Divorce | Pennsylvania Family Law Blog - The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz - Part 12
New York Now Accepting No-Fault Divorce Cases
No-fault divorce is now available in every state across the country, thanks to legislation recently signed into law by New York Governor David Paterson. According to Fox40 WICZ-TV, New York, which previously rejected no-fault divorces, has become the final state to accept the reasoning as a motive for couples to officially end their marriages. According to the new law, a disgruntled spouse needs only declare that a marriage simply isn’t working out, and their request for a divorce will be granted.
Regardless of what the circumstances surrounding a potential divorce may be, it is essential that the services of an experienced divorce attorney are retained in order to ensure that an amicable outcome is obtained for all. Issues related to divorce, such as property division, child custody, and alimony payments need to be carefully examined in order to arrive at agreements that work out best for both parties involved. When children are caught in the middle of a divorce, it is even more crucial that their best interests are kept in mind at all times, so as to retain as much normalcy in their lives as possible. Read the rest »
Montgomery County Divorce and Family Law Attorney
Montgomery County is a popular county in Pennsylvania with an approximate population of over 795,618. Estimates from 2000 noted 286,098 households, and 197,693 families residing in the county, which is a suburban county located just northwest of Philadelphia. As the third most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 69th most densely inhabited county in the U.S., family law issues frequently arise, emphasizing the importance of legal counsel from a skilled Montgomery County, PA family law attorney.
Family law in Montgomery County is a very intricate area of law that involves matters pertaining to spousal support, divorce, child visitation, property division, pre-marital agreements, domestic violence, child custody, and more. When going through a divorce, there are many issues that must be dealt with competently and within a certain amount of time in order for a person to obtain a successful outcome. When a divorce is not dealt with correctly, an individual’s rights to child custody, support, or visitation, as well as other financial issues, can suffer as a consequence. An experienced Montgomery County divorce lawyer will ensure that your rights are protected to assist you in receiving positive results for your specific situation. Read the rest »
Delaware County Divorce and Family Law Attorney
Delaware County is a prominent county in Pennsylvania with an estimated population over 550,864. Being comprised of suburbs of its neighboring city, Philadelphia, Delaware County is the fifth most populous county in Pennsylvania. Considering that approximately 206,320 households and 139,472 families reside in Delaware County, the area is no stranger to complex family law matters, making experienced Delaware County family law lawyers all the more important.
Family law in Pennsylvania is a highly complex and sensitive area of law that relates to issues involving divorce, pre-marital agreements, spousal support, property division, domestic violence, child visitation, child custody, and more. When dealing with a divorce, there are several complex matters that must be handled efficiently and in a timely manner in order for a person to obtain positive results. Divorces, if not handled properly, can significantly compromise an individual’s rights to child custody, support, or visitation, as well as other financial issues. A skilled Delaware County divorce attorney will make sure that your rights are protected and work to help you achieve a successful case outcome. Read the rest »
No-Fault Divorce May Soon Be Allowed in New York
On any given day, no-fault divorce is cited throughout most of the country as the primary reason why a marriage simply didn’t work. Of the 50 states, New York remains the lone holdout state that does not allow no-fault divorces in its court system. However, according to a USA Today article, no-fault divorces may soon be cited throughout the entire country, including New York, if legislation already approved by the New York State Senate is also agreed upon by a state Assembly conference committee.
According to statistics, the marriage rate in the United States in 2008 was 7.1 per 1,000 people, while the divorce rate was 3.5 per 1,000. This essentially supports the common adage that one out of every two marriages ends in divorce. Regardless of which reasons are cited for a divorce, a host of different elements need to be carefully examined in order to come to an agreement that is amiable for both parties. While many people hope that a marriage will inevitably improve over time, sometimes the differences are simply too great, and parties have no choice but to file for separation. For such parties in New York, declaring a divorce to be no-fault may soon be a possibility. Read the rest »
Philadelphia County Divorce and Family Law Attorney
Philadelphia County is situated in Pennsylvania and shares similar boundaries with Philadelphia, which holds the county seat. As one of the first three counties established in 1682 along with Chester and Bucks counties, Philadelphia County is now the most populous county in Pennsylvania with an estimated population of 1,540,351 in 2008. In an area that encompasses 142.6 square miles, according to the United States Census Bureau, tons of families choose to call Philadelphia County home. With so many families inhabiting Philadelphia County, it is no wonder that family law issues often arise, especially when it comes to divorce.
