Pennsylvania Family Law Blog – The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz
Plan as Thoroughly for Divorce as You Would for Your Wedding
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
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:
- Treat yourself by doing something that nourishes you like a spa session, a walk, a visit to the gym, any activity that nurtures.
- 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
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
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 »
Addendum to Natalie Wood’s Autopsy Report—Bruises May Have Occurred before She Entered the Water
Although many unanswered questions remain, more details were recently revealed surrounding actress Natalie Wood’s death. As reported by the Associated Press and published in The Philadelphia Inquirer on January 15, 2013, a report just released reveals that Natalie Wood’s death certificate was amended to deal with questions about bruises on her upper body.
In a ten-page addendum to the actress’ autopsy, officials from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office say that some of the bruises on Natalie Wood’s body may have been put there prior to her entering into the water and drowning. Coroner’s officials could only conclude that Ms. Wood “drowned under undetermined circumstances.” Officials noted in the amendment that Wood had no history of attempting suicide, did not leave a suicide note, and did not have on a life jacket. Read the rest »
The Truth about Pre-marital Agreements
Romantic love is not a guarantee of future happiness. Pre-marital agreements may not be romantic, but they can protect assets of couples entering into a marriage or a cohabitation arrangement. Family law attorneys are not match makers. What they can do is safeguard one’s assets should the romance end.
What is a Pre-marital Agreement?
Pre-nuptial agreements can also be called pre-nuptial agreements or ante-nuptial agreements. A pre-marital agreement is a legal document agreed upon, signed, and entered into prior to a couple’s marriage. Legal pre-cohabitation agreements can also be legal contracts that work in much the same way for couples who do not plan to be married. Read the rest »
Issues of Middle-Age that May Lead Women to Divorce
As women reach age 50-something, they may start to wonder if this is all there is to life. Whether or not this is a mid-life crisis, middle age is a time of questioning whether women are where they want to be. As was reported in The Huffington Post, many married middle-aged women said they no longer wanted to be married to their husbands. They were finished with marriage. They were not happy. They felt doomed to live the rest of their lives the way they had up to the present.
Midlife Changes
Midlife is an anxiety-filled time for women. Family law attorneys are familiar with just how difficult making the decision of whether or not to divorce can be. Read the rest »
Beginning Your New Year with Divorce: Why Couples May Divorce in January
As reported by Divorce360.com, a number of couples across the nation make the difficult decision to divorce at the beginning of the new year, but why is January a popular month to make a split official? The increased filings in the beginning of the New Year may be in response to the need for “self-improvement” that many feel during the start of a year. One woman, the operator of FamilyLawCourts.com, jumped at the chance to finalize her divorce from her husband in January with thoughts of “new year, new life.”
However, the woman regrets the decision she made to do a bifurcated divorce suggested by her attorney, which speeds the finality of divorce before custody or financial issues are negotiated. Read the rest »
PA State Representative Daryl Metcalfe to Reintroduce Gay Marriage Ban
According to an On Top Magazine report, Pennsylvania State Representative Daryl Metcalfe recently announced that he will reintroduce a resolution that aims to ban gay marriage in the state. Presently, state law prevents same-sex marriage, as do laws in 30 others U.S. states, though there are a number of states that do allow gays to marry or are in the process of changing their laws, indicating a significant political shift in the country. However, Metcalfe states that it is important to “support traditional marriage” and the proposed amendment would eliminate confusion as to what constitutes a legal marriage in Pennsylvania. Read the rest »
Mistakes to Avoid When Divorcing After Age 50
Deciding to divorce at any age is always a hard choice to make and a difficult experience, but getting divorced over the age of 50 can be especially complicated and can be filled with pitfalls and rules that younger couples may never have to consider. According to a SmartMoney.com news report, the overall divorce rate has decreased slightly over the past two decades, but data from the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University reveals that the rate for couples over 50 has doubled.
As the stakes are likely to be higher for divorcing couples over 50 for several reasons, such as a pair having more assets like real estate, obtaining a favorable settlement is particularly important. As such, here are some common mistakes for the over-50 set, which may lead to a lower settlement or you having to pay your ex more than you should. Read the rest »
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