Category Archives: Family

People involved in contentious family law proceedings need to proceed cautiously …. They believe that mediation is only effective in family law cases under the..Family law news and headlines from around the web.

Blog, Divorce, Family, Legal News

How to Win a Custody Battle

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  1. Take action first. If the mother of your child takes you to court, then you will have a problem. When a father takes the mother of the child to court, it shows the court that you really want to be in your child’s life and want to take action.

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2. Pay child support. Even if it’s not ordered into court yet, no matter what. Give something every month and do not give cash, write a check, money order, etc.

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3. Avoid arguing with the other parent. This only makes things worse and it will start giving your child mixed emotions.

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4. Call the police. If at any time the other parent argues with you, just walk out and call the police. “Do not argue back”, because it can be put into a police report and it can be used against you in court.

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5. Spend as much quality time with the children as possible. Take them to activities them will enjoy every time you are with them and document the activities with photos. Do they enjoy swimming, face painting and walks in the woods?

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6. Great–do that and more with them and have the photos to prove it. Don’t have time to take them somewhere special? No problem–make a game of whatever you are doing with them form shopping at the local Publix to raking leaves. Make it fun for the kids and get photos of the good times to back it up.

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7. Be present. Make sure you attend as many teacher conferences, doctors appointments and extracurricular activities as you can and be sure to know the names of their teachers, doctors, friends, coaches and babysitters.

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8. Keep track of everything. This is very important, keep track everyday when you see/don’t see your child. It will also help you in the long run. Do not tell the other parent that you are keeping track.

  • Record each and every time the other parent breaches the current custody agreement. Record every omission, such as, late pickup/returning, didn’t return child’s things, didn’t pay math tutor, no show at parent-teacher conference, etc.
  • Keep a detailed record of all payments. This includes all child support payments and other financial obligations governed by current agreement. Keep it in the file with your other court documents.

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9. Make your visits. Make sure that you are making your visits when it’s your day. If you cannot make it for some reason, make sure you call the other parent and tell her. Not making a scheduled visit will look bad on your part.

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10. Dress professionally. Make sure you are dressed nicely with a suit, etc. Don’t dress like a slob with ripped jeans or a ripped shirt.

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11. Make sure that you go to all your court dates. Missing court could result in a warrant for your arrest.

12. Be yourself but also demand your rights.

Blog, Divorce, Family, Legal News, Supreme Court

Rocco Ritchie Allegedly Pictured Smoking Amid Custody Battle: ‘This Is Exactly What Madonna Has Been Afraid Of,’ Says Source

BY JEFF NELSON

02/08/2016 AT 07:10 AM EST

Madonna and Guy Ritchie‘s custody battle rages on.

Over the weekend, U.K.’s The Sun posted photos of the exes’ underage son Rocco allegedly smoking with friends in London while under his father’s care.

“This is exactly what Madonna has been afraid of,” a source tells PEOPLE. “Rocco still isn’t back in school – and now this. He is just a rebellious teenager, but he needs guidance and direction from his father.”

The teen had been on tour for a few months with Madonna, 57, but left to go live with his father, 47, in the U.K. in December because, as sources previously told PEOPLE, he prefers his father’s laid-back parenting style.

However, when Rocco refused to return home to his mother for the holidays, a judge reportedly ordered him to return to New York for his parents to sort out his living situation. Despite the order, Ritchie has yet to return Rocco to the United States, and a source close to the singer alleges Rocco has missed some school. As a Ritchie source told PEOPLE last week, Madonna even visited her son in between tour legs to make a plea for him to come home.

As a Ritchie source told PEOPLE last week, “It’s about a fundamental difference in parental philosophies,” adding the filmmaker views his ex’s “old-school” approach as “counter-productive” and “harming his self-esteem and confidence at such a crucial part of his life.”

But a friend of the former couple – who finalized their divorce in 2008 – believes the custody squabble was caused in part by their contentious history.

“This is far beyond a situation about Rocco – it’s about a situation between Madonna and Guy,” the friend told PEOPLE last month. “They don’t have a good relationship; it’s more of a power fight between them and if he can one-up her. This is the best way he can do it.”

Madonna and Ritchie are due in New York Supreme Court for a hearing March 2; reps are not commenting.

Full Article From  – http://www.people.com/article/madonna-guy-ritchie-custody-battle-rocco-smoking-underage

Blog, Divorce, Family, Legal News

Ryan Phillippe Has Found His Soulmate in Law Student Paulina Slagter: They’re ‘Madly in Love,’ Says Friend

BY LINDA MARX

UPDATED 01/04/2016 AT 08:35 AM EST

•ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED 01/03/2016 AT 05:35 PM EST

Over the moon about his engagement to law student Paulina Slagter, actorRyan Phillippe, 40, spent a whirlwind New Year’s weekend at eco-friendly One Hotel & Homes South Beach celebrating with his new fiancéée.

