Articles

Marriage Requirements in Pennsylvania There are two basics requirement for a Ceremonial Marriage: (1)a marriage license, and (2) A ceremony or solemnization. (1) Licence:  You can just get a marriage license. (2) Ceremony: The ceremony need to be performed by a judge, a state official, or a  clergy of a recognized religious organization; or The […]

                                    Philadelphia Divorce Lawyer Do you wish to put an end to your marriage in Philadelphia? A simple way to get it done is to file for a divorce in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. The Philadelphia divorce court is located at 1501 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19102. The court is always open […]

Jurisdiction for Divorce in Philadelphia 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 […]

HOW TO FILE FOR A DIVORCE IN PENNSYLVANIA: STEP ONE: The Notice to Defend, Complaint and Verification (Form 1). A divorce case is started with the filing of a “Complaint.” There are two forms that must be attached to the Complaint: the “Notice to Defend and Claim Rights” must be attached on top, and the […]

Grandparents Rights in Child Custody Cases If it is determined to be in the best interests of the grandchild, the court may grant custody to a grandparent who: (1) Began the relationship with the child with the consent of a parent or by court order; (2) Has assumed or is willing to assume responsibility for […]

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 […]

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 […]

Division of Property – Philadelphia Divorces In a Pennsylvania divorce, there are two steps to the division of property: (1) There has to be a determination about what is marital property and what is separate property, and (2)  You have to make an equitable division of the marital properties; (you should note that equitable does […]

Defenses for Fault Based Divorces in Pennsylvania   The fault-based defenses that are available include: (1) recrimination; (2) Connivance; (3) Condonation; (4) Collusion; (5) Provocation; (6) Insanity; (7) Consent; and (8) Justification. (1) Recrimination: recrimination is a defense to adultery. It can be asserted where the plaintiff is also guilty of adultery, (in such a […]

Child Support in Pennsylvania: (1) Both parents are legally required to support their minor children. (2) Child support is a right that belongs to the child, i.e., the parents cannot bargain it away.  Any such agreement is void against public policy, (e.g., if the parties want to put something into a prenuptial agreement or postnuptial […]