Pennsylvania Family Law

Philadelphia divorce attorney Thomas Petrelli provides tips about Preparing for Your Child Custody Trial in this three part video series. Thomas Petrelli, Jr. Philadelphia Divorce Lawyer In this video, Philadelphia family law attorney Thomas Petrelli describes how documentation can help your custody case if you can’t reach a custody agreement and have to take your […]

Philadelphia divorce attorney Thomas Petrelli provides tips about Preparing for Your Child Custody Trial in this three part video series. Thomas Petrelli, Jr. Philadelphia Divorce Lawyer Do you take lots of pictures of your child? Those pictures are good for more than Facebook posts; they can be used as evidence in your custody trial. Gather […]

You are already related to the child you love, but you are not his or her biological parent. Whether you are that child’s grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other relative, you have a family bond. You would do anything to protect the child. But as you raise him or her as your own, there may be […]

QUESTION:Can my divorce be finalized even though we haven’t completed separated all of our assets we still have a house on the market that hasn’t sold as yet? You and your spouse have decided to divorce. So far, the process has been amicable. You’ve agreed on child custody, support, and property division. There are just […]

QUESTION:My husband and I are divorcing and my husband says he doesn’t want to have anything to do with the raising of our children; can I force him to take some responsibility for their upbringing? When parents divorce, they often argue about who will get custody of the children. In most cases, both parents want […]

A case decided in January by the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court highlights a practical issue for many divorced parents with shared custody arrangements. As reported in The Legal Intelligencer, the case of Watts v. Manheim Township School District involved divorced parents who resided two miles apart in the same school district and shared equal custody time […]

QUESTION:  “Who gets primary parenting rights?” Divorce involves making big decisions. Perhaps the biggest and most difficult of these decisions is “Who will raise the kids?” There are two ways that this decision can be made. You and your ex can choose a custody arrangement together, or a judge can choose for you. In 90 […]

QUESTION: Who has to pay child support? My ex-wife and our two kids have moved in with her boyfriend. Do I still have to pay alimony and child support? When will my child support end? Who has to pay child support in Pennsylvania? If you have a child, you have a duty to support that […]

QUESTION: My partner and I have two children but were never married. How are child custody and child support decided when dealing with children of unwed parents?”  According to a 2012 ABC News Report, more than 25 percent of children are born to couples who are in a committed relationship, but are not married. When […]

QUESTION: “How does a joint child-custody agreement usually work?” You’ve been awarded joint custody. Now, you and your ex must figure out a fair way to divide your time with the children. Because each family is different, there is no “best” solution.  You will need to consider the following when creating your custody plan : […]