Pennsylvania Family Law Blog – The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz
Philadelphia Parents Owing Child Support Offered Arrest Pardon
Philadelphia family court is offering amnesty to the thousands of parents who have bench warrants for outstanding child support payments, according to a kyw1060.com report. The court’s administrative judge announced that beginning November 12 and ending on November 18 at 4pm, parents with outstanding bench warrants are free to come in without worrying about being arrested. Parents should note that they will still have to pay their child support debt.
Based on the article, the judge stated, “We will in fact withdraw your bench warrant and we will register you for a court hearing so that you can come back into the courthouse and meet your obligations.” This is definitely a break that parents owing child support may want to consider, especially since the court is working with Philadelphia fatherhood organizations to help fathers without jobs acquire employment training and find jobs. The opportunity to obtain long-term employment and benefits is a step in the right direction to ensure that parents receive the financial support they need to take care of their children. Read the rest »
Stephanie Seymour’s Divorce to Peter Brant Gets Chaotic
A recent article on nypost.com demonstrates how some divorces can get out of hand, and fast. Ex-supermodel Stephanie Seymour’s divorce to pony breeder and polo player Peter Brant has become full of allegations, making legal matters much more complicated. Filed in the state of Connecticut, the divorce is turning ugly, and fast. Brant has claimed that Seymour has quite a few bad habits that have consequently cost him thousands of dollars. For example, Brant says that Seymour spends $257, 000 per month, with an average of $50,000 alone going towards the purchase of new clothes. Read the rest »
Kate Gosselin Requests Child and Spousal Support
Supporting a family takes work, and subsequently, requires money. Parents may find this responsibility daunting when raising even just one child, let alone more than one. Such a task may become even more challenging after a divorce, or when eight children are involved. According to a seattlepi.com story, Kate Gosselin has submitted paperwork asking for child support in addition to temporary spousal support from her estranged husband, Jon Gosselin.
The Gosselin divorce has been at the forefront of family law discussion recently due to its many complexities. For instance, Kate’s lawyers claim that she is unable to pay bills due to John removing money from their joint bank account. Her attorneys stated, “She needs relief in light of the draining of substantial marital assets.” Apparently, Kate submitted petitions for child and spousal support last week at just about the same time she filed an emergency petition requesting to have a Pennsylvania judge order Jon to return the money that he took from the joint account. Reports say that these financial issues are scheduled to be addressed on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. Read the rest »
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Although domestic violence prevention and awareness is important to be upheld at all times, the month of October offers a chance for survivors and supporters to join forces against acts of domestic violence. According to the Domestic Violence Resource Center, an estimated 1.3 million women are physically assaulted each year and about four women, and 1 man, are killed every day by their intimate partner.
Domestic violence, whether it is physical or emotional, is reflective of serious abuse that is illegal. Such matters surrounding domestic violence should never be taken lightly, especially when children are involved. Even if the children are not direct victims of domestic violence, living in a household of domestic violence can cause much emotional stress. And just because a child is not being victimized now doesn’t mean that he or she may not be later. It is a frightening thought, but the reality of such a risk is far too great to put to the test. Read the rest »
Former Couple Given Solution Over Dog: Dividing Property or Sharing Custody?
In a previous blog entitled, “Since When is Pet Custody Compared to Child Custody?”, we discussed an unusual case that had gone to trial for the second time over a very loved dog named Dexter. Although we usually hear about former couples or spouses going to court over custody of their children, this case is still significant in that both parties considered their dog Dexter to be like a son. And as it turns out, this case was more concerned with the issue of division of property than it was with actual custody. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Superior Court judge finally made a decision in the case to have the former couple share custody of their property, Dexter the pug, in five-week rotations. Read the rest »
Does Child Custody Extend to Stepparents?
Most of us know that parents do not need to be blood-related to a child to have a strong bond or to play a vital role in that child’s life, particularly in terms of financial support and emotional encouragement. When a child’s parents get divorced and one of them remarries, there is much to discuss in relation to having a new member added to the family. But do stepparents have the legal right to request or pursue child custody? Read the rest »
Economy Causing Parents to Request Child Support Reductions
It’s no surprise that the current condition of our economy has had drastic financial influences on a variety of aspects of many people’s lives, and, unfortunately, the lives of our children as well. When custodial and noncustodial parents’ employment becomes unstable and in some cases nonexistent, child support payments go unpaid and children suffer the consequences. According to an article, in one man’s situation, he used to have no trouble paying his $433 monthly child support; however after going unemployed and unable to get another job, the man moved in with his parents, who, in addition to offering him a place to stay, are now paying the man’s child support payments as well. This father attempted to receive a court-approved reduction in his child support payments, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
The report reasons that men are being hit harder financially than women are in this tough economy, with the 9.8 percent of men unemployed as opposed to only 7.5 percent of women. In addition, it is typically dads who are caught in the nightmare of not meeting the needs of their child support payments because men often assume the role of the noncustodial parent. Before the economic downturn, many of these noncustodial fathers were able to pay; however, with their incomes decreasing, they are no longer able to make child support payments that were previously based on higher past wages. Read the rest »
Faking an Abduction and Child Endangerment Reason Enough for Husband to File Divorce
The hot topic of discussion lately has been the controversial story of a woman who called 911 in May of 2009, claiming that she and her 9-year-old daughter had been kidnapped by carjackers. After turning up at Walt Disney World in Florida, the woman was charged with a number of criminal offenses, filing a false police report being one of them. It’s not very surprising that this woman’s second husband filed for divorce since the abduction ruse. Although law enforcement officials have declined to provide information on the full scope of the investigation, questions as to what this woman’s motives truly were and why she would rope her young daughter into going along with it are still waiting to be answered. Read the rest »
Shawn Merriman of San Diego Chargers Accused of Physical Domestic Violence
No matter how heated a quarrel can become involving a married couple, partners, or two people just allegedly dating, there is never any excuse for things to become physically violent. On September 6, 2009, outside linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, Shawn Merriman, was arrested and charged with battery and false imprisonment of reality TV celebrity Tila Tequila. Apparently, the well-known football player is being accused of choking, restraining, and throwing Ms. Tequila to the ground when she was trying to leave his house.
It is being argued in Merriman’s defense that Ms. Tequila had been drinking and, according to his attorney, Merriman “essentially was doing what was appropriate under the circumstances in trying to protect the safety of Miss Tequila. There were numerous eyewitnesses that will support his version of the events that transpired at his home.” Read the rest »
Pennsylvania Child Custody Battle of Father Over Son Continues
For seven years, a 28-year-old father has been doing all he can to get custody of his 7-year-old son, who is currently under the Department of Human Service’s care. However, according to an account, the agency is trying to terminate the father’s parental rights and put the boy up for adoption despite his father’s actions. In April of this year, the man was awarded full custody of his 9-year-old daughter and the current challenge he is facing in getting custody of his son is proving to be highly complex.
The DHS isn’t backing down despite the fact that the 28-year old father has a clean record, a steady job, and a house in West Philadelphia. Despite his stability, the agency stated that the father has failed to attend his bi-weekly visits with his son. In stressing the importance that visitations play in fostering healthy relationships between parent and child, a DHS spokeswoman bluntly stated that “the court is basically looking at the relationship between the parent and the child and that has to start with them seeing each other.” This is information that all parents seeking custody of their children should take note of. Read the rest »
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