Pennsylvania Family Law Blog – The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz
Britney Spears Finalizes Child Custody Agreement With Ex-Husband
Pop star Britney Spears and her child custody lawyer has finalized her much-publicized child custody settlement with ex-husband Kevin Federline, according to a recent news report. The article states that Spears will fork out a $5,000 a month increase in child support to Federline. Spears’ payments to her ex-husband will go from $15,000 to $20,000 a month, backdated to July 15. Spears has also agreed to pay Federline’s lawyers a single payment of $250,000. Earlier this month, both parties told the media that they had finally come to terms on child custody issues relating to the couple’s two young children.
Child custody is one of the most contentious, if not the most contentious issue, in a divorce. Finding an experienced divorce lawyer will help you save a lifetime of problems. It is always important to have your lawyer draw up a comprehensive settlement plan before filing your divorce papers, which can include a custody schedule. In Pennsylvania, there are two main types of child custody. There is legal custody, which means you have the right to make all decisions relating to your child’s upbringing. And then, there is physical custody, which dictates where your child can reside and when. Read the rest »
Montgomery County Domestic Violence Victims Can Serve Own Protection Orders
A recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer addressed a recent city council committee meeting where Pennsylvania’s system for serving protection-from-abuse orders was discussed. Unlike many other states, Pennsylvania domestic violence victims can serve their abusers with protection orders, although police officers remain the first choice for the task.
Advocates of the policy argue that victims of domestic violence in Philadelphia and other cities in Pennsylvania are the best judges of what action to take when it comes to serving protection orders. Victims can call 911 or go to a police station to have the orders served. Very often, police will gain valuable information by interviewing the victims, including details about the home, family relationships and children, and the nature of the abuser. Read the rest »
Christie Brinkley’s Nasty Divorce Involves Child Custody Issues
Divorces are an everyday occurrence in the United States and in the rest of the world. But at no time do they get media attention unless it is a nasty celebrity divorce. The Associated Press reports that model and actress Christie Brinkley and her estranged husband Peter Cook are in the thick of a contentious divorce trial in New York, at the center of which is a custody battle for their two children ages 13 and 10. Read the rest »
Failure To Pay Child Support Could Result In Driver’s License Suspension
The prospect of losing their driving privilege has apparently prompted more than 3,000 Illinois parents to pay about $1.3 million in child support since Jan. 1, according to an Associated Press news report. The way this new program works is that the state’s Department of Healthcare and Family Services sends out warning notices to deadbeat parents who owe at least $2,500 in child support provided they have an Illinois driver’s license.
If these parents do not reply, their names are then forwarded to the secretary of state who suspends their driver’s license 60 days later. At least 20 other states have similar programs to force parents to do the responsible thing and provide for their children. Illinois has especially been notorious over the years for having the most number of parents who skipped child support payments. According to the report, seven years ago, the state collected $726 million in child support. This year, after this new law was enacted, that number has risen to more than $1.2 billion. Read the rest »
Defining Relationships That Can Result In Palimony Payments
The New Jersey Supreme Court recently ruled on the question of palimony and when it is deemed ‘appropriate’ in the eyes of the law. The court ruled that two people don’t have to live together for one to receive palimony when the relationship ends. Specifically, the court determined that living together is not essential, rather, “it is the promise to support, expressed or implied, coupled with a marital-type relationship, that are the indispensable elements to support a valid claim for palimony. Read the rest »
Legality of Some Pennsylvania Marriages is Questioned
A recent article by Dianna Marder of the Philadelphia Inquirer details the lack of validity of marriage ceremonies performed by individuals who were ordained online in Pennsylvania. According to the article, some of the marriages are being invalidated on the grounds that the wedding officiant is unqualified. Online ordinations fail to provide these “e-ministers” with “a regularly established church or congregation” as the law requires.
The ruling, which was originally made in the Pennsylvania divorce case of Dorie Heyer of York County, PA., could have sweeping effects on many marriages in the state of Pennsylvania. If a state appellate court were to uphold the ruling, couples across Pennsylvania could find their marriages invalidated. Benefits such as Social Security and disability distributions could be challenged. Insurance companies could demand repayment of benefits paid for the hospitalization of the insured’s spouse, and heirs could find themselves with no legal standing in probate court. Read the rest »
Wife of NBA Referee Charged in Betting Scandal Seeks Protective Order
This is an example of a dramatic divorce proceeding that has escalated into a domestic violence case. Kimberly L. Donaghy, wife of the former NBA referee charged in a betting scandal Tim Donaghy, has filed for a restraining order against her husband, who she said verbally and physically abused their children. Donaghy revealed in court papers that her husband threatened to hit her and abused their four children. The Donaghy’s, who are going through a divorce, had been married since 1995.
“I am scared for myself and my children.” Kimberly Donaghy wrote in court papers. “He is going to snap.”
Tim Donaghy, 41 was the centerpiece of a betting scandal that rocked the NBA last year when it was revealed that he provided betting picks to gambling associates based on information he was privy to because of his position as an NBA referee. It was also revealed at that time that Donaghy was an avid gambler himself and authorities allege he bet on games that he officiated. Donaghy plead guilty to charges he conspired to engage in wire fraud and transmitted betting information through interstate commerce. He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced in April. Read the rest »
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