What if Court is the Only Option?
I like to help my family law clients make their own decisions privately and respectfully, while avoiding the court system. That’s not always possible. Sometimes one or both parties are determined to have their day in court or they try...[Continue reading]
Divorce and Homemakers
You’ve taken care of the house, your spouse, the kids, the pets and pretty much everything else involving your family’s home life. You’ve supported your spouse in his or her career decisions, relying on the partnership you’ve built so that...[Continue reading]
Trust and Divorce
Individuals starting the divorce process often have problems trusting each other. Sometimes the trust that existed during the marriage was violated by infidelity. Sometimes, trust is eroded due to lack of communication that leads to one or both spouses misinterpreting...[Continue reading]
Who Gets to Keep the Family Pet?
For those who don’t have pets, this may seem like a silly question in the big picture of a divorce. I know first-hand that for many pet owners, this is a very important question that can take on many of...[Continue reading]
The Automatic Two Year Divorce Myth
I’ve had enough clients and other people ask me about the “automatic” two year divorce, that I wanted to address it here. The court does not automatically issue a divorce decree after spouses have been separated for two years or...[Continue reading]
What am I Entitled to?
A lot of clients come to me with the overall question of “What am I entitled to?” In most cases, they mean “What can I expect the financial outcome to be if I get divorced?” and I can appreciate their...[Continue reading]
Do You Need a Cohabitation Agreement?
If you’re cohabitating (living with someone), you need a cohabitation agreement. That doesn’t mean the world will grind to a halt if you don’t have one, but you’re going into this arrangement without a clear understanding of what happens when...[Continue reading]
Using the Domestic Relations Rules
The Domestic Relations child and spousal support guidelines deserve special mention here. Talk about a one-size-fits-all (or none) solution! The PA support guidelines are based on both parents’ net monthly incomes, with virtually no consideration for the parents’ or children’s...[Continue reading]
A Recent Project
I recently had the pleasure of creating a podcast with John Gavazzi, PsyD. John is a psychologist and we recorded the podcast for use by psychologists, but it has tremendous potential for non-psychologists also. Here are two different links to...[Continue reading]
Divorce for Control Freaks
I do not use the term “control freak” in a derogatory or insulting way and hopefully none of the control freaks reading this post take it that way. Control freaks, like me, want to be in control of their own...[Continue reading]