Alex How does child custody work in PA courts?
This article will explain how Pennsylvania judges treat child custody when one parent wants to relocate. Pennsylvania courts determine custody based on what is in the child’s best interest.
Who is the custodial parent in child custody?
In a child custody arrangement, usually one parent will have more custody rights with a child than the other parent. This parent is usually called the “custodial parent”; the child usually lives with this parent for the majority of the time.
How old do you have to be to get custody in PA?
In fact, Pennsylvania law defines a “child” as an unemancipated individual under 18 years of age. (23 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 5322 (a).) So, until the child reaches 18, the court has jurisdiction—meaning, control—over when, where, and how frequently the child and parents will see each other.
Can a non custodial parent get visitation in PA?
Pennsylvania recognizes parental contact and support as important for a child’s development, so courts will try to grant at least some visitation rights to non-custodial parents in most situations.
How does custody of a child work in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania law expresses a preference for parents to share as equally as possible in the custody of a child in a divorce case. In Pennsylvania, it is preferable for parents to reach an agreement on child custody. Pennsylvania family courts prefer arrangements where the parents share parental rights and responsibilities.
In a child custody arrangement, usually one parent will have more custody rights with a child than the other parent. This parent is usually called the “custodial parent”; the child usually lives with this parent for the majority of the time.
Can a grandparent get custody of a child in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania permits one or both grandparents to be awarded partial custody of a grandchild, or visitation rights, if one of the child’s parents dies. The child must have lived with the grandparent (s) for more than a year, and there must be no contention between the grandparent and the child’s parent (s).
When does a court award sole custody in PA?
Under child custody laws in Pennsylvania, the court awards sole custody when it serves for the child’s best interests. Shared custody is desirable but not always plausible in cases where the child’s welfare is at risk with one of the parents.
Can a child live with a non-custodial parent?
But the custodial parent must understand that major decisions implied by have shared legal custody will need to be worked out with the non-custodial parent – just because the child lives primarily with one parent does not give that parent the sole authority to make all important decisions on the child’s behalf.
When can a child decide which parent to live with in PA?
Family law in Pennsylvania considers a child under 18 an unemancipated individual. Thus under PA child visitation laws the frequency, schedule and place of visitation is controlled by the court in the custody order along other details on parenting exchanges.
Pennsylvania recognizes parental contact and support as important for a child’s development, so courts will try to grant at least some visitation rights to non-custodial parents in most situations.
Family law in Pennsylvania considers a child under 18 an unemancipated individual. Thus under PA child visitation laws the frequency, schedule and place of visitation is controlled by the court in the custody order along other details on parenting exchanges.
How does gender affect child custody in PA?
the child’s wishes. The courts, however, may not consider gender in their determination. Pennsylvania’s child custody laws include a gender-neutrality provision to overcome favorable and unfavorable biases towards both genders and help ensure each parent has an equal custody right to their child.