Divorce can be a difficult experience for children, but good child custody arrangements can minimize stress and help children deal well with the transition in their family situation. What sort of custody arrangements work best has long been a subject of debate among child experts, but a new study recently published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health suggests that shared custody may be the least stressful option for children. Pennsylvania families involved in child custody negotiations may find these results helpful in discerning the best arrangements for their children.
Prison used as incentive to get parents to pay child support
For Pennsylvania parents who are behind on child support, the threat of prison may be used as an effective incentive for people who are able but unwilling to pay. However, there are critics who argue that imprisonment may lead to the risk of debt or unemployment, further increasing a parent's child support balance.
Designation after divorce: account and policy beneficiaries
Surprisingly, someone may legally collect funds or inherit assets from a former spouse's estate as long as his or her name is still listed as the beneficiary. Pennsylvania couples who are separated, undergoing a divorce or already divorced may be interested to know that an updated will that indicates otherwise does not stop an ex-spouse from receiving assets as long as they are listed as the designated beneficiary.
Pennsylvania child custody law and military deployment
A nonmilitary parent in Pennsylvania generally cannot request any permanent amendment to an existing child custody order that was issued by a Pennsylvania court because of the subsequent deployment of the military parent. However, either the military or nonmilitary parent may request a temporary modification due to military deployment, with the understanding that the terms of the original agreement will be reinstated upon the military parent's return from deployment.
Changing states where a child custody case is heard
When Pennsylvania parents with young children decides to get divorced, in many cases the court will determine which parent receives primary custody. However, custody cases can take time. A parent who finds a need in the interim to move to another state for economic or personal reasons, such as for a new job, may request that the custody case be heard in that new state.
