Pennsylvania Family Law Blog – The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz
Is a Post-Nuptial Agreement What Your Marriage Needs?
Married couples have disagreements for many reasons, although, in the current recession, the main clashing point tends to revolve around a couple’s financial situation. Financial disputes and worries can cause emotional stress, which, if left unresolved, can take its toll on a marriage. According to The Huffington Post, however, all your marriage may need to de-stress and move on is a post-nuptial agreement.
Similar to a pre-marital agreement, a post-nuptial agreement is a voluntary, signed contract that codifies each spouse’s responsibilities and obligations regarding spending, debt, and assets. However, post-nuptial agreements, as the name suggests, is an after-marriage contract. Having a pre- or post-nuptial agreement does not determine the success of every marriage, but every marriage is different, and some marriages have deep-seeded issues that can be resolved with a legal contract. Some of these issues include: Read the rest »
October Marks 24th Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) has played an important role in encouraging battered women and children to seek the support and guidance they need to free themselves from abuse. Ending violence towards women and children is the goal of the National Coalition Against Violence (NCADV).
Domestic violence, which is also referred to as Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), is the willful physical assault, intimidation, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive tactics and behaviors committed against an intimate partner. The effects of domestic violence include psychological and emotional trauma, physical injury, and even death. Unfortunately, according to the NCADV, many domestic violence cases go unreported, which is why it is important, as a community, to reach out to those who are afraid to find the support they deserve. Here are a few suggestions of what you can do in your community for DVAM: Read the rest »
Former Major League Baseball Slugger Facing Criminal Prosecution on Charges of Domestic Violence
Manny Ramirez, a former World Series MVP who retired this year after allegations of substance abuse, is facing domestic violence charges for allegedly slapping his wife during an argument, according to The Huffington Post. The former baseball star could be sentenced to up to one year in jail for misdemeanor domestic battery charges.
Domestic violence is against the law, whether it involves physical or emotional abuse, and whether it is directed at a spouse or a child. Ramirez was arrested after his wife called 911, stating that she had been hit in the face and head, which now had a bump, during an argument with her husband. She made the call for fear that the violence would escalate. After determining that she was safe from further harm, the dispatcher sent law enforcement to the home. It is unknown whether there have been previous incidents of domestic violence. Read the rest »
Actor Matt Roth Files for Divorce from Former Roseanne Star Wife Laurie Metcalf
Laurie Metcalf, who played Roseanne’s sister Jackie Harris in the popular TV series Roseanne and most recently played the character of Sheldon’s mother on the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory, is divorcing Mike Roth, her actor husband of six and a half years, according to People magazine. The couple had met on the set of Roseanne where Roth played the abusive younger boyfriend of Laurie Metcalf’s character. Read the rest »
U.S. Census Report Finds that Over 7 Million Children Live with Grandparents
According to the U.S. Census Bureau report entitled “Living Arrangements of Children: 2009,” approximately 7.8 million children lived with at least one grandparent that year. This is a substantial increase from the 4.7 million that lived with at least one grandparent in 1991. According to a GoErie.com news article, social workers, nonprofit groups and demographers attribute this trend to high pregnancy and divorce rates, young adults struggling with the economy, increased alcohol and drug abuse, and various other factors.
Pennsylvania, which has one of the highest concentrations of grandparents in the U.S. according to the Census, is following this trend. In fact, in 2010, almost 200,000 children were living with a grandparent in Pennsylvania. In the same year, 4,221 children were living with a grandparent and no parent in Erie County with 50 percent of the children being younger than 5-years-old. Although raising children can be a struggle for some grandparents, many choose to pursue such an arrangement in the best interests of the child. Read the rest »
U.S. Census Counts Pennsylvania among States with Lowest Divorce Rates
In a report entitled “Marital Events of Americans: 2009,” the U.S. Census Bureau identifies regional trends in divorce rates for men and women, according to The Huffington Post. The findings are based on 2009 data from the American Community Survey. The report concludes that the South has the highest divorce rates for men and women and the Northeast has the lowest.
According to the Census Bureau, the South includes Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and Oklahoma. In this region, there are 10.2 divorces per 1,000 men and 11.1 per 1,000 women. These rates exceed the 2009 national averages for men and women, which are respectively 9.2 per 1,000 and 9.7 per 1,000. According to a Census family demographer, the higher divorce rates are largely due to the region’s higher marriage rates. Read the rest »
Pennsylvania Leads the Nation in Child Support Collections
According to a press release from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Pennsylvania ranks first in the United States regarding the percentage of child support collected. August is nationally designated as Child Support Enforcement Awareness Month, making this news all the more relevant.
Secretary Gary Alexander stated, “Pennsylvania is clearly out in front, making sure parents fulfill their financial obligations to their children. When parents are held accountable, it helps make certain children can thrive and develop to their fullest potential.”
Pennsylvania is the only state in the U.S. that meets or exceeds all five standards set by the federal government in determining how effective each state’s child support enforcement program is. Those five standards are the following: Read the rest »
Allegheny County Offers Amnesty to Parents Owing Back Child Support
PittsburghLive.com reports that Allegheny County is offering parents owing back child support that have warrants out for their arrest a chance at amnesty. It is the second time in four years that the county has taken such action.
According to the article, parents that have active bench warrants relating to child support cases will be able to appear in court to address the problem without being afraid they could be arrested or incarcerated. “We’re just trying to collect child support. We really don’t have an interest in putting people in jail. We want to get people on the right track,” said the deputy court administrator for the adult section of family division. Approximately 1,900 letters were sent to the last known addresses of parents that owe child support notifying them of the program. For the past four months, deputies from the sheriff’s department have also been leaving blue cards at the last known addresses of people owing back child support. The sheriff has said people have been coming forward to resolve their problems. Read the rest »
Guatemala Judge Orders U.S. Couple to Return Adopted Girl
A judge in Guatemala recently ordered a couple in America to return their adopted daughter back to her birth mother, reports CNN. According to the article, Survivors Foundation, a rights organization based in Guatemala City, supports the girls’ mother. In 2006, the group alleges the girl was kidnapped, then adopted and taken to the U.S. For many years, the girl’s parents have fought to get her back. Read the rest »
Supermodel Sues Salma Hayek’s Husband for $46,000 a Month in Child Support
Supermodel Linda Evangelista recently revealed that billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault is the father of her 4-year-old son. Pinault is currently married to actress Salma Hayek, with whom he has a 3-year-old daughter. Evangelista alleges her son was conceived in 2006 during the married couple’s brief separation.
Now, Evangelista is suing Pinault for approximately $46,000 per month in child support, according to The International Business Times. The sum is estimated to be the largest support order in the Manhattan family court’s history. Pinault is believed to be worth over $11 billion. Read the rest »
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