Under Pennsylvania law, one of the parties to the divorce action must have been a bona fide resident of Pennsylvania for at least six months prior to the commencement of the divorce. Bona fide residence is defined as actual residence with domiciliary intent or the place where a party intends to return to if temporarily […]
A common law marriage is distinguished from a regular marriage in that no marriage license is required. Instead, parties just have exchange words of intent to be married and hold themselves out to their community as a married couple. Often, the parties also lived together for some length of time as well. Common law marriage […]
In certain circumstances, the court may give credit for separate property brought into the marriage. Generally, any credit to be received decreases with the length of the marriage. For example, Bucks County will reduce the credit by 5% a year such that there is no longer a credit after 20 years. A prime example of […]
Any party experiencing abuse by a partner/spouse (current or former), family member related by blood or marriage or person with whom you share a child may obtain a Protection from Abuse (PFA) Order. The first step is to file a PFA petition with the court. After you have filed, the court will determine if a […]
Pensions are subject to division in a divorce to the extent one of the parties earned the pension benefit during the marriage. The court will equitably divide the marital portion of a pension plan after considering all the relevant factors in equitable distribution. The marital portion of a plan would be the portion that accrued […]
It is not uncommon for parties contemplating divorce to try to hide assets in an attempt to keep them out of the marital estate that will be up for distribution. One of the biggest red flags as far as potential hidden assets is if the spending habits or lifestyle of a party is way more […]
In order to file for an annulment, a party must establish the underlying marriage was either void or voidable. Under 23 Pa C.S. 3304, void marriages include those where (1) one of the spouses is still in a former marriage, (2) the parties are too closely related, (3) either of the parties was incapable of […]
The receipt of an inheritance may impact your divorce or support case. Section 3501 of the Divorce Code defines what will be considered marital property, and up for division, versus what will be considered non-marital property. Property received as a gift, bequest, devise or descent is non-marital per 23 Pa. C.S. 3501(a). Accordingly, an inheritance […]
Equitable distribution is the term used in Pennsylvania as it relates to division of marital property in a divorce. Marital property will consist of nearly everything acquired in either party’s name from the date of marriage through the date of separation. Equitable distribution does not mean an automatic 50/50 split of all marital property. Instead, […]
Counseling may be a useful resource for children dealing with changes in family status due to divorce or separation. It can serve as a safe place for children to discuss and process their feelings. It is not uncommon for children to be reluctant to discuss their feelings with their parents. Both parents will need to […]
Contact our office by calling 215-752-6200, book online now, or contact us by email. We can meet you in our office or speak with you by phone.
