Law Office of Joanne Kleiner

Archives for August 2016

Aug 24

Court Seeks Location of Missing Twins

Holding Hands

A Pennsylvania court has ordered a Penn Hills woman to undergo a psychiatric examination after child welfare caseworkers brought legal action, saying the woman has not disclosed the location of her missing twins for more than 10 years. Child welfare representatives filed charges saying that Patricia Fowler, 47, had endangered her children and had obstructed all efforts by the agency to find and determine the well-being of the twins, now 17. Police say they don’t suspect foul play, as there’s no evidence of such, but cannot rule it out.

Police say that Fowler has given them differing stories about the whereabouts of the children, none of which have led to their discovery. Investigators are treating the case as a missing persons operation, and have been pursuing leads for about two months.

Last week, police arrested Fowler’s 18-year-old son after he admitted to posing as one of the missing twins. Authorities say Datwon Fowler posted a message on Facebook using the name of Ivon D. Fowler, one of the missing children, with a phone number where Ivon could be contacted. When police called the number, it went directly to voice mail, but police followed up with a text message. They say that they then received a return text in which the sender claimed to be Ivon, but refused to talk to law enforcement authorities. Police then tracked the location of the phone and found that it was in the Fowler home. They found Datwon there, along with the phone.

The initial investigation did not involve the twins, according to child welfare workers. They went to the Fowler home in late June to take her four children into emergency custody and discovered that she had six children, not four. Thus far, they have no meaningful leads regarding the location of the twins.

Contact Us

At the office of Joanne E. Kleiner & Associates, we have more than 25 years of family law experience. We’ll help you stay focused on what matters. To schedule an appointment with an experienced Pennsylvania divorce attorney, contact our office online or call us at 215-886-1266.

Aug 09

Some Myths about Divorce Mediation

resolving divorce

Though mediation has become a key component in resolving divorce and family law disputes in Pennsylvania, there are still many myths that revolve around the process. Here are some of those myths dispelled.

Myth: Our Failure to Communicate during Our Marriage Will Make Mediation Impossible

It seems logical—if you were unable to effectively work things out when you were living together, why should you expect to use that process to settle any disputes tied to your divorce? The reality is that divorce mediators are trained to identify and respond to your differences and have a number of strategies that can be employed to circumvent any potential gridlock. That’s a key difference from your marriage—it’s unlikely that you had a third person willing to step in and act as an intermediary, so that you could identify and implement a mutually beneficial solution.

Myth: We’ll Never Be Able to Agree on Everything, So It Won’t Work

The whole purpose of mediation is to resolve those things upon which you must agree. If there are still things that you don’t see eye-to-eye on, but don’t affect your ability to move forward, you’ll be fine. As long as you resolve the things you must resolve, the process will work.

Myth: In Mediation, One Spouse Typically Dominates the Other

Your mediator will usually know how to assess the balance of power in your relationship and will work proactively to ensure that one spouse does not take advantage of the other. In a worst-case scenario, the mediator can simply terminate the mediation to prevent coercion or undue influence.

Myth: Mediation Usually Favors the Man

There’s no evidence to support this concern. Either party has the right to end the mediation at any time or to refuse to sign any proposed mediation agreement. That’s often a better position to be in than having a court order the outcome.

Contact the Law Office of Joanne E. Kleiner & Associates

For an appointment, contact our office online or call us at 215-886-1266. Let us use our experience, skill, knowledge and resources to help you make informed and effective decisions.