“Ryan and Paulina are very much in love,” a close friend of the actor’s tells PEOPLE. “She is changing him. He is a better man.”

One of the things Phillippe loves the most about Slagter, 24, is her mind, says the source, who spent the weekend with the couple. He is mesmerized by her intelligence and desire to make life better for everyone around her.

“Ryan feels Paulina is very intelligent and has opened his mind to equality and civil rights, areas he has never really focused on that intently,” the source adds.

“Being a student at Stanford law is impressive to him, and he is very proud of her. He feels that she has the ability to change the world and make it a better place.”

Another thing that made Phillippe want to marry Slagter was her affection for the children he shares with ex-wife Reese Witherspoon, Ava, 16, and Deacon, 12, as well as his daughter Kai, 4, with Alexis Knapp, a former girlfriend. “Paulina loves Ryan’s children, and they love her,” says the source.

Adds the source: “Ryan is madly in love and wants to spend the rest of his life with Paulina.

“And the feeling is mutual. They had eyes only for each other during the South Beach weekend. They are a wonderful couple.”

Read Full Article – http://www.people.com/article/ryan-phillippe-has-found-soulmate-law-student-paulina-slagter

Blog, Divorce, Family, Legal News

MELANIE GRIFFITH, ANTONIO BANDERAS DIVORCE FINAL He Keeps ‘Zorro’ Money, They Split ‘Shrek’ Cash

12/8/2015 10:07 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas are officially single, after dividing a huge chunk of movie change.

According to final divorce docs, obtained by TMZ, Antonio made a lot of dough on “The Mask of Zorro,” “Desperado,” and “Spy Kids.” He keeps all the cash from those flicks and she gets to keep what she made from her earlier work.

Melanie and Antonio split money from every movie either of them did between 2004 and 2014, including “Shrek 2,” “Puss in Boots,” “Machete Kills,” “Expendables 3” and others.

It appears they signed some sort of postnup in 2004 which changed the financial deal of their marriage … they married in 1996 but it seems they kept everything separate from the date of their marriage until 2004.

Antonio is not getting out clean … he’s paying her $65k a month in spousal support.

She gets the house in Aspen and they sold their L.A. mansion and split the profits.

And there’s a lot of rich people’s stuff that was divvied up. She gets a Picasso called “The Painter and His Model.” He gets a pencil drawing by Picasso and another pencil drawing by Diego Rivera.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/12/08/melanie-griffith-antonio-banderas-divorce-zorro-shrek/#ixzz3tnC6ZqUs

Blog, Divorce, Family, Legal News

Kendra Wilkinson, Hank Baskett Don’t Watch Their Marital Struggles Play Out on TV: “We Don’t Want to Live It Again”

/ By Rachel McRady

Though Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett don’t mind airing their dirty laundry on reality TV, the couple doesn’t necessarily want to see their toughest moments play out on their WE tv show, Kendra on Top.

“We don’t watch it,” Wilkinson, 30, admitted to Us Weekly at the Ubisoft Rainbow Six Siege “Siege Day” launch party on Monday, Nov. 23. “I’ll answer questions along the way with fans and everything, but I lived it. And we really don’t want to live it again. We’re past it now. It’s on to new and better things. We’ve grown.”

The Bad Girls Club alum says her six-year marriage (which faltered after Baskett’s cheating scandal) “couldn’t be better,” but noted that as the parents of Hank IV, 5, and Alijah, 17 months, they do struggle to find alone time.

“We’re focusing hard on our kids, and it’s the best thing,” she said. “But the one thing we haven’t done in a while is, like, really take time for ourselves. So this [event] is actually a date night that we really did need. This was a huge date night for us.”

Baskett, 33, says he has taken it upon himself to “swoop her off her feet,” noting, “We’re devoted, but you can’t get over that part. You can’t get over each other. The kids wouldn’t be here if you two didn’t fall in love with each other.”

Despite the couple’s outward display of devotion, a source recently told Us that they are still struggling to get over Baskett’s alleged affair with a transgender model in June 2014.

“She’s deeply unhappy,” an insider says of Wilkinson, but said she “wants to stay together for the kids.”

Full Article – http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/kendra-wilkinson-hank-baskett-dont-watch-their-tv-show-find-out-why-w158419