Family Law Issues

By WV Public 04/08/2021 “…West Virginia senators have removed a presumption of 50-50 custody from a bill that passed the House of Delegates a month ago, along with a provision to reopen closed child custody cases in which parents were not considered for equal time…” Read the entire article: https://www.wvpublic.org/government/2021-04-08/senate-judiciary-removes-50-50-custody-from-best-interests-of-the-child-protection-act

By News and Sentinel 03/23/2021 “… HB 2363 uses similar wording to Kentucky’s shared parenting law passed in 2018. Polling showed the Kentucky law was supported by about six people to every one who opposed it. The law’s popularity was further clarified when Kentucky declared the day it was signed it law, April 26, as

By News and Sentinel 03/23/2021 “…The bill includes the “Friendly Parent Factor” that considers “the likelihood of a party will allow the child frequent, meaningful and continuing contact with the other parent…” Read the entire article: https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-%20%20news/2021/03/west-virginia-may-join-kentucky-as-a-shared-parenting-state/

By Brendan Tierney – WSAZ 03/11/2021 “… H.B. 2363, known as the Best Interests of the Child Protection Act, would mandate a judge grant 50/50 shared custody whenever possible in a divorce or custody proceeding. …” Read the entire article: https://www.wsaz.com/2021/03/11/wva-legislature-considers-bill-to-mandate-split-child-custody/

By Jim Clark – Herald Net 03/14/2021 “… Instead of these families automatically sharing the total child support money from both parents in direct proportion to how much residential time the children spend at each parent’s home, judicial discretion now awards residential credit to only 7 percent of all families…” Read the entire article: https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-state-should-credit-both-parents-who-share-custody/

By Jeff Jenkins 03/08/2021 “…The Bill, HB 2363, says only a preponderance of the evidence of incompetence, neglect or abuse as defined in state code would change shared parenting. The determination would come in what’s described as “full adversarial judicial hearing. …” Read the entire article:  https://wvmetronews.com/2021/03/08/shared-custody-bill-passes-house-after-debate/

By Michael Baisden 02/19/2021 “… Paternity Fraud! Why would a woman lie about who the father is? What’s the impact on the man’s family when they discover the child they taught was their niece, nephew, or grandchild…isn’t? And how can men stop paying child support for a child that isn’t theres? …” Read the entire

By Fraendy Clervaud – ABC15 News 02/16/2021 “…Christopher kept the faith and contested the adoption. Court records show that his paternal rights were terminated without his permission. At one point he and his lawyers were willing to adopt his own daughter back. After almost a year a judge sided with him. Baby Skyler was sent back to South Carolina

By Tami Forman – Forbes 02/09/2021 “…And that includes family court, where too often mom is made the primary custodial parent and dad is given “visitation.” This can happen without anyone—including the couple involved—questioning it…” Read the entire article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tamiforman/2021/02/09/study-finds-that-equal-custody-arrangements-narrows-the-gender-pay-gap/?sh=7946cd345611

By James Varney – The Washington Times 02/15/2021 “…It also highlights alternative divorce programs that encourage mediation and shared parenting, which prevent future childhood trauma and make divorce and separation less costly both financially and emotionally, Ms. Gentile said…” Read the entire article: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/feb/15/filmmaker-ginger-gentile-wont-let-kids-be-collater/