Philadelphia County Divorce Attorneys
Dedicated to Helping Clients with Philadelphia County Family Law Issues
Philadelphia County has one of the lowest divorce rates in the state. In 2016, over 10,000 couples married and only 1,600 divorced. But statistics don’t matter when it comes to your own relationship. Although no one goes into a marriage expecting to get divorced, it does happen.
When it does, you need to know what your options are and what you need to do protect yourself - and the things you worked hard for throughout the marriage. The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz, P.C., specializes in high-asset divorce cases, property division, child custody, same-sex family law, and claims of domestic violence. With over 25 years of experience in the Philadelphia area, we will work tirelessly to get you the outcome that you deserve.
How Will My Assets Be Divided?
High-net-worth divorce can be more complicated, and for that reason you will need a lawyer who has experience dealing with high-asset cases. We will explain your options and what to expect from the judge.
The judge will use "equitable distribution" to determine how the assets are divided. Equitable distribution is the fair division of marital property in a divorce. (Marital property is anything that was purchased or income that was made during the marriage.) It is important to understand that even personal property purchased during a marriage is still considered marital property. For example, if you bought a car in your name only during your marriage, it is still considered marital property and will be included in the equitable distribution phase of your divorce.
If there were infidelities or abuse in the marriage, the judge could order the offending spouse to pay penalty fees to the other spouse because of it. There are many factors that go into determining who is more deserving of each asset. An experienced Philadelphia County family law lawyer can explain those factors and determine which will work in your favor.
What Are the Different Kinds of Child Custody in Pennsylvania?
There are two main types of custody: physical and legal.
- Legal Custody: With legal custody, a parent has the right to make important decisions in the child’s life. This includes what schools he attends, where he gets healthcare from, where he lives, and how he’s brought up. Pennsylvania favors shared legal custody where both parents are actively involved in this decision-making, though sole legal custody is possible if one parent is judged unfit.
- Physical Custody: Refers to the child’s living arrangement. If a parent is granted sole physical custody, that parent would provide the child’s permanent home. Shared physical custody means both parents have significant time with the child; partial physical custody means one parent spends “less than a majority” of time with the child; supervised physical custody means another person or agency monitors the child while with that parent. The most common setup is the kids will primarily live with the parent with sole custody and see the other parent every other weekend and one weeknight. The parent with visitation may still share legal custody, but in most cases the sole parent also has legal custody as well.
Attorney Sheryl R. Rentz is devoted to providing excellent legal services to clients regarding their divorce and family law matters in Chestnut Hill. Ms. Rentz has been representing clients throughout Pennsylvania for years, ensuring that they are well-informed in all aspects of their cases. Ms. Rentz has an extensive background in family law, and can assist you in all types of matters, including divorce, alimony, property division, and child visitation.
If you or someone you know is going through a divorce in Chestnut Hill or elsewhere in Philadelphia County, call our office to set up a free consultation at (610) 645-0100 today.
Map of Philadelphia County
Philadelphia County Resources
- Philadelphia Division of Maternal, Child and Family Health
- Philadelphia Court Domestic Relations
- Philadelphia Family Court Division
- Philadelphia Police Department - Domestic Violence
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