Pennsylvania Divorce

QUESTION: “Can my former spouse file for bankruptcy to avoid paying child support?” Your ex is upset about paying child support. He tried moving. Then he refused to pay. Now, he says he will file bankruptcy.  Can filing bankruptcy prevent him from paying child support? In the U.S., both custodial and non-custodial parents are obligated […]

At Petrelli Previtera, LLC, our attorneys believe in the process of resolving family law issues that arise in a divorce proceeding without the necessity of litigation, if possible. This is called alternative dispute resolution (ADR). ADR includes processes such as collaborative law, mediation, and arbitration. However, if ADR is not possible, our family law attorneys are […]

For most couples, the idea of divorce is daunting.  When a marriage comes to an end, you are emotionally raw, yet also must keep a level head to protect yourself, your family and your interests.

The “typical family” is no longer typical It’s sometimes amazing to consider how much the nature of the American family has changed over the last generation or two. The old pattern was remarkably uniform: Dad worked 9-to-5 outside the home, five days a week. Mom stayed at home and was responsible for maintaining the household […]

You know that it is time to end your marriage, but are you sure that you have a legal reason to get a divorce? Pennsylvania law only allows a couple to divorce in certain circumstances. Those circumstances include: Abandonment without a reasonable cause for one year or more. Adultery. Cruel treatment that puts your life […]

A lot of people think that a long-standing area of law is completely settled and unchanging. Take family law, for instance: we’ve had the practices of marriages, divorces, adoptions, and so on for as long as anyone can remember, so nothing much can change there, right? Oh, so wrong. Even the staid topic of family […]

The old proverb says, “Marry in haste, repent at leisure.” That’s not a fair way to look at all marriages, but many young couples in Pennsylvania have learned that marriage is not quite what they expected. For some troubled relationships, the solution turns out to be a postnuptial agreement. Like the more familiar prenuptial agreement, […]

Everyone told you that things would change once you became a parent. Now that you have a child, you know how true it is. The priorities in your life shifted, and you do everything you can to keep your child safe and happy. But there may be some things you can do to with the […]

Ending a long term relationship is just as painful whether you are legally married or not, and a long term relationship that is not recognized as a marriage may result in similar issues to a marriage when the relationship dissolves. Pennsylvania does not yet recognize same sex marriages, nor do all municipalities recognize domestic partnerships. […]

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has committed to hear an appeal from a case decided by the Superior Court in August of last year. The issue on appeal is whether proceeds from the settlement of a will contest are marital property for the purposes of equitable distribution. A will contest is a lawsuit, usually brought by […]