Divorce in Philadelphia County may take place for a variety of reasons. While every divorce case is different, these types of family law issues typically involve several complex and detail-oriented factors that can influence a person’s financial stability and rights to spousal support, child support, child custody, and child visitation. A skilled Philadelphia County divorce attorney assists those seeking a divorce in many different ways. By making sure that every detail of a divorce case is thoroughly examined, an experienced lawyer will help you obtain a positive outcome while making the process as smooth as possible. Read the rest »
Social Networking Sites Cited in Divorce Court
With the growing popularity of social networking sites, couples who are experiencing marriage difficulties need to be aware that what they post on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace can be held against them in a court of family law. Chicago’s local ABC affiliate, WLS-TV, recently ran a news story discussing the growing reality that the information we post in cyberspace is just as real as any other information we choose to divulge. Reportedly, one couple’s divorce, like many couples throughout the country, was the direct result of using a social networking site, which ultimately led to their separation after 26 years of marriage.
Interestingly enough, as a result of the social networking phenomenon, many Philly family law attorneys are finding themselves instructing clients on what not to post on social networking profiles, even if those profiles are supposedly private, non-public sources of information. According to the report, it is a good idea to approach social networking as you would approach supplying your local newspaper with information about yourself. That is, unless you’re comfortable posting your personal information on the front page of a newspaper, you should be hesitant in posting that information on a social networking profile page. Read the rest »
Divorce Poses New Challenges for Same-Sex Couples
Entering into marriage is proving much easier than walking away from it, as many same-sex married couples are finding out. According to a recent CNN.com article, a new issue is starting to manifest itself, posing an interesting dilemma that has some states at odds over what to do. That is, while same-sex marriage may be legal in a handful of states across the country, those states who oppose such unions are now at the center of a new issue – divorce involving same-sex couples.
Reportedly, one such couple – two women who were legally married in Massachusetts, but who reside in Pennsylvania – were denied their request of a divorce in Pennsylvania. While states typically recognize the laws of other states, and act accordingly when making their own decisions, the issues of same-sex marriage has many state legislators confused as to how to proceed with divorce cases. One point of concern revolves around the idea that, if a state that opposes gay marriage signs off on a gay divorce, then that state may in essence be recognizing gay marriage as legal, despite state laws that say otherwise. Read the rest »
Learning More About How Divorce May Influence Survivor Benefits
Financial responsibility after a divorce, particularly after the loss of a spouse or ex-spouse, is also connected to survivor benefits if a spouse or ex-spouse passes away. Our previous two blogs addressed a few important issues regarding how divorce may or may not affect your social security. We now turn our attention to whether or not an individual may collect spousal or ex-spousal survivor benefits. Generally speaking, if you are divorced, and if you remarry before the age of 60, you are not allowed to collect a survivor benefit based on the earnings of your deceased ex-spouse for the duration of that new marriage.
A few other factors that may influence whether you qualify to obtain survivor benefits relate to your age and how long your marriage lasted. For instance, you may be able to receive survivor benefits beginning at the age of 60. However it should be noted that you may be able to receive these benefits before the age of 60 if you are at least 50-years-old and disabled. Read the rest »
Understanding How Divorce May Influence Your Social Security (Part Two)
In Part Two of our blog series discussing how divorce may or may not affect your social security, we will discuss what role time and age may play in social security and divorce. Based on a recent Wall Street Journal article, it is helpful to note that an individual who has not yet arrived at his or her full retirement age may receive a percentage of the monetary gain he or she would be entitled to get at that time.
When taking into consideration the benefits you are provided by your own work earnings, what is owed to you would generally have to be less than the benefits you would be given through your spouse’s work benefits. An exception to this is that if you delay filing for Social Security until your full retirement age, you can limit the degree of your application to your ex-spouse’s benefit only. In doing this, you can also maintain accumulating credits for postponing your own retirement benefit up to the age of 70. Read the rest »
Understanding How Divorce May Influence Your Social Security (Part One)
As a Philadelphia family law attorney, I am often asked whether or not a divorce will affect social security benefits. This is a question that many individuals encounter throughout the United States, including Pennsylvania. From my experience as a divorce lawyer, and according to a Wall Street Journal article, there are a few points that may help clear up any confusion regarding social security retirement benefits based on an ex spouse’s work record.
In Part One of our blog series discussing whether or not a divorce will affect your social security, we will discuss four universal conditions that you must meet in order to obtain social security retirement benefits from your ex-spouse’s income. They are as follows: Read the rest »
We know your problems are unique & special.
Call us, we will listen.
(610) 645-0100
Meet Attorney