Category Archives: Child Custody
Alabama Introduces Paid Parental Leave For State Employees
Alabama is famous for its beautiful weather and the willingness of its people to help their neighbors and extended family, but it is not known for its employee-friendly laws. For example, many states have minimum wage laws, but Alabama does not; it only requires employers to pay employees the federal minimum wage, which is… Read More »
Proposed Law Would Make 50/50 Parenting Time The Standard
No one wins in a divorce, but when the parents of minor children get a divorce, everyone loses. Even if your parenting plan awards you six nights per week with your children, the one night in the week that they are not with you feels like a loss. Every holiday that you spend away… Read More »
Can A Mental Health Counselor’s Testimony Affect The Outcome Of Your Co-Parenting Dispute?
Most people who get divorced do not do so on a whim. They only file for divorce after they have tried to resolve their differences with their spouse and reached the conclusion that their efforts will not work. Some states recognize covenant marriage, although Alabama does not; in a covenant marriage, the court will… Read More »
Looking At Co-Parenting From Your Ex-Spouse’s Perspective
Therapists will tell you that you are the protagonist of your own story, and that you should think of yourself as a sympathetic character, even a heroic one. Of course, influencers who only ask you for clicks instead of an insurance co-pay will tell you the same thing. There is nothing wrong with thinking… Read More »
Co-Parenting A Child With A Chronic Illness
Parenting plans provide a road map for almost every aspect of raising children with your ex-spouse, except for financial matters. Most parents put the most effort, and the most conflict, into provisions about holiday parenting time; sometimes the courts have ruled that, in odd-numbered years, the children will spend Black Friday with Mom, who… Read More »
Setting Boundaries With Your Co-Parent Is Important, Even If The Court Does Not Order You To Engage In Parallel Parenting
One of the most important lessons you must learn as a parent is that you cannot control everything. For example, you might struggle with the fact that your teen does not share your views on religion, politics, or social etiquette, but you will eventually have to accept that what your son or daughter believes,… Read More »
Your Parenting Plan Can Determine Whether Your Co-Parenting Relationship Will Be Cooperative, Parallel, Or Conflicted
The first time you have an in-depth discussion with your spouse or your divorce lawyer about parenting plans, the focus will probably be on which days the children spend with which parent. Will either parent have to adjust their work schedule to accommodate their parenting time and transportation? Will the children need to take… Read More »
Co-Parenting Is Not A Zero-Sum Game
It is obvious to you that your ex-spouse is a loser, and it is probably obvious to your family and friends, too, but you do not have to prove it to the divorce court. The family law courts of Alabama know that no one is perfect, and you do not have to worry that… Read More »
How Much Supervision Is Involved In Supervised Visitation?
If you have heard about supervised visitation after divorce, your mental image probably does not seem much like a recipe for family togetherness. Doing jigsaw puzzles in a quiet room, surrounded by social workers with clipboards is not the best way to get your children to open up to you, especially when you consider… Read More »
3 Sources Of Holiday Co-Parenting Stress And How To Deal With Them
You know you are an adult once the holidays become stressful instead of fun. Many types of holiday stress, such as being in close quarters with your know-it-all siblings or enduring sideways glances from your sister-in-law about your baby’s fondness for formula while your mother bombards you with unsolicited advice about weight loss, can… Read More »