Tag Archives: family

Pennsylvania Supervised Visitation

Family, ,

By Tina Laudermilch

As family law practitioners we have all encountered custody situations in which one parent may be limited to supervised visits with their child or children.  The supervisor is often times a family member or friend who is willing to lend a hand and not necessarily a professional supervised visitation center or professional.  More often than not, the family member or friend serving as a supervisor, while well intentioned, may not be aware of the level of responsibility they are undertaking by serving as a custody supervisor and they have little or no training prior to serving as a supervisor.  That is, until now when the Pennsylvania Supervised Visitation Task Force created a short educational video  to help people assigned to act as a physical custody supervisor better understand their role.

Prior to the creation of the video many people were asked to serve as child custody supervisor without really knowing what their responsibility was while being held accountable in the event something happens under the supervisor’s watch.  Common questions arose ranging from “do I have to watch the person at all times even if they go outside for a cigarette” to “if the child sleeps over, do I need to be in the same room as the person and child while everyone is sleeping?”

The Pennsylvania Supervised Visitation Task Force, headed by the Honorable Jeannine Turgeon of the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas, was comprised of family law Judges, numerous family law attorneys, including our own Sandra L. Meilton, Esquire, representatives from children and youth and the YWCA Supervised Visitation Center in Harrisburg, and child custody professionals.  The Task Force spearheaded the creation of the video and enlisted the services of the former producer of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, Margy Whitmer, to produce the video.  Many attorneys and family members graciously served as volunteer actors for the 17 minute video, which depicts five common situations which supervisors face.  The video analyzes these scenarios and provides helpful suggestions on how to more effectively conduct supervised visitation sessions.

The Task Force did an incredible job creating such a fun, innovative, and useful video to help aid people in their role as a custody supervisor.  Family law practitioners recognize the difficult role supervisors play in matters which often they had little to no responsibility for creating.  However, this is an important role because the supervisor is now tasked with ensuring the safety of our children.

For more information on supervised visitation, the Task Force or to view the video please go to http://supervisedvisit.wordpress.com.

Summer – The Season of Weddings, and Pre-nuptial Agreements

Family, , ,

Why you Need a Pre-nuptial Agreement
Sandy Meilton

ring-150x150It’s the summer season – the season of weddings.  While weddings and marriages are often fun-filled and full of hope, the stark reality is that many marriages end in separation and divorce.  In 2010 there were 2,096,000 marriages.

There were also 872,000 divorces or annulments in 2010.  The question is how to protect yourself in the event of a divorce?  Pre-nuptial agreements are one of the most useful and easiest answers to that question.  Simply stated, a pre-nuptial agreement is a written agreement between two people who are about to marry that sets out the terms of possession of assets and control of future property; the document can also address the issues of spousal support and alimony.  Here are some of the benefits of a pre-nuptial agreement:

1.         A pre-nuptial agreement can reassure the parties that the marriage is not being entered into for financial gain.  This reassurance can help to remove some of the hesitancy parties might feel moving forward with a marital commitment.

2.         Pre-nuptial agreements eliminate the uncertainty of what will happen to the parties’ finances and assets in the event of a divorce.  This certainty is important to alleviate concerns, especially where one party has significantly more assets and/or a much higher earning capacity than the other, or, where one or both of the parties have children from a prior relationship.

3.         In the unfortunate event that a marriage ends in separation or divorce, a well drafted pre-nuptial agreement can make the transition from the relationship much less stressful to all involved.  If the financial aspects of the divorce can be determined quickly and with minimal hostility, the parties can more quickly focus on and deal with the emotional upheaval surrounding the divorce.

4.         Finally, where children are involved in the separation, the resolution of the financial matters permits the parents to deal more quickly and effectively with the emotional trauma the children will experience as they adjust to life in a separated family.

My point is simple:  a well drafted pre-nuptial agreement can allow the parties to amicably agree to divide their property when cooler heads are prevailing, and while both parties can look at the other sides’ perspective.  Addressing these issues up front paves the way for a smoother dissolution should the unfortunate need arise in the future.

All of this leads to one simple suggestion – before you say “I do”, be sure to sign on the dotted line.