Stepparents

Does a Stepparent Have a Shot at Getting Legal Decision Making?

By Gerald A. Maggio, Esq. | April 10, 2019

Did you know that less than 50% of kids in the United States under 18 years old live in a “traditional family” household (Pew Research Center)? In today’s society, 15% of children live with parents who are in a remarriage. And 6% of children live with a stepparent (2013 Current Population Survey). The National Healthy Marriage Resource Center estimated the number of stepchildren as of 2011 to be between 10 and 20%, but since remarriages are on the rise, we can only assume that the number stepfamilies and stepchildren are also increasing. Given these statistics many find it surprising that…

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Overview of Stepparent Rights

By Gerald A. Maggio, Esq. | September 21, 2017

Modern families are different because it is common for divorcees to remarry and combine their two families. Usually, step and biological parents will share the responsibilities while raising kids. However, step and biological parents have different rights, under California law. During marriage Unless a stepparent adopts the children legally or if the stepparent has right to custody, stepparents have limited rights. Usually, biological parents retain legal custody and rights of their children. Although stepparents can be involved in the decision processes, according to California law, biological parents have the last word. Visitation after divorce In the best interest of the…

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Tips For Becoming A Better Step-Parent For Divorced Kids

By Gerald A. Maggio, Esq. | July 24, 2017

If you’re a step-parent who’s in charge of step-kids, then it is needless to tell you how hectic and tough it can become to handle them. Children exhibit a variety of emotions and sometimes it becomes hard to understand what their true feelings are. As a step-parent, you can only put on your best behavior and hope that things get better as time passes. However, it does not always work out and you need to put in extra effort to make sure it does. Here are some tips to help you become a better step-parent: Don’t make too many drastic…

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