Pennsylvania Family Law Blog – The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz
Guidelines to Teach Students About Dating Abuse and Domestic Violence in Development for Pennsylvania Schools
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is developing a set of guidelines to help schools in the state teach students, teachers, and parents to recognize the signs of teen dating abuse and domestic violence and how to appropriately respond should such abuse and/or violence occur.
According to the article, a draft of the education and response guidelines were released by the PDE recently. While adopting the recommendations are not yet mandatory for schools in Pennsylvania, many hope schools will adopt them regardless. Read the rest »
Frank McCourt Asks Judge to Lower Spousal Support Payments Owed to Jamie McCourt
Frank McCourt, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, recently made a request to a judge that the spousal support payments he is giving to his ex-wife Jamie McCourt be reduced, according to USA Today. The contentious McCourt divorce involves the Dodgers’ ownership. A hearing is scheduled for early August.
Court documents show that Frank McCourt has paid over $5 million over the past year for the mortgages of a condominium and six homes, in addition to approximately $2.7 million he paid in temporary spousal support to Jamie McCourt. He believes the payments should reflect the $5 million he allegedly receives every year, and that his ex-wife herself should either sell the properties or pay the mortgages. Her attorneys have said that Frank McCourt should sell his half of the Dodgers assets if his personal finances are truly so desperate. Read the rest »
New York Joins Pennsylvania in Implementing Formula to Set Temporary Alimony Payments
According to The New York Times, New York State recently became one of the few states in the country to adopt a formula for setting certain alimony awards in an effort to make them more predictable and fair. The only other states that use a mathematical formula are Pennsylvania and Colorado. The formula only applies to temporary alimony when the combined income of both parties divorcing is not greater than $75,000 per year. However, in certain circumstances, the court may decide that the formula is not applicable.
In Pennsylvania, temporary alimony is referred to as alimony pendent lite, and is the amount paid by one spouse to the other following a divorce. These payments can help a spouse who earns very little or nothing support themselves and any dependent children. Read the rest »
Maria Shriver Files for Divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger
On Friday, July 1, Maria Shriver filed for divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger, ending her 25 years of marriage to California’s former governor, reports The Los Angeles Times. Citing “irreconcilable differences,” Shriver also requested joint custody of the couple’s two minor-aged children. The couple has two other older aged children. Read the rest »
How an Attorney Can Help Resolve Surrogacy Issues in Pennsylvania
Surrogacy is an arrangement under which a woman carries a child to term for another person or couple. The woman can be the child’s genetic mother, which is referred to as traditional surrogacy, or she can have an embryo, to which she is not genetically related, implanted in her uterus and carry to term, which is called gestational surrogacy. Typically, the child is conceived by artificial insemination or impregnated by intrauterine insemination (IUI) or intracervical insemination (ICI). Sperm and egg donations may also be utilized. Read the rest »
Why Would I Want to Sign a Confidentiality Agreement in Pennsylvania?
A confidentiality agreement, also known as a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), is a legal contract that is entered into between at least two parties, and outlines certain confidential information that the parties share with each other for certain purposes, but do not wish to have third parties access. Under the contract, the parties agree they will not disclose the information covered by the agreement. These agreements can restrict both parties in their use of the information, or they may restrict the use of the information by a single party.
Typically, these types of agreements are entered into for business arrangements, but in certain circumstances, a married couple may sign a confidentiality agreement in Pennsylvania. For example, if the couple ran a business together, or if one spouse was in the public eye, signing a confidentiality agreement during the marriage may be desirable. Read the rest »
Legislation Proposed to Cap Alimony Payments in Massachusetts
The Boston Business Journal reports that recently proposed legislation in Massachusetts would make dramatic changes in the way alimony payments are decided. In addition, under certain circumstances, if the legislation is passed it would permit divorced parties to re-examine their established alimony agreements.
The bill, known as the Alimony Reform Act of 2011, establishes guidelines that have been long-awaited for with regard to alimony payments in Massachusetts. Currently, the state does not allow judges to set a cap on the duration of payments, which has resulted in many situations of non-working ex-spouses supported by an unmarried, live-in partner receiving lifetime alimony payments from a working ex-spouse. If the legislation is passed, alimony recipients would not be permitted to continue receiving payments in those situations. The proposed legislation would also make it less difficult for parties to alter their alimony payments upon retirement. Read the rest »
Complications Surrounding Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver Separation
Recently, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announced their separation after 25 years of marriage, following Schwarzenegger’s admission that he had a child with his former housekeeper 10 years ago, reports The Huffington Post.
While it remains to be seen whether the couple will divorce, several questions have been raised, including whether or not there was a pre-nuptial agreement before their union. The couple’s net worth is valued at over $500 million, and under California law, assets acquired during their marriage would be split 50-50, meaning Shriver stands to gain at least $200 million if they divorce. Read the rest »
New Census Data Finds Divorce in U.S. Declining, But “Seven-Year Itch” Persists
Recently released data from the Census Bureau shows that divorces in the United States have leveled off slightly after decades of increase, with couples now somewhat more likely to reach 10 years of marriage. However, the “seven-year itch,” the trend of couples divorcing after seven years of marriage, was found to have carried on, reports ABC News. The new data finds that almost one out of every two first marriages is estimated to end in divorce, with about 46 percent of marriages not lasting until their 25th wedding anniversary.
The data is based upon the most recent figures from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, conducted by the Census Bureau, which surveyed 55,497 adults who have been or are married. According to the data, about 75 percent of people who have been married since 1990 reported they had been married for 10 years, which is an increase of about three percent for people who were married in the 1980s, when divorce rates peaked in the U.S. Divorce rates were the highest in the 1960s and 1970s, after laws were passed that made it easier to divorce. Read the rest »
Why Pennsylvania Couples Should Consider a Pre-Marital Agreement
A pre-marital agreement in Pennsylvania is a contract that clarifies what will happen to certain assets and what each party may or may not receive in the event of a divorce. Although many people shy away from pre-marital agreements; which are often referred to as pre-nuptial agreements or prenups; making such an agreement doesn’t mean you love your partner any less. A recent Huffington Post article offered several reasons why you and your partner or future spouse should consider entering into a Pennsylvania pre-marital agreement, including:
- Getting to know how your spouse handles money. From a business perspective, a marriage is about combining your assets with another person’s – much like partners who go into business together. Just like business partners, you and your partner can learn a great deal about what matters and how you each handle money by talking through money matters you want (or do not want) to cover in a prenup. Read the rest »
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