Spears' Lawyer Seeks to Permanently Seal Documents in Child Custody Battle

A lawyer for Britney Spears isn't interested in the media getting a look at the court papers involving the singer's custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

The attorney has filed a motion asking California court commissioner to make permanent a conditional order to seal all documents dealing with custody. It was filed in response to a motion by People magazine and a TV station seeking to unseal some of the papers.

A Place to Hand Off Kids for Visits

The Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity in West Chester this weekend will become a place where a parent who has weekday custody of a child can safely hand over that child for a weekend visit with the other parent.

Judge Katherine B.L. Platt of Chester County Family Court said she arranged the site for "parents who are separated, divorced or never married, parents who are not living together any longer, but have children together."

Platt said in an interview that most such parents "are able to exchange their children in perfect peace and harmony.

Pair Seeks Return of Seven Kids

The parents of seven young children who were removed from a rat-infested home in July - which has since been condemned by the city of Lubbock - have embarked on a path to regain custody of their children for the second time.

The children of Anthony Moya, 40, and Gloria Ramirez, 26, were removed from the couple's crumbling home on 2014 Ave. L at the behest of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

Mother, Grandmother Sentenced in Child Custody Kidnap Case

The mother of a 17-month-old child and the child’s grandmother were sentenced Monday after being convicted of kidnapping the toddler last February from a Broad Top township residence.

Sarah Marie Guinn, 19, of Frostburg, was sentenced by Judge Daniel Howsare to serve three months to 23 1/2 months in the Bedford County Jail in addition to one year of probation. She also was ordered to pay $650 in fines and court costs.

Witness Contradicts Testimony Over Letters in International Custody Dispute Over Cuban Girl

A custody hearing over a 4-year-old Cuban girl in the U.S. focused Friday on whether letters purportedly written to her by her father from the communist country had been faked.

A relative of the girl took the stand and denied claims made Thursday by the child's mother, Elena Perez, that Perez had agreed on one occasion with the father's attorneys to fake loving letters to the child when she was living in Texas.

Larsen: Real-life P.I. work not made for TV

Dan Larsen thwarted a pedophile.

It's one of the private investigator's most satisfying cases.

Larsen, a former undercover officer with the Council Bluffs Police Department, took his skills to the private sector in 1987 and opened his own investigation firm, Evidence, Inc., two years later. Most of his work involves child custody cases, where he and his partner Cindy Sorensen search for evidence of parental incompetence.

Is Your Ex Avoiding Child Support?

Investigation News - Is Your Ex Avoiding Child Support? - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "Many parents and children are in financial difficulty today because parents are not paying the child support ordered by courts. Hiring a private investigator can help parents augment resource-strapped legal systems so that payment can finally be made.

Deadbeat parents cost children a lot of money. In the state of Hawaii alone, more than half a billion dollars represents the amount of delinquent child support payments. According to 2005 statistics, the state is only able to successfully collect 40% of delinquent accounts. The District of Columbia is not much better, collecting only in 37% of cases. Most states have passed laws to get deadbeat parents to pay up — in some states; parents who fall behind on their child support can find their pay checks cut, their credit dinged, or their licenses suspended.

Despite the legal measures, though, parents still report that deadbeat parents do not pay child support. Child advocacy groups point out that some parents move or change identities in order to avoid child support, while others only make a payment or two when threatened with cut pay or loss of a license and then return to non-payment. In many cases, law enforcement and child services simply do not have the resources to find and compel non-paying parents to make payments."

What can parents do that the courts have not tried?

Your Civil Case May Require a Private Investigator

Investigation News - Your Civil Case May Require a Private Investigator - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "The truth is, civil investigators get results and often work closely with criminal investigators to uncover fraud, harassment, and other criminal activity. Attorneys often use civil investigators to gather information and evidence needed to win civil cases. However, and increasing number of plaintiffs are hiring civil investigators on their own. By hiring both an investigator and attorney, some plaintiffs are finding they can enjoy better results as well as more control over their cases. For example, plaintiffs involved in a drawn-out sexual harassment lawsuit against Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office were able to gather evidence of inappropriate language through civil investigation.


There are a number of civil cases that can be helped along with a civil investigation:

* Child custody and recovery cases. In these cases, civil investigators can uncover evidence of child abuse or neglect that can prove whether one spouse should be entrusted with the children more. Asset searches in these cases can reveal whether one spouse has hidden assets that can be used to support the children."

Domestic Investigations - When There is Trouble in the Home

Investigation News - Domestic Investigations - When There is Trouble in the Home - PInow.com Investigator Directory:
"Child Custody Investigations
Child custody and child support investigations help to keep your child safe and well-cared for. Investigators can run asset searches and missing persons searches in order to obtain the child support you have been awarded by a court. With the Department of Health and Human Services reporting that more than 46% of non-custodial mothers and more than 26% of non-custodial fathers totally default on support, these services are very common across the country today. Child custody investigations also can help ensure that the non-custodial parent does not neglect or abuse the child while they are in their care. This is a critical when you consider that since between 1976 and 1997, 11,000 children were murdered and thousands more were injured by parents or caregivers, according to the Present Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics."

If A Former Partner is Dating Someone New, Is a Child Custody Investigation A Smart Idea?

Investigation News - If A Former Partner is Dating Someone New, Is a Child Custody Investigation A Smart Idea? - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "There are many things that can affect a child’s safety in a custody situation. One of these things is the new friends and partners that a parent may meet after a divorce.

Child custody problems are more prevalent than most people realize. According to 2003 US census findings, 43.7% of mothers with custody and 56.2% of custodial fathers are separated or divorced. This means that many parents are raising their children while separated from their spouse. Statistics show that the majority of people who divorce eventually remarry or at least form new partnerships. Not surprisingly, custodial parents worry about the influence of these new partners on their children.

They may have a reason to worry. Custody arrangements in a divorce are usually based on information that is current at the time of the divorce. However, the circumstances of a person’s life can change dramatically – usually with no corresponding changes to custody arrangements. A parent may meet a new partner who is a bad influence – or is even actively dangerous – to the child the parent is responsible for."

What are the signs of a problem?

How to Avoid Child Support Hassles

Investigation News - How to Avoid Child Support Hassles - PInow.com Investigator Directory: "How you strategize at the start of your divorce can save you and your children from the hassle of a Child Support Enforcement.

Child support enforcement, while it can help ensure that you get the money you need from an ex-partner or ex-spouse to help you support your children, can also be expensive and difficult for both you and your children. Child support enforcement can by avoided from the very beginning by making divorce and child support arrangements as water-tight and as amicable as possible. If you and your ex-partner agree to a consistent plan, there is simply a better chance that both of you will actually stick to the plan. This will not only create less friction but will also ensure that the child support keeps arriving. According to experts, there are several ways that you can help your child get the support they need, right from the beginning:"

How to Avoid Child Support Hassles