State College Family Law Blog

Playing football puts athletes at risk of suffering from long-term brain damage. The more repeated concussions the football player suffers, the more likely he or she will suffer from such brain damage -- and the symptoms can be catastrophic. However, if the football player wants to play and put him or herself at risk in this regard, shouldn't it be his choice? The answer to this question is "yes," unless he or she is a minor. Then it's up to the parents to decide.

Recently, two Pennsylvania parents decided to go to court over such an issue because the mother and father disagree about whether or not they should permit their teenage son to play high school football. The mother of the boy says that it's her son's choice, and he fully understands the risks involved. The father says that the boy should not be allowed to play football because he has suffered repeated concussions in the past and he is at risk of having severe brain injury if he keeps playing.

Some people were made for marriage. They love stability, they like to spend time with their significant other and predictability and security bring them joy. Other people were not made for marriage -- they are too self-focused, have money problems and they're just bad at relationships.

Here are a few questions to gain useful information about whether your date could be "marriage material":

• How often do you speak with your family? This question will tell you about your date's ability to navigate family difficulties. Every family has its challenges, but some people are more interested in themselves and their own needs than trying to find a diplomatic solution to keep the family together. Someone who isn't in regular touch with family might not be marriage material.
• Do you believe that "happily ever after" is possible? This question will bring up some good information about what your date's concept of a relationship is -- and whether he or she knows that they are not always perfect and require work.
• Are you married? You'd think your date would volunteer this information, but you'd be surprised.
• What do you like about your job? This will give you important information about your date's relationship with his or her job. You'll find out if he or she is insecure and unhappy because of work, whether he or she is a workaholic and other valuable info.
• What did you do for your last vacation? This will let you know a little bit about your date's financial situation. If it's an exotic vacation, don't be shy to ask how he or she paid for it.
• How old are you, really? Another one of those questions you'd think people would honestly admit to; however, numerous people lie about their age and don't think it's a big deal.
• What brought an end to your last relationship? If this answer is full of blaming the other person, then consider it a red flag.

Every time you step into a family court hearing, it's vital that you understand the rules and laws that apply to those proceedings. A recent Pennsylvania case shows just how true this fact is. According to a Pennsylvania court, a father should go to jail because he recorded his child custody proceedings.

Signs around the courthouse warned him that smartphone use was not permitted during his court proceedings, when he and his ex-wife had a child custody conference. Nevertheless, the man still used his cellphone without permission and without notifying anyone who was present. He recorded the child custody proceedings, which he later published on Facebook without anyone else granting him permission.

Child support is intended to help the custodial parent of a child pay for various expenses related to raising the child. As such, parents are only supposed to spend child support money on their children. Normally, the court does not require parents to document or show their expenses in this regard; however, in cases of suspected neglect or suspected dishonesty on the part of the custodial parent, a court might ask the parent to show a record of his or her childcare expenditures.

If a parent is audited like this, it helps to have a record of purchases -- through cash, check or credit card receipts and/or bank statements. Parents are, therefore, encouraged to keep a record like this. They're also encouraged to only spend their child support money on things that fit into the following categories:

• Basic necessities like food, clothing, and shelter
• Medical care including dental care, eye care health insurance and other costs
• School tuition and education costs
• Child care-related expenses
• Transportation costs related to car payments, gas, maintenance and other expenses
• Basic entertainment like games, Internet, access to television, camping, the movies and other kinds of fun events.
• Extracurricular events like summer camp, sports and more
• College-related costs in some cases