March, 2013 | Pennsylvania Family Law Blog - The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz Archive

U. S. Supreme Court Decides in Favor of American Father in Custody Dispute

By Sheryl Rentz on March 28, 2013

United States Supreme Court Justice Roberts, in a recently written opinion, returned a decision regarding an international custody dispute in favor of an American father.  As reported in The Huffington Post and published on March 5, the Court held that American federal courts’ jurisdiction does not terminate just because the child has been returned to another country.  No longer can a child be taken from his or her home to a different country thereby escaping American state and federal courts.

The Court’s ruling indicated that just because a child crosses U.S. boundaries does not mean that the custody of that child falls outside U.S. courts’ jurisdiction. Read the rest »

Religious Annulment vs. Legal Annulment

By Sheryl Rentz on March 19, 2013

Annulment under Pennsylvania Law

A legal annulment in the state of Pennsylvania is a pronouncement by a judge which declares a marriage invalid.  An annulment legally declares that a marriage never existed.  In Pennsylvania the Court may declare a marriage to be invalid for any of the following reasons:

• One of the marriage partners was already married at the time of the new marriage (bigamous marriages).
• The marriage partners are blood relatives within a certain degree—marriages between brother and sister, aunt and nephew, uncle and niece, first cousins.
• One of the parties could not consent to the marriage due to a mental defect or related reason. Read the rest »

Easing Separation Anxiety

By Sheryl Rentz on March 8, 2013

Sheryl R. Rentz, Pennsylvania family law attorney, wants to help move you through the difficult periods of separation and divorce as efficiently as possible. She understands the anxiety couples feel and knows that separation presents many of the same issues couples must face during divorce.

As reported in The Wall Street Journal, money may be the last thing on couples’ minds when they separate. They may even feel that dealing with finances can wait until the divorce. Whether a couple reconciles or not, a reasonable financial plan upon separation can make all the difference. Without a financial plan, the process of divorce can become nasty. If couples choose reconciliation instead, it makes it more difficult to rejoin finances. Read the rest »

Creating a Child-Centered Divorce

By Sheryl Rentz on March 5, 2013

When child custody becomes war, there can be no winners. The saddest “losers” are the children.

Child custody does not have to be decided between two warring factions. Conscientious parents should make decisions together, putting the best interests of their children first. According to Rosalind Sedacca, CCT, author of How Do I Tell the Kids about the Divorce?, child custody decisions demand honest communication between mature parents who are willing to put the needs of their children ahead of personal interests.

The Pennsylvania Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz has many years of experience handling child custody issues surrounding divorce. A child custody schedule is part of a comprehensive settlement plan that should be in place prior to filing for a divorce. Read the rest »