Separation Agreements vs. Marriage/Divorce Settlement Agreements
When a couple decides to live separately and apart, but not to divorce - at least, not yet - they may decide to put the terms of the separation in writing. That said, such written agreements are rare and it has been many decades since I have seen one. Moreover, as a...
How To Talk To Your Grandkids About Divorce
First of all, consider whose children they are. They are not yours. Therefore, it seems that if anyone is going to explain your divorce to someone else's kids it ought to be those kids' parents. Certainly, at the very least you must ask the parents if they or you...
How To Talk To Your Kids About Your Divorce
As difficult as divorce can be for the spouses, it may be as difficult, or more so, for the children. Many entire books and articles have been written on the subject by psychological and sociological experts. We lawyers are neither of those. We may have experienced...
What Happens To Wedding Rings During A Divorce?
Unless the two of you agree otherwise, you will have to say goodbye to that ring as well as your spouse after the divorce is final. It boils down to this, wedding rings are unconditional gifts and fall into the same category as any other gift given by one spouse to...
Is There Such A Thing As A Postnuptial Agreement In Pennsylvania?
A postnuptial agreement is an agreement into which the divorcing couple enters as part of the divorce to resolve any issues they want to be resolved in writing once the divorce is over. Obviously, a prenuptial agreement is entered into before they get married and is...
Do You Need A Reason To Get A Divorce in Pennsylvania?
Contrary to popular belief, there is a reason for a divorce even in a no-fault case and that reason, legally, is the same in all such actions: The marriage is irretrievably broken. Said another way, the marriage is broken and cannot be fixed, so we agree to end it. A...
Can A Divorce Agreement Be Changed?
There are very few agreements that cannot be changed if both parties are interested in changing it. However, if your agreement was made part of your final divorce decree, it would be up to the judge to allow a requested change after a lawyer officially presented the...
What Happens to A Mortgage After A Divorce?
Legally, a mortgage does not prevent the granting of a divorce. It is just a debt, and debts (while an issue needing resolution) cannot legally stop a couple from getting divorced. Of course, there's much more to it than just the bare legalities of having a mortgage....
We’re Getting Divorced, But We Have Debts to Pay
A couple getting divorced should make sure that the debts they have will get paid. Frequently, they informally agree who will pay which one. That agreement can be formalized in writing and made part of the divorce, but, under Pennsylvania law, it is not required to...
Can I Or Will I Receive Alimony After a Simple, Uncontested, No-Fault Divorce?
Because Pennsylvania has an equal rights amendment, alimony is not exclusive to wives anymore (especially since same-sex marriages are recognized now), but it is never something that happens automatically as part of ANY divorce. The simple answer is that in an...
