Pennsylvania Attorney Forced To Pay $10K To Modify Child Custody Agreement

A Pennsylvania attorney found himself into quite a situation last week as a court ordered that he has to pay the mother of his child $10,000 each time he wishes to file a Pennsylvania petition for modification of child custody. If you think this sounds strange, get ready to hear the strangest part of the whole situation: he drafted that provision into an agreement himself. In today’s blog, your Pittsburgh Child Custody Lawyers discuss the case and how it got to this point.

In one of the most bizarre PA child custody cases we’ve heard about, a Pennsylvania lawyer drafted a provision into an agreement with his ex-partner stating that if and when he attempted to make a change to child custody, he would need to pay her $10,000. What makes the case even stranger is the fact that when they came to this agreement they did not yet have a child together.

According to reports, the agreement stated that his ex would be granted primary custody of any future child or children they had. In this same agreement he included the $10,000 provision. Despite the agreement, he filed several motions to modify their custody agreement after their child was born in 2010. In response to his motions, his ex-partner brought suit again him for breaching their agreement.

Initially, the county court found that the $10,000 provision could not be enforced because it was against public policy and limited the rights of parents to determine how they would raise their children. On appeal, however, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania determined that the policy was enforceable and did not restrict his right to parent, it just made him pay for it.

If you are facing a Pennsylvania child custody dispute, contact our Pittsburgh family lawyers at Taybron Law Firm, LLC. Whether you want to modify a child custody agreement or enforcement a PA child support order, our team of family law attorneys is here to help you navigate the often complicated Allegheny County family court system. For more information and to set up a consultation with one of our attorneys, contact us today.