Articles

Adoption is a statutory legal action extinguishing the previous parent-child relationship and establishing a new parent-child relationship.  Once the adoption is finalized, the child receives a new birth certificate and the original records are sealed; (however, the adopted children can have access to medical and social information about their birth parents). There are numerous procedural […]

If a person wishes to terminate his or her marriage in Philadelphia, he or she may file for a divorce in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, which is located at 1501 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19102. In Philadelphia, depending on the level of agreement of the parties involved, a divorce can either be […]

In the event that a previously married individual wishes to put an end to his or her marriage in Philadelphia, the individual is should file for a divorce in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.  The court which is located at 1501 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19102. The court is open to residents between […]

The Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas is the place where anyone residing in Philadelphia can file for a divorce. One can locate this court at 1501 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19102. The court is opened from Monday to Friday from 8.30am till 4.15pm. There are two types of divorce cases people can file for […]

Pennsylvania courts must have subject matter jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction over the parties. As long as the court has proper personal jurisdiction over one party, the court can properly grant the divorce on an ex parte basis. However, the court needs to have personal jurisdiction over BOTH parties in order to divide property, and to […]

Pennsylvania has a strong presumption of paternity aimed at family preservation, (i.e., a child born to a married woman is the child of that woman and her husband). This presumption cannot be rebutted if the marriage was intact at the time paternity is questioned and the husband has assumed parental responsibilities. If the marriage was […]

Equitable Division of Property in Philadelphia Divorces Once the court identifies and values the marital property, the court will make an equitable division; (you should note that equitable does not necessarily mean 50/50). The court’s division of the property is not subject to modification once the divorce is final. The court is going to use […]

Other Considerations for Property Division include: (1) Professional Licenses or Degrees; (2) pension benefits; (3) Personal injury proceeds; (4) marital debts; (5) goodwill; (6) future interest; (7) Tax Consequences; and (8) Alimony or spousal support.   Professional Licenses or Degrees: The license or degree itself is not marital property; however, the court may use its […]

Fault Divorce in Pennsylvania:   The Fault-Based Grounds for divorces in Pennsylvania include: (1) adultery; (2) cruelty; (3) voluntary desertion; (4) involuntary desertion; (5) bigamy; (6) imprisonment; (7) indignities; and (8) institutionalization.   (1)Adultery:  if you engaged in voluntary sex with a non-spouse, then that is a fault-based ground for a divorce.  Adultery must be […]

Other Considerations for Property Division include: (1) Professional Licenses or Degrees; (2) pension benefits; (3) Personal injury proceeds; (4) marital debts; (5) goodwill; (6) future interest; (7) Tax Consequences; and (8) Alimony or spousal support.   Professional Licenses or Degrees: The license or degree itself is not marital property; however, the court may use its […]