co-parenting. Read more

Prep Your Child Support & Custody Agreements For Back-To-School

child support school costs

The new school year is almost here, and for divorced parents that means an extra layer of planning beyond the usual checklist of pencils, notebooks and a new lunchbox. Are your co-parenting arrangements back-to-school ready or are changes required to better suit your child’s needs? Here are some tips for how to review child custody and child support agreements for the school year ahead. Read more

Can cannabis use affect your parenting and custody rights? 

cannabis custodyIn New Jersey it’s now legal for adults 21 or older to buy recreational cannabis products. However just because “legal weed” exists in 2022 doesn’t mean that using marijuana is free from legal ramifications. Do you or your former spouse use marijuana? Then you need to know how it could impact your parental rights and child custody arrangements. Read more

Kim And Kanye Battle Over Daughter’s TikTok Account — Which Co-Parent Should Prevail?

Kim Kanye Social Media Custody dispute

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are no strangers to the social media spotlight. But when it comes to their children’s use of social media, the two have become locked in a nasty standoff. The crux of it: Kim has allowed 8-year-old daughter North to post on Tik Tok through an account she and North run together. Kanye is vehemently opposed to his daughter using the popular video sharing app, venting in an all caps Instagram post that tagged Kim:

“SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST DIVORCE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO ABOUT MY DAUGHTER BEING PUT ON TIK TOK AGAINST MY WILL ?”

Kim responded to Kanye’s public criticism in a statement of her own, posted in her Instagram stories:

Kanye’s constant attacks on me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create. As the parent who is the main provider and caregiver for our children, I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision—because it brings her happiness. Divorce is difficult enough on our children and Kanye’s obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation so negatively and publicly is only causing further pain for all. From the beginning I have wanted nothing but a healthy and supportive co-parenting relationship because it is what is best for our children and it saddens me that Kanye continues to make it impossible every step of the way.

I wish to handle all matters regarding our children privately and hopefully he can finally respond to the third attorney he has had in the last year to resolve any issues amicably.

Which co-parent should have the final say in whether or not their minor child can use TikTok? For answers, let’s look at legal rights around children’s social media use that can help Kim, Kanye and other battling co-parents find workable solutions. Read more

How To Share A Happy Holiday With Your Ex And Your Kids

 

divorced family christmas

Yes, Virginia, it is possible to share the holiday with your ex and kids and make it a happy one!  Celebrating together has benefits: it keeps children from having to do double-duty on the holiday, race between households, or miss being with one parent. Think you and your ex are up to the challenge of a family holiday? Read on for some tips on how to make your shared holiday successful. Read more

Inspired by Adele: Divorced Parents Should Take It Easy On Themselves Too

adele divorce

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Are you beating yourself up for getting divorced? Feeling guilty for dragging your kids through so many changes? Take a cue from singer Adele, who wrote her new song Easy On Me to help her son understand the reasons for her divorce and to ask him to forgive her for upending his life. Here, the singer talks about her motivation:

“I just felt like I wanted to explain to him, through this record, when he’s in his twenties or thirties, who I am and why I voluntarily chose to dismantle his entire life in the pursuit of my own happiness,” Adele told British Vogue in a recent interview. “It made him really unhappy sometimes. And that’s a real wound for me that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to heal.”

Are you hiding onto to lots of guilt and shame in your divorce? Learn how to “take it easy” on yourself with these tips for reframing how you think about divorce. Read more

Can You And Your Ex Make A ‘Nesting’ Custody Arrangement Work?

nesting custodyNow that you and your spouse have decided to divorce, you need to determine which custody arrangement makes the most sense for your family, while providing stability for your children. If your co-parenting relationship is amicable, you may want to consider the child-centered approach “nesting.”  Read more

Tips For Co-Parenting Teens And Young Adults

teenager

Your teen has asked to spend more time with their other parent. Should you say yes?

As children mature during adolescence and their later teen years, they want their needs and opinions to be taken into account when parenting decisions must be made. For divorced parents, this can mean updating co-parenting philosophies you’ve followed since your kids were small. In order to support your kids’ personal growth, it’s helpful to understand the development stages of adolescence and early adulthood. Read more