Pennsylvania Family Law

How does a mother involuntarily terminate her parental rights? A recent case of involuntarily termination of parental rights involves the removal and placement of a child into foster care after the Department of Household Services (DHS) received a report that the child was sexually abused by the father and the mother, suffering from drug addiction and […]

Much confusion exists as to when a district attorney’s office will bring criminal charges stemming from family-law related disputes. Despite the inherent conflicts involved when domestic disputes occur because of the pre-existing intimate relationship, parental ties, or the financial relationship of the parties, a district attorney’s greatest concern is maintaining the safety and well-being of […]

Victims of sexual violence and intimidation desire safety and protection from future interactions with their offender and, now, as of July 1, 2015, Pennsylvania has become the 34th state to establish protection for sexual-assault victims. The Protection of Victims of Sexual Violence or Intimidation Act is modeled closely after the Protection from Abuse Act, but […]

In America, the backbone of  our adversarial system is a jury trial. But as family law practitioners, we are often heard by judges sitting without a jury. Some Judges presiding at nonjury trials often circumvent the rules of evidence.  Judges often admit evidence indiscriminately, ruling on weight and relevance only after all the facts of […]

A lot of people are nervous about having to speak in open court when their family law case is scheduled.

In the last year, same-sex marriage was legalized in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, paving the way for thousands of couples to finally get hitched.

Since May 20, 2014, when Judge John Jones of the Middle District of Pennsylvania struck down the PA DOMA as unconstitutional in Whitewood vs. Wolf, the Family Law community has been waiting to see the effects of the decision.

QUESTION: I expect that I will be awarded alimony, how long can I expect to collect it? Alimony is a regular payment that one spouse makes to the other spouse in order to provide financial support after a divorce. In the past, Pennsylvania courts awarded one year of alimony for every three years of marriage. […]

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III ruled that Pennsylvania’s 1996 statutory ban on recognizing same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Judge Jones said, “By virtue of this, ruling, same-sex couples who seek to marry in Pennsylvania may do so, and already married same-sex couples will be recognized as such in the Commonwealth.” Before the ruling, Pennsylvania […]

This past Tuesday was a historic day for the state of Pennsylvania as the federal court struck down the statute preventing same-sex marriages and allowing marriage equality for all.