child custody based on the best interest and welfare of the child.

The Pennsylvania courts make decisions about child custody based on the best interest and welfare of the child. The following forms of custody can be granted:

Sole custody — As the sole legal custodian, you have the right to make long-term plans and decisions for your child’s welfare. As the sole physical custodian, your child lives with you and you have the right to make the everyday decisions that govern your child’s needs. Sole custody means you have both legal and physical custody.

Joint custody — In joint legal custody, you and your spouse share in your child’s upbringing and your child lives with one of you. If physical custody is shared, the child has two residences.

In either situation, the non-custodial parent receives visitation rights. In determining custody, the court considers:

- The child’s preference
- Each parent’s ability to provide for the child’s physical, emotional and intellectual well-being
- The ability of each parent to nurture frequent and continuing contact between the child and the non-custodial parent
- Any abusive or criminal conduct by either parent

Our legal team has combined its experience and knowledge

Our legal team has combined its experience and knowledge to assist you with all your Family Law needs. Because we specialize in family law we are thoroughly knowledgeable and stay up to date regarding the family laws of Pennsylvania. We stay up to date with the ongoing changes in Family Law in Bucks County, PA and can help with any modifications you need to make to current cases or that need to be made to past cases Your case is important to us, and we’ll work with you before, during and after your case to make sure that your case is properly handled, and then go one step further to make sure you have plans for the next step if it becomes necessary.Every case is unique. For specific answers to your questions, call (215)860-8200 today. We can provide you with the advice you need to obtain the results you deserve.

How Can a Divorce Lawyer for Men Help?

By understanding the basic history of divorce in the United States, and having an in-depth knowledge and experience of the biases against men in family law courts, father’s rights attorneys are able to give men more than just a fighting chance at obtaining equality in the eyes of the law. While many states specifically have outlawed the use of the “Tender Years Doctrine” in divorce cases, the feeling that many judges still hold near and dear is that mother’s, not father’s make better residential parents.

The antiquated notions of women being better caregivers then men may be beginning to dissipate, but the fact remains that women file divorce at more than double the rate of men because they know the law (and biases) are on their side. There is no better defense than a good offense, which is why having a divorce lawyer for men is critical to protecting a man’s rights to his family, property, and income.

Resource: familylawrights.net

LGBT Adoption Information

LGBT adoption is the adoption of children by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT) persons. This may be in any of the following forms:

Joint Adoption: When a same-sex couple, married or unmarried, jointly adopts a child

Step-parent Adoption: When one partner of a married same-sex couple adopts the other partner’s biological or adopted child

Second Parent Adoption: When one partner of a same-sex couple, married or unmarried, adopts the other partner’s biological or adopted child

Single-parent Adoption: When a single LGBT person adopts a child

If you are an LGBT person in the United States who is hoping to adopt, you have come to the right place.

LGBT Adoption Information

In recent times, more and more birthparents are choosing same-sex couples over different-sex couples. As reported on the 2000 Census, about 65,000 children lived with same sex parents. In 2012, 110,000 children live with same sex parents—nearly a 100% increase.

Let Us Know How We Can Help!

Newtown Market Day

Market Day is a well-attended and wonderful event featuring crafters, artisans, fine arts, entertainment and food held on the first Saturday in October. Over 90 crafters will present a wide variety of interesting crafts, and demonstrations will include: chaircaning, quilting, and rug hooking. Our latest addition, a Farmer’s Market, will sell fresh-from-the-farm produce. Folk music, children’s activities, games, horse-drawn hayrides and a colonial militia encampment will be held throughout the day. Featured this year is a Puppet Theater in the Boone Garden. Local restaurants are participating in our Festival of Foods and Open Hearth Cooking will also be demonstrated. Activities will be held in and around historic Court Street & Centre Avenue from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This year we have expanded to honor the 40th year of Market Day. The Newtown Library will hold a 5k run and Business sponsors will be set up on State Street between Court and Washington Streets. Historic Market Day was first held on Saturday, September 16, 1978, reviving an old tradition in Newtown, where long ago, local farmers brought their crops to town to sell. It was a day of festivities and contests that culminated with a horse race down State Street. So come and be a part of History. Stroll along charming Court Street and step back in time, while listening to the Town Crier announce activities and events.

Your Guide to Grandparent Rights

Families can splinter for a number of reasons: divorce, the death of a parent, drug or alcohol abuse, incarceration. When those situations occur, grandparents do have certain legal rights, and can seek visitation with grandchildren or even custody, but the relevant laws vary from state to state. Understanding your own basic rights can help ensure that your relationship with your grandchildren doesn't end even if the children's relationship with your adult child does.

The State of Grandparent Rights Grandparents in every state in the United States have rights, in some circumstances, to be awarded custody of their grandchildren or to be awarded court-mandated visitation with their grandchildren. Grandparents' rights are not constitutional in nature....Recognition of grandparents' rights by state legislatures is a fairly recent trend, and most of the statutes have been in effect for less than 35 years. Federal legislation may affect grandparents' rights, though these rights are based primarily on state law. Congress passed the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act in 1980, which requires that each state give full faith and credit to child custody decrees from other states. Federal legislation passed in 1998 also requires that courts in each state recognize and enforce grandparental visitation orders from courts in other states. All states have adopted a version of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (previously the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act), which requires courts in the state where a child resides to recognize and enforce valid child custody orders from another state. Though the UCCJEA is not a federal statute, the provisions of this uniform law as adopted in each state are similar.

Understanding Annulment

When considering a divorce you may wonder if you are eligible for an annulment. An annulment is a void of marriage. People belonging to certain religious groups may find an annulment a sound alternative from divorce. If you have an annulment you are considered single rather than divorced after the process. An annulment may be granted for the following reasons:

- Your spouse was married to someone else when you were married

- Lack of consummation

- Your spouse was not of sound mind at the time of marriage

- Fraud or misrepresentation

- Your spouse is impotent

- You or your spouse was under the age of consent at the time of marriage.

When seeking an annulment you must give specific reasons and supply evidence supporting you claims. The filing timeframe for an annulment varies from state to state. Annulments usually follow a brief marriage, but can depend on if your seeking an annulment due to something such as fraud. In such case your time limit may depend on when you discovered the fraud, and not on your actual marriage date.

State law governs annulments. Similar to divorce the rules vary state to state. Your annulment should be filed in the county where you live.

To obtain a civil annulment you must have a reason beyond irreconcilable differences to justify terminating your marriage. If you can not prove this a no-fault divorce may be a better way to dissolve the marriage without having to prove that one spouse or the other engaged in misconduct.

You will want to seek advice from a family lawyer if deciding to obtain an annulment. Family Law can help with establishing the timeframe for filing in your state. A family layer can also establish if the grounds for filing make any difference for the timeframe when filing and if you have prof necessary to move forward with an annulment.