Category Archives: Family Law
Creating a Prenuptial Agreement That Stands Up in Court
Many people recognize that prenuptial agreements can be useful instruments when spouses want to be sure about the financial ramifications of a potential divorce. Even if you don’t currently possess substantial assets, you might seek to draw up an agreement now to avoid costly litigation over marital property. Individuals who own a business or have… Read More »
Deciding Who Gets the Family Pets After a Divorce
For many people, pets are like part of the family. However, they are not treated that way in a divorce. The law in Pennsylvania, as in most states, doesn’t provide for awarding pet custody or visitation. Pets are considered personal property subject to equitable distribution. That means a judge will grant ownership of the… Read More »
Filing Taxes When Your Divorce Is Not Yet Final
As if getting divorced weren’t already difficult enough, there is the issue of taxes to think about. The end of your marriage also alters your relationship with the Internal Revenue Service, and this requires careful decision-making. Some of the tax choices can be made on your own, while others will require communicating with you soon-to-be… Read More »
Who Pays for a Child’s Private Schooling and Extracurricular Activities?
When parents get divorced, Pennsylvania law has specific guidelines that judges use to determine how much child support should be paid. But the guidelines are designed only to calculate costs of food, clothing, shelter, health care and other essentials. When extraordinary expenses arise that are outside the scope of basic child-rearing, the court must decide… Read More »
What Happens if Parents with Joint Custody Live in Different School Districts?
Pennsylvania family courts follow the public policy that it is in children’s best interests to have both parents involved in their upbringing. As a result, joint physical custody arrangements are very common. While cooperation is the ideal, there may be complications. For example, what happens when the parents live in different school districts and can’t… Read More »
How a Parent’s Medical Marijuana Card May Affect Child Custody
One of the newest frontiers in Pennsylvania family law is how a parent’s legal medical marijuana use can impact child custody. Before the passage of the Medical Marijuana Act in 2016, a parent who used marijuana faced an uphill battle when it came to custody. But now, custody determinations have become more complicated. Two things,… Read More »
What Types of Counseling May Be Part of a Family Law Case?
Mental health counseling is a frequent topic of conversation in family court and in the offices of family law attorneys. That’s certainly no surprise. After all, families involved in the legal system usually experience a great deal of stress, whether the issue is divorce, child custody, domestic violence or another matter. It can all take… Read More »