Category: Family Law News

Best of 2010 in Pennsylvania Divorce Law

January 01, 2011 | Family Law News, Legal Perspective

Icon for author Brian Vertz Brian Vertz

This time of year, nearly every magazine and website is publishing a Best-of-2010 article. I won’t buck the trend, because it’s a good opportunity to review the interesting and important development in divorce this year. Here are some links to the most important developments: Divorce courts must tax-affect marital assets even if they will not be sold (maybe) – Balicki Pennsylvania’s new custody law does not create presumption of shared […]

Read More

What’s the Hullabaloo about Balicki?

In Balicki v. Balicki, 2010 Pa.Super.134 (2010), the Superior Court affirmed the trial court’s decision to discount the value of an insurance business, based on the hypothetical income taxes that would be incurred by its owner upon sale of the business. The trial court’s decision was itself a reversal of the master’s report, in which the master found that the tax discount was inappropriate because the owner would not likely […]

Read More

New Custody Law On Guv’s Desk

November 19, 2010 | Family Law News, Legal Perspective

Icon for author Brian Vertz Brian Vertz

In a surprise vote earlier this week, the Pennsylvania House passed HB1639, the sweeping custody reform legislation that has been held up in committee for nearly ten years. This bill, awaiting the governor’s signature, is intended to assuage the concerns of father’s rights groups while codifying the case law that has governed Pennsylvania’s custody disputes for decades. While it does not create a presumption of shared physical custody, the bill […]

Read More

529 College Savings: Overlooked Asset in Divorce?

October 06, 2010 | Family Law News, Legal Perspective

Icon for author Brian Vertz Brian Vertz

Parents who are experiencing divorce may be confused about how to deal with savings that have been set aside for their children’s college educations. The most common methods of saving for college – UTMA custodial accounts and 529 college savings plans – are two different savings vehicles with very different treatment in divorce. Most banks offer “UTMA” custodial savings accounts. “UTMA” stands for “Uniform Transfers to Minors Act,” a law […]

Read More

10 Cash Flow Rules In Divorce (Part I)

In business, they say, cash flow rules. The same principle is true, I find, in divorce. I have been brainstorming a set of cash flow “rules” for divorcing spouses. Here is part one: 1.  Never run out of cash. My #1 divorce rule is the as Inc Magazine‘s #1 business rule. In divorce, there is a period of time immediately following separation when a divorcing spouse’s cash flow may be […]

Read More

U.S. News & World Reports Names PBKG to its “Best Law Firms” List

September 17, 2010 | Family Law News, Legal Perspective

Icon for author Brian Vertz Brian Vertz

I am pleased to announce that U.S. News & World Reports, in conjunction with The Best Lawyers in America, has named my law firm, Pollock Begg Komar Glasser LLC, as one of the Best Law Firms 2010 for family law in Pittsburgh. Five Pittsburgh firms were named to the first tier, in which PBKG was included. The list of first- and second-tier law firms in Pittsburgh is found here. The […]

Read More

Contact Us