June, 2011 | Pennsylvania Family Law Blog - The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz Archive

How an Attorney Can Help Resolve Surrogacy Issues in Pennsylvania

By Sheryl Rentz on June 29, 2011

Surrogacy is an arrangement under which a woman carries a child to term for another person or couple. The woman can be the child’s genetic mother, which is referred to as traditional surrogacy, or she can have an embryo, to which she is not genetically related, implanted in her uterus and carry to term, which is called gestational surrogacy. Typically, the child is conceived by artificial insemination or impregnated by intrauterine insemination (IUI) or intracervical insemination (ICI). Sperm and egg donations may also be utilized. Read the rest »

Why Would I Want to Sign a Confidentiality Agreement in Pennsylvania?

By Sheryl Rentz on June 28, 2011

A confidentiality agreement, also known as a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), is a legal contract that is entered into between at least two parties, and outlines certain confidential information that the parties share with each other for certain purposes, but do not wish to have third parties access. Under the contract, the parties agree they will not disclose the information covered by the agreement. These agreements can restrict both parties in their use of the information, or they may restrict the use of the information by a single party.

Typically, these types of agreements are entered into for business arrangements, but in certain circumstances, a married couple may sign a confidentiality agreement in Pennsylvania. For example, if the couple ran a business together, or if one spouse was in the public eye, signing a confidentiality agreement during the marriage may be desirable. Read the rest »

Legislation Proposed to Cap Alimony Payments in Massachusetts

By Sheryl Rentz on June 17, 2011

The Boston Business Journal reports that recently proposed legislation in Massachusetts would make dramatic changes in the way alimony payments are decided. In addition, under certain circumstances, if the legislation is passed it would permit divorced parties to re-examine their established alimony agreements.

The bill, known as the Alimony Reform Act of 2011, establishes guidelines that have been long-awaited for with regard to alimony payments in Massachusetts. Currently, the state does not allow judges to set a cap on the duration of payments, which has resulted in many situations of non-working ex-spouses supported by an unmarried, live-in partner receiving lifetime alimony payments from a working ex-spouse. If the legislation is passed, alimony recipients would not be permitted to continue receiving payments in those situations. The proposed legislation would also make it less difficult for parties to alter their alimony payments upon retirement. Read the rest »