Pennsylvania Family Law Blog – The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz
“Women Unchained”: Jewish Women Denied a Religious Divorce by their Husband
Beverly Siegel, a Chicago-based filmmaker, made a documentary about Jewish women whose husbands refuse to grant them a religious divorce, known as a GET. The film, entitled “Women Unchained,” explores this phenomenon, which occurs because in traditional Judaism a husband may withhold a divorce. If this happens, the women seeking the divorce are then considered agunot, or “chained wives,” and between 2005 and 2010, a total of 462 cases existed in the U.S., according to a recent survey.
Secular courts in the U.S. cannot interfere in a religious divorce, which further complicates matters for the women, and violence may occur as a result. For example, a New Jersey couple was apprehended for arranging the kidnapping and beating of a man who refused to give a GET. Thus, some are promoting more civilized solutions to this problem. Read the rest »
Divorce in the Military: How to Divide a Pension
During a divorce, there are a number of financial issues that may further complicate an already difficult process. One such financial problem is dividing a retirement plan, which becomes a more complex matter when one spouse is in the military. For someone who has served in the military, a pension is typically their largest asset, so the issue of dividing the retirement plan during a divorce affects million of military couples. Read the rest »
Post-Divorce Financial Issues to Be Aware of This Tax Season
A number of complicated issues can arise both during and after a divorce, and if the matters aren’t appropriately addressed and resolved, the problems can continue for years after the divorce is final. With tax season in full swing and the April 15 deadline fast approaching, it is important for couples who may have made the decision to part to understand the financial issues that should be addressed during the divorce process to help avoid problems in the future. Marketwatch.com offers these thoughts: Read the rest »
The Business Side of Marriage: Is a Prenuptial Agreement Right for You?
When a couple gets engaged, it is a time to celebrate and eventually begin planning for the big walk down the aisle. This can include decisions on where the wedding will be held, what flowers to display, the kind of cake that will be eaten and … whether or not to get a prenuptial agreement? Though discussing a prenuptial agreement, also known as a premarital agreement or prenup, seems very unromantic and can make a partner feel like the other thinks the relationship will end, having one drafted may actually be quite sensible and is growing in popularity.
A recent poll indicates that three-quarters of divorce lawyers reported an increase in prenuptial agreements over the last five years, according to Theindychannel.com. With an estimated 40 percent of marriages ending in divorce in the U.S., discussing this option with your future spouse may help avoid a great deal of stress in the future. Read the rest »
The Basics of Divorce Mediation
When a married couple makes the difficult decision of ending their union, a number of complicated matters are certain to arise throughout the divorce. To help sort out these issues in an amicable, stress-free manner, a pair might choose the process of mediation. During a divorce, mediation is one way of finding solutions to issues such as spousal support or child custody, and is basically an alternative to the formal process of divorce court. A court appointed third party, known as the mediator, meets with both parties in the divorce and their respective attorneys to assist with negotiating resolutions to their divorce.
Both parties in the divorce have the opportunity to discuss relevant issues, clear up any disagreements, and arrive at a mutual agreement. The primary goal of the mediator is to simply act as an intermediary and an objective third party; he or she does not aim to force an agreement or resolve problems. However, a mediator may offer his or her opinion or make suggestions. The process of mediation has some benefits, such as: Read the rest »
Study Reveals Divorcing at a Younger Age May Be Hazardous to Your Health
The Huffington Post reports that a new study conducted by Michigan State University finds that divorcing at a younger age may be more dangerous to your health than separating later in life. The study’s researcher, Hui Liu, examined health information for a total of 1,282 participants over the last fifteen years in order to analyze the potential difference in well-being between those who stayed married throughout the study and those who divorced. For couples who made the decision to end their marriage, Liu discovered that those who split at a younger age tended to have more health problems than those who divorced later in life.
The findings of the study, which were published in Social Science & Medicine, seem to indicate that older individuals may be better equipped to handle the stress of divorce than younger people. Liu states another explanation of the study’s findings is that older people may be among “the most unhappily married due to years of pressure to stay in their relationships,” and therefore experience greater feelings of relief following the divorce. The finding surprised Liu as she thought younger couples would carry less stress from a divorce because it is more prevalent for the younger generation. Read the rest »
How Facebook May Be Used Against You in Family Court
According to the Upper Dublin Patch, social media may be the latest weapon used against a spouse in the court of law. The law journal The Legal Intelligencer reports that instances of posts made on the popular social networking site Facebook are frequently being used as evidence and is an increasingly common occurrence in family court. The article cited a handful of examples from court cases in which the social media site became part of the proceedings. Three such examples are: Read the rest »
Divorce in the Jewish Community: What is a GET?
For those who are members of the Jewish faith, the matter of divorce is slightly different than a standard civil divorce or an annulment. A civil divorce is not sufficient to dissolve a Jewish marriage; Jewish law decrees that a couple remains married until the woman obtains a GET. GET is simply the Hebrew word for “divorce document.” According to Jewish law, a marriage is not dissolved until a GET is exchanged between husband and wife. This particular law has presented some problems for liberal Jews who have a religiously valid marriage, but they do not get a religiously-valid divorce. This can mean that a Rabbi will not officiate at a wedding if either party has been divorced without a GET. Read the rest »
The Basics of Pennsylvania Paternity Law
Paternity is defined as the state or quality of being a father, and any Pennsylvania resident who wants to establish paternity can do so in a very simple, reliable way. A person who wants to establish paternity can be either be a mother, a father, or even the child, depending on what a party may want to achieve from the paternity testing. In order to establish paternity, DNA testing is most common and can include a SWAB test, DNA Genetic Identity, or a blood test. DNA testing centers are typically affordable and are easy to locate, so paternity matters are usually settled before a trial.
There are a number of reasons why an individual may want to establish paternity, such as: Read the rest »
Post-Divorce Financial Planning Tips
A divorce is an extremely difficult process for a couple to endure and will affect many aspects of a person’s life. One of the more challenging aspects for a newly divorced pair can be the lifestyle adjustment going from two salaries to one can bring, so it is crucial to know how you can rebuild your financial life and independence. The following are six tips to help you get started:
- Create a financial plan. During the divorce process, many decisions regarding finances were likely made, such as child care needs, expenses, or assets. Review those costs, while factoring in any child or spousal support, and adjust accordingly to reflect your single-status. Read the rest »
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