Newborn human babies are evolutionary throwbacks. Helpless, unable to walk or run after birth, and cognitively stunted due to limited brain size (according to Scientific American), human babies vividly demonstrate the biological battle between mom’s pelvic size and a baby’s big head. So who is better equipped to take custody of a newborn human? Mom, or Dad? Look to The ...
Guardians ad litem in Virginia seem to hold great sway over family law cases. Perhaps you are concerned about a court-ordered investigation and report issued by a guardian ad litem (GAL) and you wonder, can you do anything about it? What’s a GAL? A guardian ad litem (GAL) is a court-appointed legal representative whose client is your child. In any ...
Now I lay me down to sleep, but Dad’s new girlfriend is a creep. Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs,” helps people differentiate between needs and wants, and to make clear that some needs are basic and biological: food, water, safety, warmth, and rest. We may want a separate bedroom for our visiting children to get their rest, but is it ...
We all remember the quaint days of “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service.” Nowadays, it’s “No Mask, No Service.” What happens if it’s “No Court Order, No Custody” looming in your life? At The Start: Equal Responsibility in Parenting Babies are natural. Paperwork is not. Babies are born free and unencumbered by birth certificates, immunization records, report cards, driver licenses, ...
When we say, “All work is noble,” we not only forget the other half of that quotation, but we also ignore the subtle disdain it shows for anyone not working. When Maria Montessori said, “All work is noble,” she finished the thought with, “the only ignoble thing is to live without working.” What does Virginia make of a mother who ...
Parents protect their children. All mammals — otters, ocelots, wombats, numbats — worry over and coddle and defend their offspring. Instinct makes a Virginia parent especially sensitive to risk during a pandemic. Intentional or not, some Virginia custodial parents are withholding visitation and parenting time. What risk does that bring, and what is a better way? Let’s Focus on Science, ...
If you are a military man, you live and work at the whim of the military. Just as your children have almost no input into decisions that affect them, you have little input into decisions affecting you. You rise in rank and earn more pay; you are unlikely to say no to those decisions. You are relocated to a distant base; you have to ...
COVID-19 is a dread disease. Nobody — not Governor Northam, not your child’s teachers, not your family law attorney — wants you to catch this illness or worse, spread it to your own children. Here are some practical and possible ways to practice social distancing while still enjoying parenting time with your kids. Children Are Susceptible Let’s start by dispelling ...
COVID-19 has changed the pace, productivity and pleasures of daily life here in Virginia. As a non-custodial parent, you may be wondering how Governor Northam’s March 12 emergency order affects your rights to parenting time, child visitation, and maintaining a healthy family relationship. Stay at Home In addition to the COVID-19 emergency order, Governor Northam followed up with his Executive ...