Child Custody

Divorced parents in Hawaii can face some challenges come summertime if they are not good at communicating. During the year, it can be easier to make a schedule and stick to it, but once there is a break there is not the same consistency. To keep things drama-free for the kids, there are certain tips that may help parents. According…

When parents in Hawaii cannot reach agreements cooperatively regarding the care and custody of their children, the decision falls to the court. To make their decisions, family law judges may hear testimony, review evidence and consider a wide range of factors. At Coates Frey & Hackett, AAL LLLC, we have helped many parents understand how the court determines the best interests…

Parents have the right to petition Hawaii family courts to adjust court orders established during their divorce. For example, one parent can ask for a modification of their child support payments if they lose their job and income. It is also possible to revise a custody arrangement. However, there are specific circumstances and factors necessary to make this kind of…

Given Hawaii’s reputation as a tropical paradise, many might question why you would ever want to move away. Yet as many of those that we here at Coates Frey & Hackett, AAL LLLC have worked with, the memories connected to a divorce can quickly turn a perceived paradise into a bleak scenario. You may rightly think that moving away will help…

A lot of parents feel that the system that’s used to determine child support and custody is deeply unfair. Fathers, in particular, seem to feel that they don’t get equal treatment in the court. In an investigation for CNN, reporters spoke with numerous fathers who feel that they’ve been betrayed by the legal system after their relationships with their children’s mothers…

One of the moms featured in The Real Housewives of Orange County is modeling a post-divorce style of shared parenting that seems remarkable for its emphasis on the children — even if it isn’t for everybody. Reality TV star Gina Kirschenheiter and her husband are almost finished with their divorce — but their living situation looks remarkably similar to what it did…

When you’re divorced, custody issues are never really 100 percent settled until the youngest child becomes an adult. Until then, physical custody and visitation rights are always subject to revision, but only if there’s a good reason. What sort of things could put the custody of your children in question even years after the issue was initially settled? Generally speaking,…

If you’re a parent, your children are important to you, so it’s perfectly understandable if you’re feeling anxious about the initial child custody hearing. The more you know about what you can expect to happen, the easier it is to prepare yourself for court. Here are a few of the most important things to remember early on in a custody hearing:…

In the last few years, there’s been a seismic shift away from child custody arrangements that place children primarily in one parent’s physical custody. These days, the courts overwhelmingly favor arrangements that give both parents more or less equal time with the kids. Why the switch? The change puzzles a lot of parents who go into divorce expecting one parent…

Divorcing parents who are working out a child custody agreement are expected to consider, first and foremost, what’s in the best interests of their children. If you and your co-parent can’t work this out with the help of your attorneys and the custody arrangement...