Blog

5/6/15

Marital home issues can impact divorce process in Pennsylvania

Regardless of how amicable a If one party decides she or he wants to keep the house, that spouse may have to purchase the interest of the other. That buy-out amount may depend on an appraisal of the home. The spouse who stays in the home may have to agree to refinance any existing mortgage within a given time frame. Any agreement concerning these issues must be drafted with careful attention to detail, including...

4/30/15

Aspects of divorce to consider for older Pennsylvania couples

While the One aspect is spousal support. Temporary support is not uncommon among younger couples. However, alimony for life, known as permanent alimony, is often normal for couples who have been married for an extended period of time. Retirement funds are also an issue for older couples, as there may be much more at stake than with younger couples. Retirement funds are likely to be split in half, which can drastically alter the retirement dreams of...

4/21/15

We can help with smooth navigation of adoption process

Adoption is a highly personal and emotional journey for families under any circumstances. When the adoption process involves same sex couples or step-parent adoptions, the adoption process should be as smooth as possible for everyone involved. Nevertheless, Pennsylvania parents and soon-to-be parents may find the process anything but smooth, necessitating the help of legal representatives. When a step-parent or same sex partner wants to adopt his or her spouse’s child, the biological parent of that...

4/14/15

Divorce will affect future finances and retirement

Divorce leads to changes in all aspects of a person’s life, including where a person lives and what the financial future may look like. Aside from an initial Any joint retirement accounts will typically be split between the parties. While this is all well and good, the ability to keep adding to those accounts may be altered. This is due to the simple fact that, with separate incomes that are no longer combined, there...

4/7/15

Judge allows unusual means of filing for divorce

The The case involves a couple who wed back in 2009. Apparently, the wife has only been able to communicate her husband through social media, namely Facebook, and through phone calls. This fact led the judge to rule that the woman could file a divorce summons by sending a private message to her husband through Facebook. The ruling requires the woman to send the divorce filing message once a week. She must do this each...

4/2/15

Divorce can factor into a Pennsylvania couple’s benefits

For many, Social Security benefits are a much needed source of support as they age. When a If a marriage lasted for 10 years or more, a person can claim benefits based on the earnings history of an ex-spouse. This holds true as long as the person seeking Social Security benefits is single. If a marriage lasted less than 10 years, there is no way to claim any Social Security benefits related to the...

3/24/15

The divorce process can entail much more than end of marriage

The decision to divorce may not ever be an easy one to make. It can entail a great deal of gut-checking and even pre-planning before anyone even files. However, once the divorce process begins for Pennsylvania couples, those couples may benefit from learning how a divorce can entail much more than simply ending a marriage. Indeed, there are many ways to go about a peaceful, less stressful and smooth dissolution of a marriage. If there...

3/17/15

Fate of pets may be concern during a divorce

Once a couple decides to pursue the dissolution of a marriage, there are many decisions to make as one household becomes two. The process of dividing property and drafting a custody agreement can be daunting. For Pennsylvania couples who share beloved pets, the process of deciding who will get the pets or how to handle the fate of pets during While pets may be cared for and loved as much a child, they are still regarded...

3/11/15

Thinking long-term about finances when going through a divorce

When a couple is in the midst of a When a couple has to decide what to do with a marital home, the decisions made may be based more on emotion than smart financial planning. Before deciding to pursue ownership of the home or walk away from a property, long-term equity implications should be considered. It should also be considered if keeping the home is something one partner can handle financially when the dust...

3/3/15

The adoption process may get complicated for families

Adoption is a highly personal and emotional part of family law. The adoption process itself may be very complicated for Pennsylvania families to understand or work through. Different types of adoption may prove more challenging than others, particularly when it comes to same-sex parent adoption in Pennsylvania. Adoptions in Pennsylvania vary based on county. This is why it is important to understand the unique regional requirements. Same-sex adoption may involve adopting a partner’s or spouse’s...