Category: Legal Perspective

5 Sets of Documents to Gather Before Filing for Support

October 09, 2018 | Alimony, Child Support, Legal Perspective, Spousal Support - APL

Icon for author Joseph Williams Joseph Williams

Separating from your spouse is overwhelming, especially for someone who is financially dependent on their partner. In Pennsylvania, the law allows a parent who exercises primary custody of a minor child or a parent who has shared custody but makes less money than the other party to file for child support. Similarly, while a divorce is pending, the lesser earning spouse might have a claim for spousal support or alimony […]

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Child Custody and Religion

September 04, 2018 | Child Custody, Court Decisions, Divorce, Legal Perspective, Religion

Icon for author Dan Glasser Dan Glasser

In formulating an award of child custody, in addition to physical custody, a court must decide legal custody: the right to make major decisions on behalf of the child, including, but not limited to, medical, religious and educational decisions. 23 Pa.C.S.A. §5322(a). The statute indicates the court may award a parent the right to make decisions regarding a child’s religion, including, but not limited to, which holidays the child would […]

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Separation and Divorce: Where Do I Start?

August 31, 2018 | Child Custody, Complex Financial Issues, Divorce, Legal Perspective

Icon for author Jennifer Zofcin Jennifer Zofcin

When contemplating separation and divorce, a multitude of questions converge. The task at hand seems impossibly large. Here is a method of arranging the steps to ease the stress of starting your divorce. Collect and preserve information. Copy one year of statements for all accounts, including mortgage, credit cards, loans, bank/investment accounts, retirement and life insurance.  Copy three to five historical tax returns with all attachments. Review cash reserves. Familiarize […]

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Collaborative Law: Latest Trend in Divorce the New Normal

The breakup of a marriage often involves heated, angry, hurt feelings. Despite this, many couples identify maintaining family harmony as a top goal in reorganizing their lives and moving their separate ways. Collaborative law with Pittsburgh family law attorneys is a way to work through the details of a divorce in a fair, cordial, private and cost-effective manner. It facilitates communication between the divorcing spouses to enable them to make decisions […]

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Courts Now Consider Reasonable Needs in High-Income Support Cases

In high-income child support cases, the parent who is paying child support might feel the guidelines provide more income than the custodial parent can reasonably spend, particularly for an infant or toddler. On the other hand, the child support guidelines were enacted years ago to ensure that all children at a particular income level are treated the same, with predictable outcomes that encourage parents to settle out of court. The […]

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Will Divorce Be More Expensive in 2019?

On December 31, 2018, the tax deduction for alimony will be ending under new federal tax laws.  If you are in the middle of a divorce, or thinking about it, you might want to sit up and take notice. As author of the legal tax reference Frumkes & Vertz on Divorce Taxation, I’ve been reporting on and teaching colleagues all about these changes. Here are some explanations why decisive action […]

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