Posts by Sadek & Cooper
Same-Sex Divorce? You Need a Lawyer.
Divorce is never simple. Most people should go in with a lawyer’s help. This is especially true for same-sex couples, who face unique family law issues that courts haven’t worked out yet. Namely: figuring out what the “start date” of the marriage actually was. Prior to the Obergefell decision which made same-sex marriage legal in…
Read MoreWhat Happens When a Spouse Dies in the Middle of a Divorce?
Unless you’re engaged in a grey divorce with an exceptionally ill or reasonably elderly spouse, death isn’t something most people anticipate playing into their divorces. And death has a habit of complicating everything. Does the will then take over? Does the living ex get nothing at all, or walk away with everything? Fortunately, Pennsylvania has…
Read MoreWhat is Alimony Pendente Lite in PA?
When two people are getting a divorce, Pennsylvania courts realize that one spouse often has some significant financial disadvantages. In order to ensure both spouses can meet their basic needs, the court will often put some temporary orders in place until the various issues of the divorce can get worked out. One of these orders…
Read MoreDo I Have to Pay Marital Debts if I Didn’t Know About Them?
Financial infidelity is a topic that’s getting a lot more attention lately. As many as 41% of Americans have hidden debts from their spouses. The Internet makes it easier for people to do so, since paper bills don’t come in the mail. Many of the people who commit financial infidelity think they can repay the…
Read MoreProposed Changes to Pennsylvania Custody Law
Though it happened without much fanfare, earlier this year Representative Susan C. Helm introduced a new family bill to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. PA HB 1397 is meant to amend child custody law. Current child custody law uses the “best interest of the child” standard when determining who will have physical custody of children…
Read MoreCan I Control How Child Support Money is Spent?
When you’re being asked to write a big check to your ex for care of the children, it’s natural to feel frustrated. If you don’t trust your ex it might seem like he or she is living it up while you’re struggling to survive. And in most cases, you can’t control how the money is…
Read MoreWhat Does it Mean to Be an Unfit Parent in Pennsylvania?
Sometimes custody battles get contentious, and parents start throwing accusations around. One of the accusations that we hear the most is that one of the parents is “unfit.” If a parent is proven unfit, the other parent will gain sole physical and perhaps even sole legal custody of the child. “Unfit” is a very specific…
Read MoreIs Pennsylvania Child Support Ever Unenforceable?
Pennsylvania has many tools at its disposal to help enforce child support orders. For example, the court can attach wages, take income tax refunds, and even send noncompliant payors to jail. They can suspend driver’s licenses and deny passports, too. But that doesn’t always mean payees receive a steady stream of child support. Studies estimate…
Read MoreWhat is a QDRO?
A Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) is a necessity due to the interaction between state family law and federal tax law. Under federal law, retirement plans may not disburse funds to anyone but the plan participant if one of these orders is not in place. Which means if one of these orders is not in…
Read MoreBack-to-School Tips for Divorced Parents
Co-parenting is never easy, but back-to-school is a particularly chaotic time. If you’re the parent with primary physical custody then it could be tempting to reduce your ex’s involvement just to keep things simple. But unless you have both sole physical and sole legal custody, your ex has a right to be involved. And if…
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