Pennsylvania Family Law Blog – The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz
How to Survive the Holidays Both During and After Divorce
For many, the holiday season is a festive and joyous time of year. However, if you are getting divorced or your divorce was only just finalized, the holidays may not help with easing the pain of your split and you may feel overwhelmed with whatever you may be feeling as a result of the divorce, such as stress, loneliness, or sadness. A newly divorced person may not look forward to this time of year, but while there is no magical solution for your holiday blues, Montgomery County divorce attorney Sheryl R. Rentz knows that there are certain things you can do to make this season easier to cope with.
Courtesy of DivorceWizards.com, consider the following tips to help you survive the holiday season: Read the rest »
National Adoption Month in November Highlights Need for Adoptive Families
National Adoption Month has been celebrated in the month of November with events, campaigns, and activities to help build awareness of adoption and adoption-related issues. The specific focus this November is the adoption of children who are currently in foster care, and the focus was to find loving, permanent homes for foster children awaiting adoption. An Examiner.com news report states that presently there are more than 100,000 children in the foster care system in the U.S. waiting for permanent families, with 3,000 children in Philadelphia alone in need of permanent homes.
To celebrate National Adoption Month, a free event was held on November 19 in Philadelphia intended to be a public awareness campaign to underscore the need for children who need adoptive families. The event was a collaboration between the Philadelphia-based National Adoption Center and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and the event featured games, entertainment, interactive activities, and resource information for prospective families. Read the rest »
Tips for Saving Money during Your Divorce
Divorce is an exceptionally difficult thing to deal with in more ways than one. Divorce proceedings can be especially challenging, but making the decision to control your divorce and not let it control you can empower you to make practical, effectual decisions to help you get through the process as smoothly as possible. One essential part of controlling your divorce is managing the cost, and The Huffington Post offers the following tips on how you can save money during this costly process:
- Manage your communication: Don’t make your divorce attorney the primary means of communication between you and your ex in order to understand where your money is going. The attorney should do things such as inform you of laws and how it applies to your divorce, not ask your former spouse who will be picking up the kids from school. Read the rest »
Coping with Divorce during Thanksgiving
Beginning a new chapter of your life after a divorce and moving forward can be difficult, but it can be exceptionally challenging during Thanksgiving and the holiday season. Feelings of sadness or distress are certainly common if you are newly divorced, but with the following tips and support from loved ones, the Thanksgiving holiday can be a happy one and you can create new traditions to celebrate year after year. Courtesy of WomansDivorce.com, here are some tips to make your holiday a festive one:
- Talk to supportive friends and family: Do your best to strive for a holiday atmosphere, free from unhappy feelings. If you need to vent or need a shoulder to cry on, try and grab a friend or family member and let it all out! This will help you try and enjoy the holiday. Read the rest »
Divorce in the Digital Age: How Technology Can Help You through Your Divorce
Coping with a divorce is always an exceptionally difficult thing, but with the help of friends and family, a counselor or support group, and even an experienced divorce attorney, you can move forward with a new chapter in your life and write your new happy ending. However, divorcing in the 21st century offers divorcing couples and parents some digital aids, which may also help you smoothly get through a divorce and offer co-parenting tips to help you raise your child after a split.
Courtesy of The Huffington Post, the following are five apps that can help you both during and after your divorce: Read the rest »
Divorce Abroad: The Difficulties of Divorcing in Two Different Countries
Financial obstructions, red tape, and cultural differences are simply a few of the challenges one might encounter if they are divorcing a citizen of another country, an American who is a dual citizen, or someone who lives abroad. According to a Reuters news report, there are no statistics as to how many Americans have had to deal with divorce and dual citizenship, but the president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) states that it is a growing trend due to custody issues. He adds that they are “seeing more parental kidnappings, more conflict, more litigation, and simply more to fight about” in the event of a dual citizen or “international” divorce.
For U.S. citizens who may find themselves in a bi-country divorce situation, one must consider where they live in order to determine where to file for divorce. Simply because you or your spouse is American, one cannot assume that he or she can file for divorce in the U.S. A New York matrimonial lawyer explains that “It doesn’t matter where you were born, it’s where you live that’s going to determine which court has the jurisdiction.” As such, it may not ultimately be a decision as to which country is easier to divorce in, as divorce laws and outcomes certainly vary from country to country. Read the rest »
Officials and Advocates Hold Ceremony in Montgomery County in Honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month
First observed in October of 1987, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which was created to raise awareness of the “silent epidemic” of domestic violence and promote prevention of this significant national problem. Nationally, domestic violence affects one in four women, and an estimated 91,000 Pennsylvanians were affected by domestic violence in 2011.
In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, victim’s advocates, law enforcement, and court officials gathered recently in Montgomery County to support survivors and honor those who have shared the expertise to help victims. Read the rest »
Divorce and Children: Tips to Celebrate Halloween with Your Family Post-Split
Both during and after a divorce, it is essential for parents to make the major new transition as seamless as possible to ensure the emotional and mental well-being of their children. The holiday season can be an especially difficult time for both parents and children, but as with many post-divorce situations, attitude and how parents handle family matters is key; if each parent is willing to work together, it can make a significant difference in how the holidays play out.
With the most frightening holiday of the year approaching, Halloween is certainly one of the most fun for a child to celebrate and share with parents. As such, parents should remember to put their child first when trick-or-treating on October 31 and follow these simple tips to make Halloween a memorable one for their child: Read the rest »
Bankruptcy During Divorce: What You Need to Consider Before Filing
Financial matters are one of the most significant issues that will arise, and need to be settled, in a divorce. Financial problems are certainly one of the leading causes of divorce in the U.S.; as such, managing one’s finances post divorce can often be complicated, and a practical solution for some may be considering filing for bankruptcy during the divorce process to avoid any further monetary troubles. However, there are several important things any Pennsylvanian considering filing for bankruptcy should take into account before making the official decision to do so.
The following are four essential things to consider if you are thinking about filing for bankruptcy during a divorce: Read the rest »
Registry Available for Adoptees, Birth Parents in Pennsylvania
The 2010 law passed in Pennsylvania, formally called Pennsylvania Act 101, makes it easier to for Pennsylvania residents involved in adoptions to request information about the adoptee or birth parents. As reported by Montgomery News, this law allowed the state Department of Public Welfare to create the Pennsylvania Adoption Information Registry (PAIR), which keeps confidential information related to the social and medical history of children adopted in the state. Birth parents, adoptive parents, or adoptees can make updates to the registry at any time.
A Pennsylvanian can reach PAIR by calling (800) 227-0225, but the information is shared only if both parties agree to it. This can eliminate the uncomfortable situation that may occur when an adoptee calls a biological parent that does not wish to be contacted. At the request of the adoptee, an authorized representative is appointed to search for birth parents or relatives, and the birth parents must provide written consent. Under PA law, a “birth relative” can refer to a parent, sibling, grandparent, stepparent, uncle, or aunt of the child’s birth family. Read the rest »
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