Blog/
Blog
11/7/12
Pennsylvania divorce rate on rapid rise for people 50 and olderFor many years, it was assumed that the longer a couple stayed together, the less likely they would be to go through a divorce. While that still may be true for many couples, a recent study found that those individuals 50 years and older are getting As we referenced in our blog post on July 5 (“Collaborative divorce for baby boomers?”), the divorce rate of people over 50 doubled over the time period from...Read More11/2/12
Domestic violence orders to be issued in foreign languagesIn an effort to promote justice for all residents, regardless of national origin, Pennsylvania has translated a number of legal forms into multiple languages. Among them are the petition for protection from abuse and the The Pennsylvania court system established that a need exists for domestic violence protection orders to be issued in the languages most commonly spoken in the state. The forms are now available in the ten most commonly used languages within...Read More10/29/12
Case Law Update – Family Law: Superior Court Analyzes the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement ActBy M.E.V. v. R.D.V. No. 916 WDA 2012 Father filed for divorce in New Jersey, including a count for custody in his divorce complaint. Six weeks later, Mother filed a complaint for custody in Pennsylvania, where Mother had lived with the children for the preceding 6 months. Father filed preliminary objections claiming that he filed first; therefore, New Jersey had jurisdiction over the custody issue. The trial court overruled the preliminary objections and Father...Read More10/29/12
Case Law Update – Family Law: Superior Court Rules That Parent With Sole Custody Has Right to Make Unilateral Decisions Regarding ChildBy M.P. v. M.P. No. 2012 PA Super 215 Trial court denied Mother’s request to travel to Ecuador with daughter for 3 weeks to visit family and friends. A restraining order had been issued against Father and he had not exercised his supervised visits for a year and a half prior to Mother’s request, and the parties had agreed that Mother would have sole legal custody of daughter. Father opposed the visit arguing that...Read More10/23/12
Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore divorce update: Are they at odds?Pennsylvania readers have likely followed the media reports about the separation of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. Though the A-List couple has apparently not actually filed for Reports indicate the power couple has been addressing financial issues through their respective attorneys. It seems, however, that they are not close to an agreement and may actually be further apart in negotiations. There have been rumors that Demi and Ashton may need a judge to decide...Read More10/17/12
Pennsylvania men can have need of domestic violence ordersIt may be something of a surprise to readers to find that it’s not just women who are victims of domestic violence. Statistics, however, show that men can often be the victims of domestic violence as well. With October marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Pennsylvania residents who are considering filing for The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence indicates that approximately one-fourth of women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetimes. A...Read More10/8/12
Child support issues for Pennsylvania parents to considerFew people enter into a marriage believing that it won’t be the “happily-ever-after” most envision. The reality of life, though, is that approximately half of marriages do eventually end in divorce. This can be even more emotionally damaging for children who are caught in the middle. That is one reason that Pennsylvania parents should strive to make amicable Obviously, family courts typically have the last say-so when it comes to officially establishing the required...Read More10/3/12
Adoption between Pennsylvania and other states can be difficultAdoption can be a challenging process for parents and children alike under the best of circumstances. Throw in the proverbial wrench of an interstate Take the case of a woman from another state who wanted to adopt an older teen from Pennsylvania. She felt called to adopt a child who was close to aging out of the system because she felt that they would have a greater need for the close ties and assistance...Read More9/24/12
Cohabitation agreements can benefit Pennsylvania couplesHistorically, combining finances typically involved getting married and a woman giving up control over her assets and income to a spouse. Nowadays, however, the merging of a couple’s finances has become vastly different than it was in the past. Not all Pennsylvania couples who share their financial resources and burdens get married. Some of those couples may want to consider the merits that Some couples choose to retain their own individual financial accounts while...Read More9/21/12
Dating after divorce: Tips for Pennsylvania exesDivorce can often seem so much like the end of something that it’s hard to imagine picking up the pieces and starting again. However, many Pennsylvania couples who have gone through First and probably most important is to take the necessary time to heal. Even a marriage that might have been on the rocks for quite some time before the actual divorce papers were signed may take some time to move on from, and...Read More