Tag: Pennsylvania divorce

Divorced Spouses Must Update Beneficiary Designations

Divorced spouses who do not update their beneficiary designations are taking an unnecessary risk, as illustrated by a case now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.  In Sveen v. Melin, No. 16-1432 (cert. granted December 8, 2017), the Met Life insurance company was “caught in the middle” when its policyholder Mark Sveen died in 2011.  He had purchased his life insurance policy and designated his then-wife, Kaye Melin, as his […]

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Cohabitant Cannot Prove Common Law Marriage after Denial of Spousal Support

February 25, 2012 | Court Decisions, Legal Perspective

Icon for author Brian Vertz Brian Vertz

A parent who cohabited with her children’s father sued for child support and spousal support in 2007. The parents lived together but never got a marriage license or held a formal marriage ceremony. Nevertheless, the children’s mother considered herself to have a common law marriage to the father. Her request for child support was granted in 2007, but the hearing officer denied her request for spousal support, finding that she […]

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