How Facebook is used in Child Custody Battles

Believe it or not, Facebook has become a big source of information for litigators in child custody battles – even more than emails and text messages.  In a story reported by WTSP.com, one Tampa Bay, FL attorney reported that 90% of recent family law cases involved some social media activity.  The reason for this is that what you post online, or what others post about you, is documented evidence of your offline behavior, and can be used in court.  Often times this involves questionable photos, comments or other behavior that questions whether or not someone is a suitable parent.

Use Social Media with Caution

Everyone has done something embarrassing in his or her life, and the addition of Facebook has made many of these moments even more memorable.   But Facebook can be used to highlight the positive moments in your life as well.  Here a few tips on how to use Facebook responsibly:

• Always remember that Facebook is public information.
• Only post what you wouldn’t mind everyone in the world to see.
• Never post something in the heat of an argument.
• Don’t post anything that could offend others, or could be misunderstood.
• Share only positive information.

At the law firm of Butler & Allen, P.A. we are here to represent your best interests.  For more information on how your needs will be represented, contact our family law firm today.

• Income Differences – A substantial difference in income between the two parties is often a common reason for considering a premarital agreement.
• Property Ownership – Property owned by either spouse becomes shared through marriage.
• Children from Another Marriage – There may be children from another marriage that need to be financially taken care of in the future.
• Financial Debt – Debt is another liability that can become a shared responsibility through marriage.  If there is a substantial amount of debt by one spouse, than it’s a good decision to address this issue before marriage.

At Butler & Allen, P.A. we have experience helping families plan for their future financial security.  For more information about how we can help your family too, contact our MN Family Law Firm today.

Another way to reach an agreement for Child Custody is through Collaborative Family Law.  Collaborative family law is a form of mediation in which the interests of every family member are given highest priority, and the ultimate goal is to reach a settlement that benefits the entire family.  Unlike custody evaluation, there is no third party mediator and the attorneys for both parties work together towards reaching a mutual agreement.  Any conflicts that may arise are generally resolved through collaborative problem solving, not through litigation.

Helping families with Child Custody is something that our Family Law Firm is familiar with and we want to help your family achieve the best possible outcome.  Contact us today to discuss your case and learn more about how your needs will be best represented.  More information can also be found by visiting our Child Custody FAQs page.

That model is out of date and this new legislation is hoping to use the evidence that only 1 in 6 child custody cases is the father granted custody.  From the article:

The Center for Parental Responsibility has amassed a wide collection of statistics supporting its case. For example, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for its Survey on Child Health, children who grow up fatherless are more likely to drop out of school and are at greater risk of alcohol and drug abuse.

The Minnesota Family Lawyers at Butler & Allen fight for father’s rights and understand the bias that they often face in the courtroom.  If you are in a divorce or child custody battle, please contact one of our father’s rights attorney’s and we will help to answer any questions you have.

Reference Article from the WC Trib website.

• Where will your child live?
• Is this the home he/she will continue to have as her primary residence?
• What is the time breakdown for your child and each parent?
• What schedule works best for your child?
• What schedule works best for each parent?
• What if the other parent lives in a different geographical location?
• Who will be providing the transportation?
• Where will your child spend vacations, holidays, and special events?
• What holidays will your child celebrate?
• Do you want your child to participate in certain cultural events?
• How will your child’s time off from school be spent?
• In what way and how far in advance will you communicate with the other parent about special events or vacations?
• Who will be the physician?

There is a lot to consider when deciding how to allocate time between parents. But, if you discuss these items in advance, and have a plan going in, it could save you a huge headache down the road.

This divorce and parenting legal advice was brought to you by the Minnesota Family Lawyers at Butler & Allen, P.A.

The Alabama Supreme Court on February 21st, 2012 declined to hear the grandparent’s appeal to the ruling that they had no legal rights to visit their grandchildren if the parent’s were against it.

The last ruling on this topic in Alabama was in June 2011 when the Court ruled that limited visitation rights for grandparent’s was unconstitutional, because the parent’s should ultimately decide what is best for their children.  That ruling came from the “Grandparent Visitation Act” in which a trial judge approved and granted unsupervised visits to grandparent’s.

The topic of grandparent visitation rights is handled state by state. You should check with your state’s guidelines to inform yourself of what legal rights grandparent’s have when it comes to grandchildren.

Here is an article from an Alabama news website detailing the Grandparent Visitation case.

If you are struggling with issues of visitation rights, whether they are visitation rights of the biological mother or father, step-parents, or grandparents, our experienced family law attorneys can help counsel you and walk you through the steps necessary to receive a fair judgement on your case.  Contact us today to set up a free consultation.

Reasons Nominated:“This blog focuses on father’s rights and shares information relevant to parents in Minnesota and beyond.”

Thank you to our readers who have found this to be a resource for your family law questions.  We hope to continue informing you and please feel free to write us with blog topic suggestions or inquiries by filling out our online contact form here.

A Parenting Plan is a document that is meant to address the agreed upon rules the parent will follow to take care of the child(ren) involved in the divorce.  This document will often set clear expectations from the beginning and therefore help to keep disagreements to a minimum.  It can outline:

• Which holidays will be split between parents and an agreement for future years.
• Limitations or agreements on where the parents can live.  For example, agreeing to first discuss the other party moving to another city that would then make transportation to school or regular activities more difficult, before they actually move.
• The amount of time each parent will be responsible for each week, month, year, etc.  The more clear this can be from the beginning, the easier it will be to manage once the divorce is final.
• Which parent will be responsible for taking the child to after school activities, church, what happens if the child gets sick during school, who will pick them up?

Parenting plans can be as short or as detailed as the parents feel comfortable drafting.  At Butler & Allen, we can help you draft the Parenting Plan and often starting the process early can show the custody judge you want the best for your child and are willing to work with the other parent.  Of course in some situations parenting plans are not practical if one party is asking for full custody, but in cases where custody will be divided Parenting Plans can provide an agreed upon document that limit emotional arguments and simply list in black and white the plan.

If you would like to talk to one of our Family Lawyers about drafting a Parenting Plan, or regarding any other child custody questions please call us at 651-228-0720 or fill out our online contact form.

However, the mother is often given an unfair advantage because of courtroom bias and stereotypes.  Our family attorneys work in the courtroom to get father’s fair custody and rights during the divorce.

We recently saw an interview with an attorney in Michigan speaking about this courtroom bias and how today more than ever father’s rights are an issue that need to be stood up for.  See the video here.

Let us help you get the father’s rights you deserve in court today. Fill out our online contact form for a free consultation with one of our family law attorneys today.

Here are five suggestions we have on finding the right family law attorney in Minnesota:

1. Do they offer a free consultation?  Lawyers should be willing to meet with you, free of charge, to discuss your case and if they believe you have a case worth pursuing, or if there are alternatives to seek out first such as mediation.
2. References, references, references. Make sure the family lawyer you meet with can provide you with proof they have experience where you most need it.
3. Do they ‘specialize’ in everything? When you are looking for a family law attorney, you should make sure that is what they specialize in. All-in-one law firms tend to lack the expertise needed in the family law courtrooms.
4. Check them out on the BBB.  If you see any recent complaints or a grade that is a C, D, or F, walk away.
5. Google them.  A fast Google search for the firm’s name can turn up reviews, good or bad, about the firm. Doing this research can give you a better idea of the family law attorneys you are trusting your case to.

At Butler & Allen, P.A. we specialize in family law and fathers rights in Minnesota.  If you would like to meet with us for a free consultation to discuss your case, call us at 651-228-0720 or fill out our online contact form to get in touch with a MN Family Law Attorney and we will get back to you soon.