Seeking Child Custody As An Unwed Father

Men often face an uphill battle in family courts because of antiquated gender stereotypes, but that hill is even steeper for unwed fathers seeking custody of their children. Over the last 50 years, the number of children born to unmarried parents has exploded. Since 1960, the share of births to …

Protecting Your Child From An Abusive Spouse

Question: My son lives with his mother and stepfather and he is regularly abused by both of them. One day he ran away and showed up at my doorstep. I couldn’t turn him away, but I don’t want to get in any trouble. Do I have any options?

What Are My Rights After Being Served An Ex Parte Order?

Question: My wife recently filed an ex parte order and I was kicked out of our house. I only had a few minutes to gather my things. There are a few personal items, like work boots and my personal car, that I need. How do I get this stuff without …

The Nuclear Weapon Of Divorce: Orders Of Protection

Last week, Cordell & Cordell principal partner Joe Cordell fielded questions from callers on the Charlie Brennan Show on KMOX NewsRadio in St. Louis. One of the questions concerned orders of protection. A caller described how when he started the divorce process his attorney warned him that his wife could …

Collecting Child Support On Two Separate Court Orders

Question: My divorce case was dismissed, but I have had to continue paying child support awarded through the temporary order. She also recently asked for and was awarded a plenary order of protection that includes another award of child support on this order. Can she collect child support on both …

Does A Protection Order Still Apply If The Child Is Over 18?

Question: My ex-wife had a protection order for her and our child against me several years ago. Now our child is 18, no longer lives with her mother, and has expressed interest in having me back in her life. Is the protection order still in effect if the child is …

What Qualifies As Domestic Violence To Get An Order Of Protection?

Question: What qualifies as domestic violence in order to seek an order of protection? My wife has violent mood swings. She usually resorts to name calling but when she gets really mad she will push me, slap me, and make physical threats sometimes while I’m holding our newborn child. What …

Moving Children Out Of State Based On Order Of Protection

Question: My ex-wife filed a personal protection order against me and moved to another state with our child several years ago. I haven’t seen our child since. Was it legal for my ex-wife to move the child out of state based on an order of protection?

Depositing Assets Into A Separate Account During A Separation

Question: I am separated from my wife and have been depositing my assets into a separate account rather than our joint account. She just bought a car and is demanding that I put my separate money back into the joint account so she can have assistance in paying for the …

Orders Of Protection Used As ‘Tactical Nuclear Weapons’ Against Dads

An order of protection is a tactical nuclear weapon held by women in divorce that is predominately used as de facto sole custody orders. DadsDivorce.com founder Joseph Cordell writes about the abuse of a system designed to protect against abuse in his Huffington Post article “Order of Protection: And Justice …