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Kayden's Law Helps Protect Children Better in Custody Disputes

Posted by Joseph Lento | Oct 19, 2024 | 0 Comments

In 2018, 7-year-old Kayden Mancuso was murdered by her biological father, Jeffrey Mancuso, during a court-ordered visit despite his known mental health issues and history of violence. The court granted Mancuso unsupervised visits contingent on him seeking mental health treatment, disregarding his previous assault convictions and protection from abuse order. Kayden's death is part of a disturbing pattern where courts often grant custody or unsupervised visitation to abusive parents. A review of 4,000 domestic court cases shows that the abuser won 81% of the time.

In response to this tragedy, Senators Steven Santarsiero and Lisa Baker re-introduced Kayden's Law, which was signed into law by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro on April 15, 2024. The law mandates that judges prioritize child protection in custody decisions, include safety conditions in cases of abuse, and encourages the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to provide annual training for judges on child abuse and domestic violence. This measure aims to prevent future tragedies by ensuring the legal system better protects children's interests in custody proceedings.

The LLF Law Firm's Family Law Team is comprised of experienced family law attorneys who help parents involved in custody disputes. If your custody situation requires professional legal advice from an experienced lawyer or even intervention, contact the LLF Law Firm today at 888.535.3686 to discuss your situation.

Protect Your Children From an Abusive Parent With a PFA

If your co-parent is abusive and you fear for your children's safety, one of the best ways to protect your children is by filing a Protection from Abuse order.

A Protection From Abuse (PFA) order, also referred to as a Restraining Order, is a legal measure in Pennsylvania designed to safeguard individuals from domestic violence. The PFA order requires the defendant to stop abusing, threatening, or harassing the plaintiff or others in the household, including the children. If the abuser violates the order's terms, they can face serious legal repercussions, including jail time.

PFA orders can also affect child custody and visitation rights. For example, if you have an existing court-approved custody and visitation agreement, a judge issuing a PFA can override the arrangement and grant temporary custody to the victim.

Other Ways to Protect Children From an Unfit Parent

If your co-parent is abusive or otherwise unfit to parent, you can also file for sole physical custody. In Pennsylvania, a sole physical custody arrangement means the child will live with one parent, the custodial parent, for more than 50 percent of the time. The parent without physical custody, called the non-custodial parent, will almost always have regular visitation rights. However, if the custodial parent requests supervised visits, they can show that the non-custodial parent has a history of domestic violence, neglect, or substance abuse issues and that supervised visits are in the child's best interest. Kayden's law should help make it easier to protect children with unfit parents in this regard.

Hire a Skilled Pennsylvania Law Attorney

If you're involved in a child custody proceeding, especially with a co-parent you believe to be unfit, it's crucial to retain an experienced and knowledgeable attorney. The Family Law Team at LLF Law Firm has helped numerous families throughout Pennsylvania craft custody agreements that reflect and protect the child's best interest. We're ready to help you, too. Contact the LLF Law Firm today online or by phone at 888.535.3686.

About the Author

Joseph Lento

"I pride myself on having heart and driving hard to get results!" Attorney Joseph D. Lento is a veteran of one of the nation's busiest family courts with nearly 20 years' experience passionately helping families. By day, he worked in the trenches of family court, and at night, he studied the law. He helped countless families while working at family court, and he went on to become an attorney, dedicating his law practice to continuing the work he started years earlier. Mr. Lento's experience both behind the scenes and on the front lines allows him to understand a client's family law matter from all angles, and allows him to find and employ the most effective strategies to get favorable outcomes for any client. Joseph D. Lento is licensed in Pennsylvania New Jersey, and New York, and is admitted pro hac vice as needed nationwide. In the courtroom and in life, attorney Joseph D. Lento stands up when the bell rings!

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Contact a skilled Family Law Team Today!

The LLF Law Firm has unparalleled experience practicing Family Law in Pennsylvania. If you are having any uncertainties about what the future may hold for you and your family, contact our offices today. Our Family Law Team will go above and beyond the needs for any client and fight for what is fair.

This website was created only for general information purposes. It is not intended to be construed as legal advice for any situation. Only a direct consultation with a licensed Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York attorney can provide you with formal legal counsel based on the unique details surrounding your situation. The pages on this website may contain links and contact information for third party organizations - the Lento Law Firm does not necessarily endorse these organizations nor the materials contained on their website. In Pennsylvania, Attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout Pennsylvania's 67 counties, including, but not limited to Philadelphia, Allegheny, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Schuylkill, and York County. In New Jersey, attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout New Jersey's 21 counties: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren County, In New York, Attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout New York's 62 counties. Outside of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, unless attorney Joseph D. Lento is admitted pro hac vice if needed, his assistance may not constitute legal advice or the practice of law. The decision to hire an attorney in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania counties, New Jersey, New York, or nationwide should not be made solely on the strength of an advertisement. We invite you to contact the Lento Law Firm directly to inquire about our specific qualifications and experience. Communicating with the Lento Law Firm by email, phone, or fax does not create an attorney-client relationship. The Lento Law Firm will serve as your official legal counsel upon a formal agreement from both parties. Any information sent to the Lento Law Firm before an attorney-client relationship is made is done on a non-confidential basis.

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