Entries by Karen Ulmer

Custody Relocation Procedures

In a custody matter, court approval or permission of the parent is required prior to a relocation. A relocation would be any move that substantially interferes with the custodial rights of the other parent. 23 Pa CS 5337 lays out the specific procedures to be followed in the event of a proposed relocation. First, the […]

Driver’s License Suspension

One of the consequences of failing to pay child support is a suspension of your driver’s license. This can happen if support is overdue by three months or more. Advance notice must be given prior to the suspension. The notice specifies the past due amount, how, when and where it can be contested. Grounds for […]

New Procedure for Protection from Abuse Cases

The Superior Court of Pennsylvania recently made a decision that will change how Protection from Abuse (PFA) cases will proceed. Previously, as a matter of practice, a PFA petition once filed would be reviewed by the Judge and then a decision could be made as to whether a temporary PFA order was warranted pending a […]

Division of Military Benefits

A spouse is entitled to their share of the military pension no matter how insignificant. Under the 10 year rule, where the parties have been married for 10 years and the servicemember has accumulated 10 years of service, DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Services) can pay the spouse directly. When the 10 year rule has […]

New Support Guidelines

Several changes to the state-wide support guidelines will take place in August 2013. First and foremost, the basic child support schedule will be updated to reflect newer economic data. The basic child support schedule is a table that references the combined monthly net income of the parents and the number of children to determine the […]

Exclusive Possession of Marital Residence

Pursuant to 23 Pa. C.S. § 3502(c), the court has the express authority to award exclusive possession of the marital residence to one or both parties during the pendency of the divorce. This provision was added to the law in 1990. Prior to that, the court had determined it had the authority to grant exclusive […]

Physician Verification Form

In the event that a party in a support matter asserts an inability to work due to medical issues, the support rules now require that a physician verification form be completed. Pursuant to Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure (Pa. R.C.P.) 1910.29 (b), regarding evidence in support matters, the physician verification form should be completed by […]

Support Exceptions

In a support matter, the incomes of the parties will be used to calculate an appropriate award based on the support guidelines applicable throughout the commonwealth. In the event there is a disagreement over the entry of an interim support order, a party has the option of filing exceptions. Pursuant to Pa. R.C.P. 1910.12, parties […]

Court Conciliation and Evaluation Service

The Court Conciliation and Evaluation Service, or CCES for short, is a program in Bucks County that conducts custody evaluations for pending court cases. Parties to a custody matter would participate in a series of sessions with an assigned evaluator. The goal of the program is to facilitate an ideal co-parenting relationship that provides for […]

Alimony Pendente Lite

Alimony Pendente Lite, or APL, is spousal support while the divorce is pending. A party may petition for APL at the same time as the divorce complaint or any time thereafter prior to the entry of a final decree. The purpose of APL is to ensure each party has the ability to sustain themselves during […]