Author Archives: Pittsburgh Attorney Blog

During high net worth divorces when well-compensated spouses divorce, one issue that may arise is how to deal with stock options held by a spouse as part of his or her benefit package.  In Pennsylvania, such stock options are considered a form of deferred compensation designed to induce the employee/spouse to remain loyal to the […]

A party’s right to claim one’s child as a dependent on income tax returns depends upon the number of overnight custody periods the child spends with that parent.  The parent with the greater number of overnight custody periods of the child during a tax year will be entitled to claim the child as a dependent […]

Pennsylvania Divorce Code: waiting period reduced to one year. The Pennsylvania General Assembly has passed a bill reducing the separation period for no-fault divorces from two years to one year.  Under Section 3301(d) of the Divorce Code, when grounds of irretrievable breakdown of the marriage are established, the court may enter a divorce decree after […]

High Net Worth Individuals – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie – Enter Divorce As would be expected, much of the nation engaged in a feeding frenzy of gossip when it was recently announced that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie would be going, to the extent such is possible where children are involved, their separate ways.  […]

In Pennsylvania, child support terminates when a child reaches the age of eighteen (18) and graduates from high school.  In Pennsylvania, a parent does not have to pay college expenses for a child who is over 18 unless this has been agreed upon as part of a divorce case. For a family that separates prior […]

When spouses separate, the support of their children is considered a “priority obligation” under the law; if necessary, parents are expected to adjust their other expenditures in order to meet a child support obligation. As a parent, you will want to ensure that the amount of child support paid meets the needs of your children […]

In Pennsylvania, the best interest of the child is the overriding consideration in child custody decisions. What courts consider to be the best interest is influenced by numerous legal factors and how a judge interprets those factors. The formal legal process begins when a parent files a custody complaint. A custody action has to be […]

Issues facing high net worth individuals entering a divorce are often much different from the issues faced by lower/middle income individuals.  As such, they must be planned for and approached in a manner befitting the unique issues that need to be addressed.  There are simply more financial resources to fund, support and to share. Substantial […]

In the Pittsburgh area, there are many divorce attorneys to choose from, but which one is the best divorce attorney? Which one is right for you?  Remember this important fact – The decisions you make as you begin the divorce process and the settlement you receive upon your divorce will affect the future course of […]

In Pennsylvania, the best interest of the child is the overriding consideration in custody decisions. What courts consider to be the best interest is influenced by numerous legal factors and how a judge interprets those factors. Even if a divorce, legal separation, or child custody action is not initiated, a party having custody of minor […]