What is a parenting plan?
In terms of vocabulary, there are all sorts of things that we say when it comes to custody and visitation that may seem new to you. I’ve written extensively on legal and physical custody, the different types (primary, shared, and split), coparenting, parenting education seminars, and many other topics related to custody and visitation that…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: child support | coparenting | custody | holiday | joint legal | parenting plan | parenting time | primary physical | right of first refusal | schedule | shared physical split physical | sole custody | vacation | visitation
What is primary physical custody?
Understanding custody isn’t easy. In fact, I often tell people that learning about custody first involves learning the vocabulary of custody, and understanding how the different forms of custody relate to each other. Though custody litigation is common, these disputes often center around similar themes. In general, child support is not a particular contentious…
Filed under: Child Custody Tag with: child custody | child support | coparenting | parenting time | primary physical | shared physical | sole custody | sole legal
Primary Physical Custody and Child Support
I’ve talked about custody every which way from Sunday, but often with more emphasis on shared physical custody than primary physical custody, even though moms almost always tell me, within minutes of our first meeting, that they want sole custody of their children. Failing that, of course, the next best thing is often primary physical…
Filed under: Child Custody Tag with: ADDICTION | appeal | best interests of the child | CHILD ABUSE | child custody | child support | primary physical custody | sole custody | super dad
I want sole legal and physical custody of our child
In a divorce and/or custody case, you can get whatever you and your soon-to-be ex/child’s father can agree to or whatever the judge is willing to award. In many cases, we’re really limited by what the judge will do. When the other side knows that, for example, the military retirement will be divided so that…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: best interests of the child | child custody | custody and visitation | friendly parent trap | legal custody | mom's downfall | physical custody | primary physical custody | shared custody | sole custody
How do I get sole custody?
All moms want sole custody. Hey, I get it – I’m a mom, too. And let’s just say that I share your belief that no one can do it – that is, mom my child – better than I can. And, in your case, there may very well be other issues, too. There’s often domestic…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: child custody | primary physical custody | shared physical custody | sole custody | virginia
Determining Custody and Visitation
If you’re like me, you hate the idea of living with uncertainty. Even worse than uncertainty generally is uncertainty where your children are concerned. If you don’t have anything official regarding custody and visitation – no agreement or court order – then both you and your child’s father have custody. That sounds unpalatable to you?…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: child support | child's father | custody | custody book | do nothing | file first | primary physical custody | shared custody | sole custody | virginia | visitation
Amber Alerts, Parental Kidnapping, and Emma Grace Kennedy
When Emma Grace Kennedy was kidnapped last week by her sex offender father at a gas station, it seems like EVERYBODY knew about it right away. There were Amber Alert billboards, text messages, and stories on the news. It’s every mom’s worst nightmare, especially for moms who are separated from their children’s fathers, but especially…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: abusive father | amber alert | child support | custody | emma grace kennedy | losing custody | parental kidnapping | primary physical custody | protective order | registered sex offender | sole custody | substance abuse | terminate parental rights | virginia | visitation
We’ve been ordered to try mediation in our custody case. Is that okay?
Judges don’t love to decide cases, especially in family law. It’s not that they don’t care, it’s just that they know that they don’t really have the full scope of the situation (how can they?), and prefer, instead, for people to do all that they can to settle their disputes BEFORE coming to court. That…
Filed under: Blog | Child | Child Custody | Frequently Asked Questions | General | Library Tag with: court ordered | custody | custody case | litigated custody | mediation | primary physical custody | shared custody | sole custody | virginia
What does shared custody even mean?
Custody cases are the worst, especially in terms of the levels of anxiety that moms feel as they begin to prepare for one. There’s a lot of fear there (and understandably so), and often that fear makes it difficult for moms to separate the horror stories from the actual, factual truth about what could happen…
Filed under: Blog | Divorce | Frequently Asked Questions | General | Library Tag with: custody bootcamp for moms | Kristen Hofheimer | legal custody | primary physical custody | shared custody | shared physical custody | sole custody | women's custody survival guide
Hofheimer Family Law Mother’s Day Promo
If you’re a mom, you’ve made a lot of sacrifices for the sake of your kids. It started from the moment you found out you were pregnant, and started eating insane amounts of broccoli and discussing the benefits of folic acid to anyone who would listen. It carried through your pregnancy, to every single glass…
Filed under: Blog | Child | Child Custody | Child Support | Divorce | Frequently Asked Questions | General | Library Tag with: children | coupon code | custody | divorce seminar | Hofheimer Family Law | Kristen Hofheimer | Second Saturday | sole custody | virginia | women's custody survival guide