Pennsylvania Family Law Blog

A Pennsylvania man has been charged with domestic violence after he reportedly slammed a woman’s hand in a door at a local hotel, the Port Clinton News Herald reported. The 52-year-old man was arrested and charged with domestic violence after officers were called to America’s Best Value Inn with reports that two people were fighting and screaming at each other. A woman apparently told police that the man had repeatedly slammed her hand in a door. But the man told police that the woman had hit him in the face and that he may have shut her hand in the door as he was leaving. The man had no visible injuries, but the woman was taken to the hospital for a possible broken hand, officials said.

Whatever the situation, there is never an excuse for domestic violence. Domestic violence, whether it is physical or emotional, directed at an adult or a child, is against Pennsylvania law. If you or someone you love is living with domestic violence in Pennsylvania, please contact the Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz immediately.

We offer free consultations and will inform you about your rights and what steps you can take to alter your situation. In your case, you may be entitled to significant benefits after a divorce if domestic abuse was taking place. You especially need to act quickly and get help if there are children involved because they must be removed from the dangerous environment before it is too late. The court system can help keep the offending partner away from you, stop the abuse and grant custody of the children to the abused partner.

At the Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz, we can also help you secure a restraining order in Pennsylvania against your abuser. Whatever your situation, if you need to file a domestic abuse charge or are involved in a dispute, please contact experienced Philadelphia domestic violence lawyer Sheryl R. Rentz for a free and confidential consultation.

As an experienced Philadelphia pre-marital agreements lawyer, I have always emphasized the importance of a prenuptial agreement. A pre-marital agreement, also known as a prenuptial, ante-nuptial or a pre-nuptial agreement, is a legal document that is signed and agreed upon by both parties before legally entering into marriage. These documents are in no way mandatory to get married, but many couples are increasingly entering into such an agreement so that there is a strong safeguard in place should anything happen.

A recent article by Associated Press writer Candice Choi beautifully explains why a prenuptial agreement, or a “prenup” as it is commonly known, is a smart money move. Choi explains that with so many more blended families and dual income households these days, family finances have become an extremely complex issue. A prenuptial agreement, says Choi, can minimize the potential for a messy divorce by spelling out each party’s rights to assets brought into the marriage as well as those acquired as a couple.

Although the last thing a couple wants to think about is a Pennsylvania divorce, statistically, the odds are stacked up against marriage. About 40 percent of marriages in recent years have ended in divorce. So, if you are getting married, here are some things to consider:

• Is a prenup right for you?
• Do you need one?
• How much will it cost?
• What are the areas a prenuptial agreement should cover?
• Is there anything a prenup cannot or will not cover?
• How easy is it to invalidate the agreement?
• How often should you update a prenup?

There are many more questions that will arise when the time comes. If you are looking to draft or enter into a prenuptial agreement, please remember that it should be drafted and filed by an experienced pre-marital agreements lawyer. Each member of the relationship should be represented by such an attorney. If you have any questions regarding prenuptial agreements or the process, please contact the Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz. We are fully familiar with the particulars of each state’s premarital and co-habitation agreement laws. We offer free, comprehensive and confidential consultations.

A Philadelphia man, who was forced to pay child support for another man’s daughter and went to jail for falling behind on those payments, is suing two Pennsylvania counties alleging that officials changed his personal identifying information to make him appear to be the child’s father. According to this Associated Press news report, Walter Andre Sharpe Jr. names Dauphin and Montgomery counties in the federal lawsuit filed in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Sharpe is seeking unspecified damages. He apparently spent more than a year in jail in Dauphin County where the girl’s mother lived. Sharpe has also been denied reimbursement for the $12,000 he has paid so far in child support – for a child that apparently wasn’t his own.

This is no doubt a shocking story. It’s hard enough in these tough economic times to make Pennsylvania child support payments to support your own children, but to be forced to pay money to a child who is not your own is simply appalling. The DA apparently decided against filing criminal charges against county officials after an investigation. It seems terribly unjust to Sharpe who was not even given his money back.

Such situations can be extremely tough because skipping child support payments is an extremely serious issue, as it should be. There are many Pennsylvania deadbeat dads who fall back on or don’t pay child support. While those dads should be held accountable, what happened in this case is unreasonable and wrong.

If you are involved in a child support case in Pennsylvania – whether you want to make your payments or have payments made by the parent of your child- please call the Law Office of Sheryl R. Rentz to find out how we can help you with your particular situation. Call experienced Philadelphia child support lawyer Sheryl R. Rentz today at 610-645-0100 for a free consultation. We will remain on your side and fight to protect your legal rights.

The slowing economy and weak job market is having an adverse effect on child support, Illinois officials are finding out. According to this news report in the Chicago Tribune, a lot of parents are asking for a break because they have lost their jobs or have some other economic hardship. The Illinois Division of Child Support is apparently seeing a slowdown in collections and an increase in support paid out of unemployment benefits. This trend is understandably putting a strain on custodial parents who depend on that child support check to keep their households running. Illinois law requires parents who don’t have custody to pay between 20 and 50 percent of his or her income, depending on the number of children involved.

Pennsylvania has very strict laws that make penalties for those who don’t pay child support extremely severe. Any amount owed in back payments is known as “arrearages.” The parent who fails to make those payments can face harsh penalties including jail time, driver’s license and passport suspension, bank account seizure, reporting of failure to pay to credit agencies and seizure of certain incomes and properties.

Whether you are a parent who wants to collect child support or a parent who is seeking assistance to make these payments, the Law Office of Sheryl R. Rentz can help you. Please contact us for a free and comprehensive consultation to learn more information about your legal rights and options. We can help you recover your legally entitled child support, help couples who are worried about making a child support contract, or even help parents who have not paid child support for some time. Call experienced Philadelphia child support attorney Sheryl R. Rentz today at 610-645-0100 for a free consultation.