Pennsylvania Family Law Blog – The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz

Preparing for a Consultation with Your Divorce Lawyer

By Sheryl Rentz on April 1, 2013

Choosing a Pennsylvania divorce attorney is an important decision if you are considering or entering a divorce. Your attorney will assist you with every stage of the process, so it is important to work with someone you feel confident about relying upon.

When you prepare for an initial consultation with a divorce attorney, keep the following tips in mind: Read the rest »

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 »

Five Mistakes We Make During Divorce

By Sheryl Rentz on February 27, 2013

Can divorce be complicated and stressful? Absolutely. During divorce we no longer use our brains; we use our hearts. Pain, sadness, anger—every emotion seems to overpower us during divorce.

Courtesy of an article in The Huffington Post, Dr. Jeff Gardere, relationship expert, says well-intentioned partners can make serious mistakes during the process of divorce. Montgomery County, Pennsylvania family law attorney Sheryl R. Rentz wants you to know that you cannot allow your emotions to control your thinking. There are serious complex issues to be handled before you can move on with your life. Read the rest »

Plan as Thoroughly for Divorce as You Would for Your Wedding

By Sheryl Rentz on February 19, 2013

Divorce and weddings are both stressful, emotional times in a woman’s life. But while you want your wedding to be perfect and plan accordingly, you may simply want to get through a divorce in order to quickly move on with your future. While this is understandable, it can also be costly. Ironically, all that slow and careful planning that goes on prior to the wedding occurs when you have little or no assets; 20 or more years later the two of you likely have assets accumulated. That makes it important to plan for divorce equally as well as you did for marriage.

Certified Financial Planner and senior investment officer for South Texas Money Management, Ltd, Lisa Fox understands divorce is an emotional time, but also realizes having an attitude of “just wanting to move on” could cause potential long lasting financial consequences. Read the rest »

Licensed Pennsylvania Marriage Counselors’ Advice for Surviving Valentine’s Day Single

By Sheryl Rentz on February 12, 2013

Courtesy of Dvorce360.com, staying sane on Valentine’s Day when you have recently returned to single status after a divorce is not easy. Family therapists and marriage counselors, Jennifer McCarron from North Wales, Pennsylvania, and Eugene Kayser who practices in Abington, Pennsylvania, have seven tips for survival:

1. Treat yourself by doing something that nourishes you like a spa session, a walk, a visit to the gym, any activity that nurtures.
2. Simply choose to ignore Valentine’s Day. Don’t participate in activities normally associated with the day. Treat it as if it is a holiday that your religion does not recognize. Read the rest »

Financial Aid after Divorce

By Sheryl Rentz on February 7, 2013

After divorce, children are impacted in emotional and financial ways just as divorced spouses are. Child support for young children soon evolves into the issue of putting young adults through college. In cases in which the parents are separated or are divorced, it is important to know that it is the custodial parent’s responsibility to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA online document requests financial information like that found on tax returns for the purpose of establishing the amount of financial aid a student qualifies for.

Family law attorneys like the Pennsylvania attorney Sheryl R. Rentz know that clients living through a divorce are facing one of the most emotionally devastating and financially uncertain periods of their lives. Read the rest »

Pennsylvania Divorce—Equitable Division

By Sheryl Rentz on January 30, 2013

Property division at the end of a marriage is not always a peaceful process. Pennsylvania is an “equitable distribution state,” meaning distribution must be fair. This does not mean that property is necessarily divided equally. Property must be negotiated.

Your first instinct may not be to do direct negotiations with your marriage partner. In fact, a settlement agreement, a written document informing the Court exactly how a couple want marital property to be divided, may be impossible for the two of you to reach agreement on. If your efforts to work together to reach an agreement fails, and if certain assets remain in dispute, the Court will make the distribution according to the system of “equitable division.” Read the rest »