If you’re going through a divorce on Long Island or have recently finalized one and share children with your ex-spouse, you’re likely dealing with matters of child custody and co-parenting. Co-parenting can be challenging, but studies show a child benefits most after a divorce if they continue to have a meaningful relationship with both of their parents. Here are 5 tips to effectively co-parent your child after your divorce and how to get legal help when you need it.

Child custody cases in New York can be extraordinarily complex, even when both parents live in the state. Out-of-state child custody cases tend to be even more involved, and international child custody cases are arguably the most intricate. Here’s what you should know about how international child custody cases are handled, how you can relocate with your child internationally without penalty, and what to do if your ex has taken your child out of the country against court orders.

Medical decisions are among the most important decisions that can be made for your child. However, it may not always be clear who is able to make those decisions, who would be overstepping their boundaries if they made medical decisions for the child, and how those decisions should be made. Here’s what you should know about how divorced parents can make medical decisions for their child.

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The coronavirus pandemic has upended life in New York, and every corner of the state is feeling the effects, including Long Island. How does the pandemic affect your child custody and visitation orders, especially if you or your ex get sick? Here’s what you should know.

Will Visitation Carry On As Normal During the Pandemic?

If you, your ex, and your child are feeling well and do not appear to be sick, there’s no reason to alter your visitation schedule. You should practice social distancing in other ways, such as ordering groceries online and staying home when at all possible. However, if you’re well, you and your ex can — and should — still pick up and drop off your child according to your original child custody court orders.

Fighting for child custody is essential but exhausting work. Research and court opinion has long indicated that, with rare exceptions, a meaningful relationship between both parents is in a child’s best interests. Here are some ways you can increase the chances that you’ll receive a favorable child custody judgment.

Difficult child custody matters can take a turn for the worse when one parent begins to manipulate a child to dislike or even hate the other parent. This is called parental alienation and can be devastating for both the alienated parent and the child.

It’s estimated that 11-15% of divorces with children involve parental alienation. This manipulation can cause children to experience anxiety, depression, self-harming behaviors, and may result in the development of more challenging disorders, such as borderline or narcissistic personality disorder.

If your child has been weaponized against you by the other parent, here’s what you can do.

Parental alienation, or parental manipulation, is all too common in high-conflict divorces or child custody battles. Unfortunately, it’s also devastating and can cause an irreparable breakdown of parent-child relationships. Here’s what you need to know about parental alienation and what your legal options are if you believe your child’s other parent is manipulating them to alienate you.

If you’re involved in a divorce, child custody, or child support case, drug testing may be involved either for yourself or your ex, or both. Here’s what you need to know about why Long Island courts order drug tests, how they’re conducted, and when you should reach out for help from an experienced family law attorney.

Why Drug Tests Are Used in Family Court

Contrary to popular belief, drug use isn’t something penalized by family courts, even when illegal. A family court will not issue criminal charges but may forward the case to a prosecutor if deemed necessary, usually in clear instances where more than personal use is suspected. Rather, the primary consideration behind drug testing is ensuring the wellbeing and best interests of any children involved. If drug use is highly suspected, family courts will order testing to confirm and take appropriate action to reduce harm to the child, including but not limited to suspending child custody and visitation rights until a drug rehabilitation program has been completed successfully.