January, 2009 | Pennsylvania Family Law Blog - The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz Archive
Pennsylvania Child Custody Issues Can Be Complex For Same-Sex Couples
Same sex custody cases have been rare in Pennsylvania but they do occasionally come up from time to time. This article in the Sharon Herald talks about the one such case that has garnered public attention in Mercer County. This case involves Lisa Lewis, a non-biological parent who is seeking custody of a child she helped raise with her same-sex partner.
The article quotes former longtime Common Pleas Judge Michael J. Wherry, who says he has never had a same-sex custody case, but has dealt with non-biological parents like Lewis who seek an “in loco parentis” status for visitation and custody reasons. The term “in loco parentis” is Latin for “in the place of a parent” or “instead of a parent” and refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to take on some of the functions and responsibilities of a parent. A same sex custody case would be handled the same way as when a non-biological parent would seek an “in loco parentis” status. If it is in the best interest of the child, the parent will end up getting some measure of custody but they will need the help of a skilled child custody lawyer.
Pennsylvania’s New Rules Will Put Cases Involving Children on Fast Track
Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court has adopted new rules that are designed to speed up court action on the most serious cases involving children. According to this Associated Press news report, these new rules will help children who are involved in cases that concern dependency, custody, adoption, paternity and termination of parental rights. These cases will be stamped “Children’s Fast Track” to make sure that appeals from county courts to state appellate courts are processed quicker.
These rules were apparently developed by a panel with the hope that the changes will help improve the public’s confidence in the judicial system. Cases that involve visitation, child support and delinquency will not be affected by these changes. Read the rest »
Pennsylvania Mom Arrested for Failing to Pay Child Support
The Allegheny County Sheriff’s office arrested a woman who owes more than $40,000 in child support, according to this Associated Press news report. Genevieve Null, 38, of McKees Rocks, fled to Florida but returned to Pennsylvania. Officials have been looking for her for about three years, they said. Null had also been featured on a Sheriff’s Office Web site as one of Allegheny County’s “most wanted.” Read the rest »
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