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

Your Holiday Survival Guide After a Divorce

By Sheryl Rentz on December 22, 2011

The end of a marriage can be one of the most difficult things a person endures in his or her lifetime. A divorce forces a person to redefine their life, relationships, and even traditions. The holidays are a festive time for most, but when you are coping with a divorce, it can be difficult to find any joy in the holiday season. However, the holidays can be an excellent time to celebrate with family and create new traditions with those you love. The following are some helpful tips to help you celebrate during the holidays.

• Be flexible. Keep any old traditions you want, but also try some new things and get creative with the way you celebrate the holidays. Creating new traditions and holiday rituals that you can do each year can be a part of how you redefine your new life. Read the rest »

Understanding Pennsylvania Child Visitation

By Sheryl Rentz on December 14, 2011

Divorce is a very complicated and difficult thing issue, and when a child is involved, it is important to make things as seamless as possible regarding custody of the child and visitation rights to lessen the impact of the divorce on the child. Visitation refers to the right of a parent to visit a child as one of the types of custody in Pennsylvania, and child visitation guidelines set forth the terms of how physical custody of a child will be shared after the parents’ divorce. The state of Pennsylvania recognizes different types of child custody, however, in addition to visitation, including: Read the rest »

Verizon Donates $590,000 to PA Domestic Violence Agencies

By Sheryl Rentz on December 6, 2011

In the continuous fight against domestic violence, Verizon announced this week that it will be donating more than $590,000 to aid Pennsylvania domestic violence shelters. The funding for this generous donation comes from the Verizon Foundation and the nationally recognized HopeLine program, which provides refurbished cellular phones and airtime to nonprofit groups for use by domestic violence survivors.

The aid is certainly coming at an opportune time; Pennsylvania shelters have unfortunately seen a spike in domestic violence calls, which they attribute to the pressures of an ailing economy. Domestic violence agencies in the state have also been struggling with waiting lists at shelters and extended stays, and have reported an increase in elder abuse, teen dating violence, and increased calls for help to crisis hotlines. Statewide, more than 40 domestic violence organizations are presently being supported by Verizon. Read the rest »