Legal Insights
Tips for Helping Your Case for Child Custody in PA
Apart from talking with a child custody attorney, here are some tips that can help you in the event your custody case to be decided by a judge or arbitrator. When custody is part of a divorce or just the amicable split of an unmarried couple, most parties hope the child custody arrangements can be […]
Why is Establishing the “Date of Separation” important in a divorce?
Depending on your date of separation, the value of your marital estate and any award of alimony could be vastly different. In Pennsylvania, the date that you are deemed to be separated from your spouse, is an important date in your divorce matter for a number of reasons including when the divorce can move forward […]
Ancillary Probate and How To Avoid It
Just when you thought you were done with the fine print of a dead loved one's will, you find an "ancillary" problem, in another state. In the following paragraphs we offer a brief understanding of probate, ancillary probate, and how one can avoid this sometimes tricky situation. What is ancillary probate? Ancillary probate is a […]
Got a Subpoena to testify tomorrow?
New Pennsylvania rules regarding subpoenas to testify require reasonable advanced notice. On April 8, 2015, The Pennsylvania Supreme Court amended Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 234.1. Now, the rule requires that a subpoena must be served on a non-party witness reasonably in advance of the date the witness is expected to attend and testify. What […]
Child Custody Scheduling Tips During the Holidays
Here are 6 recommendations I share with my clients to ease the stress and lessen the risk for conflict regarding child custody during the holidays. An often unforeseen complication of separation or divorce is the highly emotional decision of who has custody of your children over the major holidays. It is natural to feel mixed […]
Date of Separation and What PA Courts Consider During a Divorce
When I meet clients who are seeking divorce, they often casually tell me that their marriage “really” ended years earlier, they just stayed married legally. They’ve typically chosen to uphold their legal union for fear of hurting their children, or due to financial dependencies. Either way, they usually don’t realize that the exact date of […]
529 College Savings Plans and Divorce in PA
If this one simple condition isn't specified in your child's 529 College Savings Plan, it could be a disaster in the event of a divorce. Fade In: Scene: Norristown Law Firm A divorced father of an 18-year-old comes in seeking legal advice. He is livid with his ex-wife and his divorce lawyer. The divorce was […]
Full Tort vs. Limited Tort Auto Insurance
It's tempting to try to save a few dollars up front by choosing what is known as “limited tort” instead of “full tort” insurance. Here's why saving 15% or more on your car insurance could cost you a whole lot more. No one likes to pay for auto insurance; it's expensive and it’s one of […]
School Choice and Custody Issues
“School choice” cases, as those cases are typically referred to by child custody attorneys, are difficult, fact-laden, and emotional. School Choice cases are made more complex if the change in school, due to logistics of school hours and location, impacts the other parent’s ability to be an active member of the school community or even […]
Nothing is More Expensive than Hiring a Cheap Divorce Lawyer
While it's tempting to go with a divorce lawyer who can get it done as quick and as inexpensive as possible, it’s important to understand the associated risks so that you can be smart with how you spend your legal dollars. Searching online for a cheap divorce lawyer yields hundreds of results, which is not […]