Child Custody / Visitation

Pennsylvania Child Custody Lawyers

When there are children in a marriage that is breaking down, child custody and visitation (parenting time) can be the most difficult and most important matters to address. The family attorneys at Vetrano & Vetrano firmly believe that a family is forever –- regardless of the change in parents’ marital status. Lawyers can help a couple eliminate the husband/wife relationship but no one can alter the fact that this couple will always be the mother and father of these children. A family is forever. Divorce can be painful and disruptive, but the connection of parents to their children continues. In short, notwithstanding the divorce, children need their parents. We will help you find solutions to the difficult issues that face you as a divorcing couple so that your family can survive the divorce.

Contact the family law attorneys at Vetrano & Vetrano for a consultation on your child custody matter. At such consultation, you will be given, and urged to read, the Divorce Book for Parents (by Vicky Lansky) to help you think about constructive ways of dealing with child custody and visitation.

The Different Types of Custody

Most parents will share the legal custody of their children, that is the decision making power that parents have concerning their children. Sharing legal custody means that the parents must discuss important issues that affect their children such as medical, educational, and religious.

Physical custody refers to the time each parent spends with the children. The parents can have shared physical custody (sometime referred to as 50/50 custody or joint custody) or one parent can have primary physical custody with the other parent having partial physical custody.

A shared custody schedule could be structured as week on/week off. For middle school or older children, the parents could switch custody and care of the children every Friday after school. For younger children, parents who share physical custody will probably want the children to be with each parent on a more frequent basis. Such a schedule could be established by having the parents alternate weekends from Friday after school until Monday when school begins. In addition, one parent would have the children overnight every Monday and Tuesday and the other parent would have the children overnight every Wednesday and Thursday.

Primary custody schedule would have the children staying primarily with one parent during the school week (Sunday overnight through Thursday overnight). The parents would alternate spending weekends with the children from Friday until either Sunday evening or Monday morning.

Each parent would have vacation time with the children and the parents would alternate having custody of the children on holidays, including school holidays such as spring/winter breaks.

Custody schedules are created to meet the needs of the family putting the best interests of the children first.

Parenting After Divorce -- Short-term and Long-term

Our family lawyers know from experience that child custody matters (along with other aspects of a divorce) can be addressed in a way that minimizes the effect on children. Our attorneys help divorcing parents plan for their interaction with their children after the divorce. We consistently look for family-centric solutions to the issues facing the parents, such as post-divorce modifications to existing custody orders. While our family lawyers are aware of, and advocate for, clients’ immediate concerns, we also help you to not lose sight of long-term interests. We understand that most people want to be a part of the significant events in a child’s life. We provide legal representation and guidance consistent with that desire. When the boomers divorce, they seem to take many steps to preserve their families.

Placing your Child's Interests before all others

Because a divorce can be so emotionally challenging for children, we often recommend clients meet with a child specialist. This specialist will help you understand how the parents actions and decisions affect the child, a child-advocate for the parents. the impacts of your actions and help you consider resolution with your child's point of view in mind. In addition, this can help with co-parenting training Co-parenting can teach parents how to be effective in their new roles. and enable you to move forward in a positive manner.

If both sides agree, child custody, visitation, child support and all other legal issues can be decided through a collaborative approach.

Family law attorneys and judges can dissolve a marriage, but they do not change the parent-child relationship. The child custody lawyers at Vetrano & Vetrano negotiate child custody and visitation agreements that foster the best interests of the children.

Contact our child custody attorneys to discuss your unique case.

We represent clients throughout eastern Pennsylvania, including the Philadelphia Main Line (Merion, Narberth, Gladwyne, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Rosemont, Villanova, St. David’s, Radnor, Wayne, Strafford, Devon, Berwyn, and Paoli) and the communities of Newtown Square, Malvern, Valley Forge, Phoenixville, Reading, Doylestown, West Chester, Media, Lancaster, Allentown, Stroudsburg, Norristown, and Easton.
Berks County, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Lancaster County, Lehigh County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, and Northampton County