HB 1499 Gets Its Hearing: Supporters Fill the Room, Opponents Raise Safety Concerns, No Vote Announced
House Bill 1499 in Pennsylvania proposes equal parenting time as the default in custody cases. Following a lengthy committee review, it received mixed responses with significant opposition citing concerns over domestic violence and custody fairness.…
Pennsylvania’s Custody Bill Gets Its Day at the Capitol. Whether It Gets a Vote Is Another Question.
Pennsylvania's House Bill 1499 proposes equal parenting time as the legal standard in custody cases, aiming for shared physical and legal custody near 50%. The bill emphasizes child safety considerations and requires clear evidence for any deviations.…
The Present Tense Problem
A Pennsylvania Superior Court ruling determined that grandparents lack custody standing if no parental custody case is currently open, even after years of a consented relationship. This decision, stemming from the McGuire case, emphasizes the…
When the System Moves Fast for Custody and Slow for Everything Else
Years after Russell Ashford pleaded guilty to brutally assaulting Antoinette Forbes, restrictions on him steadily loosened. Now Forbes is missing, Ashford faces seven firearms charges, and a family court has again been forced to confront custody of their…
The Averaging Problem: When Fifty Percent Custody Counts as Zero
The Pennsylvania Superior Court case Mosher v. Mosher illustrates complexities in child support calculations when one parent shares custody 50% of the time with one child and none with another. The decision applies an averaging formula that can obscure…
The Access Gap AI Was Supposed to Close — And What It’s Opening Instead
A recent appellate court case highlighted issues with AI-generated citations in custody matters, revealing a trend where self-represented litigants submit filings containing fabricated legal references. This problem threatens the grace doctrine, which…
When the Family Court Judge Becomes the Defendant
A Philadelphia family court judge now faces serious assault charges after allegedly attacking his wife and adult daughter inside his home. The case raises uncomfortable questions about accountability in a system that routinely judges the conduct of…
When the Court Says “Enough”: What a Pennsylvania Custody Termination Case Reveals About Family Court Limits
The Pennsylvania Superior Court upheld the termination of a mother's parental rights due to insufficient compliance with reunification efforts, emphasizing child welfare over parental rights. This case highlights the complexity of family courts, where…
When AI Lies to the Court, Families Pay the Price: Lessons From Pennsylvania
Artificial intelligence is being promoted to enhance access to justice for self-represented litigants, but a Pennsylvania scandal reveals its dangers. AI-generated errors in court filings, particularly affecting parents, lead to unfair outcomes and…
Pennsylvania Custody Exchange Ends in Tragedy, Raising Questions About Family Court Safety Failures
A post-Christmas custody exchange in Pennsylvania turned deadly, renewing concerns about why family courts continue to allow unsupervised exchanges in high-conflict cases.