What Happens if I Die Without a Will?
If you die without a Will, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a default plan in place that determines who receives your assets. Dying without a valid Will is called intestacy, so distribution of assets without a valid Will is controlled...[Continue reading]
What to Expect at a Custody Conciliation Conference
The purpose of a custody conciliation conference is, if possible, to reach an agreement regarding custody without going to a hearing before a judge. If you don’t reach an overall agreement, it may still be possible to narrow down the...[Continue reading]
Challenges to Divorce Agreements
Can you challenge the validity and enforceability of a Marital Settlement Agreement? If so, on what basis and with what probable result? A Marital Settlement Agreement is the legally binding contract between you and your spouse that contains all of...[Continue reading]
Why I Limit My Practice Areas
I cannot be all things to all people and will not try to do so. The practice of law is a huge field and it takes years of practice, after finishing law school, to be competent in a single area...[Continue reading]
Who is a Divorce Master?
A divorce master is an attorney who works for the county, or contracts with the county, to make recommendations in divorce actions. Generally, divorce masters have experience practicing family law and are familiar with the Divorce Code. Some divorce masters...[Continue reading]
How Will Your Divorce Proceed?
The answer, as with so many legal questions, is “it depends.” It depends on how you and your spouse want your divorce to proceed. You are the only two people who can control the process you use to resolve the...[Continue reading]
How the Domestic Relations Office Works
Each county’s domestic relations office establishes support orders, keeps track of payments and amounts due and handles enforcement of support orders, in conjunction with the county court system. You initiate a support action by filing a complaint with the domestic...[Continue reading]
Why Work to Reach an Agreement?
I can think of a few reasons to focus your time, money and energy on reaching an agreement to resolve your divorce, support, custody or other family law matter or estate administration conflict. The first three reasons are your time,...[Continue reading]
Where I Practice
Attorneys are licensed to practice throughout the state, so in theory I can practice in any Pennsylvania county. However, most attorneys limit their practice areas to certain geographical locations. I’m no exception. I practice primarily in Cumberland, Dauphin and York...[Continue reading]
Gathering Information
Regardless of the process you use to go through a divorce, you must gather information in order to make informed decisions. There are numerous ways to gather information, ranging from relatively simple and inexpensive to increasingly complex and increasingly expensive....[Continue reading]