DadsDivorce Live: Social worker Gary Direnfeld

DadsDivorce Live host Rick Ortiz visits with social worker Gary Direnfeld, who is considered an expert on social work, marital and family therapy, child development, parent-child relations, custody and access recommendations. Dubbed “Your Social Worker,” Direnfeld recently wrote an article saying a 50-50 split residential arrangement may equal a loss of relationship …

Ask a Divorce Lawyer: Is income of the parties a factor in deciding who gets custody?

Question: I live in Missouri and am going to get a divorce. I was wondering what is the biggest factor in who will get the kids? My wife makes a lot more money, but I’m the one who takes care of them most of the time, drop off and pick …

Can a third party have standing to interfere and stop a divorce?

Question: Temporary custody of our three grandchildren was given to the kids’ aunt and uncle, who are blood relatives of the kids’ deceased mother rather than giving custody to the kids’ father. The case is still in appeals as our son (the kids’ father) wasn’t given due process. Now the …

Ask a Divorce Lawyer: What’s the best strategy to get the custody I want?

Question: My wife has been cheating on me. When I found out I confronted her and she told me all about the affair. I don’t have any physical evidence though. We have a 3 year old and I want joint custody with me as the primary caregiver. What should I …

Ask a Divorce Lawyer: If I believe my ex is using drugs, can she be forced to a drug test?

Question: My ex wife has primary physical custody of our three children all under 8 years old. We share legal custody. She has a history of drug use and I have reason to believe that she, along with her live-in boyfriend, is using marijuana again. Can I have her drug …

Ask a Divorce Lawyer: My cheating wife says if I divorce her no matter what she gets half of everything. Is that true?

Question: Through the Internet, my wife has found someone that she says she loves more than me. She is having sex chats and video sex with him on our computer. I’ve confronted her about this and she says if I divorce her then she gets at least half of everything. …

How do you settle an issue that’s not addressed in the decree?

Question: I have primary physical custody and the other parent has our kids two nights a week for dinner only. Who is responsible for transportation of the kids on those two “dinner nights”? It’s not addressed in our divorce decree. How do you add a condition to the decree?

Ask a Divorce Lawyer: What does child support cover?

Question: I am finalizing our separation and will use the formula for alimony and child support. My wife is asking that we further split costs of extracurricular activities. I am unsure what, exactly, child support is intended to cover and what it does not cover. Understanding that will allow a …

Ask a Divorce Lawyer: Years ago I hit my wife. How much will that affect custody of my children if we get a divorce?

Question: I want to divorce my wife. She continually accuses me of chasing women and constantly forces me to leave work early to take care of our 9-month-old daughter because she claims she’s “sick.” I think she just wants me to be at home to always monitor me. She is …

Ask a Divorce Lawyer: Can her ex have his child support increased based on my additional income?

Question: My wife’s youngest daughter, now a high school senior, has decided to move in with her biological father. As such, my wife told her ex husband to stop paying the child support of $833 each month since the daughter will now be living with him. Her ex husband has …