Pennsylvania Child Custody Cases Affected by Economic Crisis

By Sheryl Rentz on April 6, 2009

The economic downturn is having its effect on divorced parents and child custody in Pennsylvania. According to a WPXI News report, tough economic times are forcing Pennsylvania parents to take jobs outside of the city they live in. This is causing legal problems because if they have children and a child custody agreement, then they cannot leave the area. The article gives the example of a mom with three sons who left Allegheny County and moved to Butler County with the children. But the courts saw it as the mother taking the children away to a different place without the father’s permission. As a result, the mother not only lost primary physical custody of her children, but is also now burdened with paying attorney fees to sort out the mess.

A number of parents do not know that they cannot do this without first getting permission from the court, especially when there is a child custody agreement in place. Parents should err on the side of caution when they relocate and inform the courts about it. Otherwise, their move could be misunderstood as kidnapping since the legal system aims to protect the custodial rights of both parents.

There is no question that child custody issues can be hard to understand. Pennsylvania divorce and child custody laws can be complex. If you are in a situation where you need to modify your child custody settlement or agreement, please contact an experienced Philadelphia child custody lawyer to make sure your rights are protected and that you are following the right procedures.