Pennsylvania Family Law Blog

In Hollywood divorce news, Madonna and her husband of seven and a half years, Guy Ritchie, have announced they are beginning divorce proceedings. Madonna’s publicist e-mailed a statement (co-signed by Ritchie’s rep) to the Associated Press on October 15, confirming the news. The joint-statement reads:

“Madonna and Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven and a half years of marriage, their representatives confirmed today,” Liz Rosenberg, Madonna’s U.S. representative, said in the joint statement to AP. “They have both requested that the media maintain respect for their family at this difficult time. A final settlement has not been agreed upon yet.”

Ritchie and Madonna, who live in London, reportedly want to create a mutual postnuptial agreement before going to court. Their assets include homes in New York, Los Angeles, and London along with a 1,200-acre estate in Wiltshire, England. Their aggregate estate is alleged to be worth about $525 million U.S., with $35 million of that belonging to Ritchie.

Not many divorces require press releases and involve distributing millions of dollars in assets, but it does not make them any less difficult to deal with. Divorce is a devastating, life changing event that should never be entered into lightly. If you or a loved one is facing a divorce in Pennsylvania do not hesitate to contact the Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz, PC, even if just for a first free consultation on how you should proceed. Our office is always upfront about potential outcomes and fees. Contact us immediately with any and all of your questions.

In an interesting case regarding the rights of widowed spouses, a Sacramento state appeals court has ruled that Iris Kievernagel cannot use her deceased husband frozen sperm to become pregnant because he had made it clear he did not want to father a child posthumously. In a recently made public ruling, the appeals court ruled that if only one spouse has contributed genetic material, “the intent of the donor” must control its disposition after death.

Joseph Kievernagel, 36, of Citrus Heights, was one of two Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies killed when their helicopter crashed into a hillside near Lake Natoma in July 2005. The court said he and his wife had a loving marriage, with one subject of disagreement: She wanted children and he did not. They nevertheless tried unsuccessfully to conceive a child and went to a clinic to begin in vitro fertilization in June 2005, but had not completed the procedure before his death.

After his death, Iris Kievernagel, administrator of her late husband’s estate, sought custody of the sperm her husband had deposited with the clinic. A Superior Court judge refused, citing the couple’s contract with the clinic in which a box was checked saying the sperm was to be discarded if he became incapacitated or died.

The laws regarding the rights of spouses, widows, and divorced parties are constantly changing. Because of the arbitrary and dynamic nature of marital proceedings and contracts it may be wise to contact the Philadelphia agreement enforcement lawyers at our offices. We can give free consultations on any enforcement issue or any divorce related problem that you are having. Our law office has years of experience in Pennsylvania and the particular enforcement of agreements laws pertaining to divorce. Contact us today for a free consultation.

New York Times reporter Mitchell L. Blumethal reported on August 8, 2008 that a judge ruled that former New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey will not have to make alimony payments to his former wife. McGreevy resigned from office after admitting he had an affair with a male aide. Wife, Dina Matos was married to McGreevey for eight years.

State Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy granted the couple a divorce after McGreevey announced on national television that he was “a gay American.”

“No alimony — that’s what I’m talking about,” Mr. McGreevey’s lawer, Stephen Haller, said after the decision was read in court, the Star-Ledger of Newark reported on its Web site. Ms. Matos was seeking four monthly payments of $2,500 which Judge Cassidy ruled out. Judge Cassidy also lowered McGreevey’s child support payments from $1,750 to $1,075 a month.

After a very public and bitter court battle, Ms. Matos was stunned to find out that she would receive no proceeds from McGreevey’s book “The Confession,” that portrays his side of the story that led to his resignation in August 2004. Ms. Matos also released her version of what happened in a book entitled “Silent Partner.” Child custody of their 6 year old daughter will be shared between the couple. Presently McGreevey is enrolled as a seminary student in New York and will earn $48,000 this year making him to poor to pay alimony. Ms. Matos, who lives in Springfield, told the Associated Press “Although the victimization continues, I am stronger for the experience.”

These cases dealing with former public officials must be treated with dignity and sensitivity just like any other case. The Philadelphia divorce attorneys at the Law Office of Sheryl R. Rentz have years of experience in successfully handling spousal and child support cases as well as alimony cases. We will help you sort through the legal process and paperwork at a time when sorting and putting your life back on track is a priority. Please do not hesitate to call us today at 866-290-9292 for a free and confidential consultation.

Brooky Brown reported on the website divorce360.com that couples considering divorce typically stay married through the end of the holidays or summer vacations. Although no specific reason or science can be attributed to this pattern divorce attorney Jeffrey Levine believes it is because couples have “false expectations and believe miracles will happen during the holidays especially when children are involved,” yet inevitably divorce follows. Some people do not want to interrupt their summer vacations, others believe single parents wait until kids are back in school avoiding daycare payments. While others believe that the holiday season will spark romantic yearnings which may lead to their marriage getting back on track.

Unfortunately the increase in calls following summer vacations and the holiday season to divorce lawyers point to the fact that neither of these is sufficient to mend the couples woes. Ann C. Thompson has been practicing family-law for 29 years and says “Some attorneys say couples stay together until the beginning of the school year, while others say they wait until after graduation is over.” Thompson also said sometimes couples divorce at a certain time based on upcoming family events. “These are all theories,” Thompson said. “Personally, I don’t have a clue why people divorce at certain times of the year more than others.”

Bernard Rothman, counsel to Sankel, Skurman & McCartin LLP in New York, said “Generally the calls fall off just before Thanksgiving and pick up again on January 2,”he said. “The calls tend to come in on a fairly even keel until about June 1, when vacation starts.” For some, divorcing in the fall prevents the children who are home during the summer from becoming more aware of fights or problems that may occur once the couple files for divorce,” he said.

If you are involved in divorce proceedings, please call a Pennsylvania divorce lawyer at 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 at 866-290-9292 to get our qualified and aggressive attorneys on your side, fighting for your legal rights.