Should I send my kids for visitation during the pandemic? I’ve written a bit on this before, but it was early on in the pandemic. It feels like eons ago to me now; the shock of actually facing a pandemic – which, to me, still sounds a bit like an actual plague – was surreal. When the schools were closing, back before the stay at home order was originally issued, it seemed like a fluke. A blip on the radar before things would go back to normal. Of course, I’ve always done what I was supposed … [Read more...]
Can he tell me I can’t take the kids?
Can he tell me I can’t take the kids? We’re seeing a LOT of custody disputes right now. I’ve talked about it a bit before, of course; there are very few things that we deal with that are as serious or as terrifying as a dad taking the children and threatening to not allow them to return. We have several cases like this. It’s not a new thing by any stretch of the imagination, but the pandemic has definitely made holding these people accountable a little more difficult. In some ways, I … [Read more...]
Dealing with Anxiety in Custody and Visitation Situations
Dealing with Anxiety In Custody and Visitation Situations It’s a common refrain: my child’s father just doesn’t do things that I believe are critical to protect my children’s safety when they’re in his care. With coronavirus, it’s even worse. We’re all feeling a little extra anxious; the world feels like such an uncertain place. It’s crazy to think that just, like, two months ago, everything was “normal”, whatever that means. Now, with the governor’s stay at home order and the Supreme … [Read more...]
Juvenile and Circuit Court Custody Case Procedures
Juvenile and Circuit Court Procedure in Virginia Custody Cases You think you might have to file for custody. Maybe something has been brewing for awhile. Maybe recent coronavirus concerns have forced some difficult issues to light. Maybe there’s a looming change in circumstances, like a move, a new job, a school change, or a wedding. Whatever the case may be, most parents find themselves looking at either reaching a new custody agreement or potentially going back to court to litigate custody … [Read more...]
What should I do if my child’s father is using coronavirus to keep my child away?
What should I do if my child’s father is using coronavirus to keep my child away? Even though Governor Northam’s order specifically allows you to leave your home in order to exchange a child pursuant to a custody and visitation order, there are a lot of parents who are using fears surrounding coronavirus as an excuse to deliberately withhold a child. I guess that’s always the case. These thing are inherently rife with ways to purposefully misunderstand and willfully ignore, especially when … [Read more...]
Essential Workers: Custody and Visitation Concerns
Essential Workers: Custody and Visitation Concerns An ER doctor in Florida recently lost custody of her 4 year old daughter on a temporary basis as fears of the coronavirus pandemic escalate around the country. We keep reading about the stories of heroes who keep working despite the dangers of COVID-19, and we’ve realized recently how dependent we are on some of them: grocery workers, delivery drivers, transportation sector workers, doctors, nurses, hospital aides, nurse practitioners, on … [Read more...]
Can I refuse overnight visitation because of coronavirus?
Can I refuse overnight visitation because of coronavirus? The pandemic is changing the world. It’s changing everything, and there’s a lot of underlying fear causing people to make decisions that are more or less conducive to supporting a parenting arrangement. I’ve heard of all sorts of things recently. Parents not wanting to send their children to visitation is nothing new, of course, but COVID-19 has changed things. Even though the governor’s stay at home order clearly allows exceptions … [Read more...]
What if a shelter in place order is issued? What about visitation?
What if a shelter in place order is issued? What about visitation? I keep hearing a lot of “what ifs” lately, and it makes sense. There hasn’t been another pandemic like this in living memory, and these are exceptional times. Every morning these days, I get up and check the news, terrified of what I might see. I keep seeing news articles and hearing rumors that suggest that total lock down is on the way. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t – but, either way, as a mama, it’s scary. And you’ve … [Read more...]
Getting Supervised Visitation in Virginia Custody Cases
Getting Supervised Visitation in Virginia Custody If I had a quarter for every time a client asked me about supervised visitation, I’d have an awful lot more quarters than the number of cases where I’ve seen supervised visitation actually get awarded. It’s not like an annulment, which is essentially a unicorn, but it’s not very common, either. In fact, it’s pretty uncommon. Whether you’ll be successful in getting supervised visitation is really going to depend entirely on your facts and the … [Read more...]
Coparenting for Beginners, Part 2
Coparenting for Beginners: Part 2 On Monday, I talked about an issue in coparenting that I see come up with some frequency: “how much information do I give my child’s father?” It’s often an issue when it comes to things like medical appointments; if dad doesn’t come, is mom obligated to share the details? What does it say if she does or doesn’t, and will it ultimately impact a custody case? Today, I want to change tacks a little and talk about another related issue that I see come up in … [Read more...]
