Protecting Your Parental Rights & Your Child’s Best Interests
Leonid Mikityanskiy is an experienced child custody attorney who offers expert legal representation in Pennsylvania courts in parental rights, child custody, and visitation matters in Bucks County and Philadelphia. Navigating child custody can, in fact, be one of the most emotionally charged aspects of family law, often requiring sensitive handling to protect the best interests of the children involved. The non-custodial parent (the parent with whom the children are not residing) can usually have reasonable visitations with the children. Sometimes, a court will order a third party to supervise the visitations when the safety and well-being of the children is at issue.
Child Custody Services in Pennsylvania
- Understanding Child Custody:
- Physical Custody – Determines where a child lives, typically with the custodial parent. Joint physical custody arrangements are possible, allowing children to spend significant time with both parents. However, such arrangements affect the child support obligations.
- Legal Custody – Involves making major decisions for the child, including education, religious upbringing, activities, and healthcare. Joint legal custody ensures both parents have a say in these important areas.
- Custody and Visitation Challenges:
- Custody matters can arise from divorce or between unmarried parents. Allegations of abuse or domestic violence complicate the issues.
- Pennsylvania courts prioritize maintaining a parent-child relationship and work to establish fair visitation schedules, even during divorce proceedings.
- The Court of Common Pleas Family Division acts in the best interests of the child, sometimes appointing a special attorney for the child in contentious cases.
- Resolving Custody Disputes:
- Custody agreements or court orders are established at the conclusion of divorce proceedings, but modifications can occur with changing circumstances.
- You can resolve disputes over physical custody or legal custody through negotiation or court hearings, but the child’s best interests are the guiding principle.
- Visitation Rights:
- Detailed visitation schedules are essential, addressing birthdays, holidays, vacations, and regular communication between the non-custodial parent and children.
- If parents cannot agree, the court intervenes to ensure the non-custodial parents maintain meaningful relationships with their children.
- Additional Considerations in Child Custody:
- Unlawful exclusion of non-custodial parent by the custodial parent.
- Establishment of paternity is important when the father is not named on the child’s birth certificate.
- Supervised visitations with the children when there are allegations of alcohol or drug abuse by a parent.
Our Approach to Child Custody Cases
We employ a compassionate and strategic approach to child custody and visitation cases, prioritizing the well-being of the children and enforcing the rights of the parents. We aim to resolve disputes amicably whenever possible, using creative solutions to address challenges and avoid lengthy court battles. However, sometimes court invervention is necesary to resolve a bitter custody or visitation dispute. In those instances, we aggressively defend our clients’ rights to see their children and be a part of their lives.
