COVID-19: Family Law Guidance and Court Updates
COVID-19 is being aggressively combated from all angles, but that does not mean your family law issues are cured. During this historic time, our family law practice is working diligently to address developing and ongoing concerns in any of your cases that are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, to communicate court closings and to help our clients reach overall resolutions in the absence of court intervention.
03.17.20
As precautions surrounding COVID-19 increase, separated and divorced parents are uniquely impacted by the new normal. In an effort to provide guidance and assistance in these uncharted waters, we encourage our clients and prospective clients to follow this best-practice guideline for communicating regarding your child(ren)/grandchild(ren), managing custodial schedules, ensuring harmonious transitions and sharing information about their children, including providing health updates and other issues affecting their children.
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- BE cooperative with one another to the extent possible. Whatever acrimony or history you have with your co-parent, please put it aside; everyone is tasked with facing the day-to-day concerns related to COVID-19 without any prior guidance or experience.
- DO inform your co-parent and medical providers of any health issues related to your child or children, and especially if any household member may have come in contact with COVID-19.
- DO have a discussion about how your/their continued exposure to the public may impact your custodial schedule, if you or your co-parent works in a hospital, or other essential designated place of business,
- DO make efforts to reach a consensus with your co-parent and compromise as much as possible.
- DO NOT assume anything about the other parent’s household or exposure.
- DO NOT unilaterally make decisions regarding an existing physical custody schedule.
- DO memorialize any changes to your regular custody schedule in writing (e-mail, text or correspondence between the parties or, if preferred, through counsel, shall suffice or with a designated communication application such as APP Close or Our Family Wizard).
- DO consider how you would feel if you were in the other parent’s shoes.
- DO communicate about changes to employment and related schedule changes in a timely manner.
- DO contact your counsel when in doubt, especially before making any unilateral decisions.
While the courts remain closed or are operating on emergency basis for essential matters and programs, updated information for the county courts relating to your matter can be found on the links below:
Bucks County Court of Common Pleas
Delaware Count Court of Common Pleas
Montgomery Court of Common Pleas
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas
The Coronavirus Task Force at Klehr Harrison stands ready to assist you in your business and legal needs. We will continue to provide additional information and guidance as the COVID-19 situation develops.