Pennsylvania Family Law Blog

Former New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey will not owe his ex-wife, Dina Matos-McGreevey, any alimony, a judge has ruled, according to an Associated Press news report. The couple’s divorce is through after an eight-year marriage, which collapsed when McGreevey announced that he was gay. McGreevey resigned in 2004 after he admitted to having an affair with a male staffer, although the staffer alleged that he was sexually harassed by the governor. The couple separated the following year.

A superior court judge ruled McGreevey must pay $250 a week or $1,075 a month in child support for their 6-year-old daughter. The couple has shared custody of the child. Matos has asked for $2,500 a month in alimony for four years and $1,750 a month in child support. McGreevey, who is now a student, testified during the divorce trial that he is now too poor to pay alimony.

Alimony, child support and child custody are the most contentious issues in any divorce proceeding. Each couple’s divorce is different, the circumstances are different as are their economic standings and assets. How much alimony is paid and who pays whom hinges on these factors as well the determination made by the family court.

Whatever your situation may be, the success of your divorce case depends on the experience and competence your divorce and alimony lawyer brings to the table. If you or someone you know is going through a divorce and needs legal representation, please call the Law Office of Sheryl R. Rentz for a free consultation.

A Florida Judge has ruled that celebrity wrestler Hulk Hogan must pay his estranged wife, Linda Bollea, $40,000 a month in alimony while their divorce is pending. According to this Associated Press news report, the judge also allowed Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, to take $500,000 out of the couple’s assets for himself and use up to $400,000 for legal fees in their son’s criminal case. Nick Bollea is serving an eight-month jail sentence for causing an auto accident that left a passenger severely injured.

The judge also allowed Hogan to proceed with buying a Las Vegas condominium, a transaction that was in motion before the divorce proceedings began. These are of course celebrity cases that involve a lot of money and are usually well-publicized. But normal alimony hearings in Pennsylvania involve ordinary people who are going through a very tough time in their lives.

Alimony is defined as the amount of payment by one spouse to another following a divorce. The amount depends on different circumstances such as employment, assets and number of years the couple has been married. It also depends upon the ruling of the family court. It is very important to make sure that you have the best legal representation during an alimony hearing, which is why you should contact an experienced Pennsylvania divorce and alimony lawyer for assistance.

If you are involved in a divorce proceeding in Pennsylvania, please call the Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz for a free consultation. Our office has years of experience handling divorce cases and can assist you in any of your alimony cases. Contact us today to get our qualified and aggressive attorneys on your side, fighting for your legal rights.

This has been one of the deadliest summers when it comes to domestic violence in Pennsylvania. According to an article in the Daily American, 24 people have died in connection with domestic violence since June 22 in Pennsylvania. This is a huge spike in domestic violence deaths in the state, according to the report released by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

A majority of these incidents had to do with acts of violence involving family members attacking other family members, said Somerset County District Attorney Jerry Spangler. He said there has also been an increase in applications for protection from abuse orders and criminal prosecutions for people violating these orders. In 2006, there were a total of 127 domestic violence homicides in Pennsylvania. For more information about domestic violence statistics, please visit the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

If you have a domestic abuse or domestic violence situation at home, the Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz offer free consultations with Pennsylvania domestic violence lawyers on what rights you have and what you can do about your situation. In many instances, you are entitled to significant benefits after a divorce if domestic abuse was taking place. You may be able to claim the house, finances, custody of children, bank accounts and/or stocks even if you were not the main breadwinner.

The first step you should take, however, as a victim of domestic abuse is to remove yourself and your children from such a dangerous situation. Filing a restraining order can be a good step in that direction, but it may not be sufficient. If you are a victim of domestic violence or abuse, please call our office to schedule your free consultation.

More and more states are opting to fit domestic abusers and stalkers with GPS devices to monitor whether these individuals violate restraining orders. According to this news report, Michigan’s new law allows judges to order domestic violence suspects to wear GPS devices even before they go to trial in order to help alert victims if abusers are in the vicinity. With this law in effect, enforcing divorce agreements will be much more effective.

This law in Michigan and other states has been prompted by a slew of killings of women by ex-husbands or estranged husbands. These murders occurred although the women had obtained court orders to protect themselves. GPS devices have been traditionally used to track sex offenders. But technology has advanced to such an extent that domestic violence victims can get a call to their cell phone if the offender gets too close to a specific victim – be it a spouse or a child.

This law is great from the victims’ point of view. Not only does it give them a heightened sense of security, but also it gives them their lives back. Our office has represented victims of domestic violence for a number of years. We have successfully obtained restraining orders for many of our clients to help keep them and their families safe from possible danger.

If you or someone you know needs to file a domestic abuse charge, please call my office for a free consultation with a Philadelphia domestic violence attorney. The Law Office of Sheryl R. Rentz has locations in Pennsylvania and several years of divorce law experience. Call us today for a free evaluation of your case.