Divorce Attorneys

You may get divorced without an attorney but it is not smart. You will be held to the same standard as the best divorce attorneys in the Lehigh Valley and will face a serious disadvantage, especially if the other party has a top divorce attorney knowledgeable in Pennsylvania divorce law.

Contact our Lehigh Valley Divorce Lawyers to learn more if you are considering a divorce in Northampton County or Lehigh County.

You should contact our Divorce Attorneys in Easton, Pennsylvania right away. If you do not respond to a Pennsylvania divorce complaint, a divorce decree may be entered even without your consent and your legal rights including the right to support or division of marital assets and debts may be waived. You should contact a Lehigh Valley Divorce Attorney to best handle your Northampton County or Lehigh County divorce.

If the spouse requesting the divorce fulfills all of the legal requirements the contesting party cannot prevent a divorce but they may be able to make it more difficult by requesting marriage counseling and delaying the finalization of the divorce for two years.

Call our Family Lawyers in Easton, Pennsylvania to learn more about divorce in either Lehigh County or Northampton County.

Yes, the court can require marraige counseling but rarely does so unless requested by one of the spouses. Ask the Lehigh County and Northampton County divorce lawyers in our Easton, Pennsylvania Family Law Office more about this.

Virtually all Pennsylvania divorces filed in Northampton County and Lehigh County are no-fault divorces. Yet this does not mean it is a simple process to file for a no-fault divorce. Strict rules regarding timelines to file certain documents and the contents of those documents present many pitfalls to even the most amicable divorce. While most divorces are no fault, adultery other issues are still defenses to support and equitable distribution.

Ask our family lawyers for more information at a free consultation in our Easton law office.

Yes, but this rarely happens under Pennsylvania divorce law, it is much more common under the PFA and Domestic Violence laws. However, in many cases, asking to have a spouse removed from the home may be more damaging to your case than it is useful.

Contact our Northampton County Divorce Lawyers to learn more.

Marital Property is property acquired by the parties during marriage. It is defined by 23 Pa. C.S. § 3501(a)1-8.

The Pennsylvania Divorce Code establishes a presumption that all property acquired from the date of marriage to the date of final separation is marital property except that which is defined as non-marital property as defined in Title 23 Pa. C.S. § 3501(a)1-8
1. Property acquired prior to marriage or property acquired in exchange for property acquired prior to the marriage.

2. Property excluded by valid agreement of the parties entered into before, during or after the marriage.

3. Property acquired by gift, except between spouses, bequest, devise or descent or property acquired in exchange for marital assets.

4. Property acquired after final separation until the date of divorce, except for property acquired in exchange for marital assets.

5. Property which a party has sold, granted, conveyed or otherwise disposed of in good faith and for value prior to the date of final separation.

6. Veterans’ benefits exempt from attachment, levy or seizure pursuant to the act of September 2, 1958 (Public Law 85-857, 72 Stat. 1229), as amended, except for those benefits received by a veteran where the veteran has waived a portion of his military retirement pay in order to receive veterans’ compensation.

7. Property to the extent to which the property has been mortgaged or otherwise encumbered in good faith for value prior to the date of final separation.

8. Any payment received as a result of an award or settlement for any cause of action or claim which accrued prior to the marriage or after the date of final separation regardless of when the payment was received.

Equitable Distribution is the division of the marital property of the divorcing couple by the court. These assets can include:

Annuities
Art Objects
Automobiles
Bank Accounts
Businesses
Certificates of deposit
Contents of safe deposit boxes
Furniture
Homes
Jewelry
Legal claims and awards
Life Insurance
Money and debts owed by others
Mortgages
Partnerships
Pension plans
Personal Property
Real Estate
Retirement benefits
Severance pay
Stocks, bonds, securities and option
Trusts

The division of marital property in Pennsylvania is defined in section 3502(a) of the Pennsylvania Divorce Code. There are 11 factors set forth to determine the equitable division of martial property.

1. The length of the marriage;

2. Any prior marriage of either party;

3. The age, health, station, amount and sources of income, vocational skills, employability, estate, liabilities and needs of each of the parties;

4. The contribution by one party to the education, training or increased earning power of the other party;

5. The opportunity of each party for future acquisitions of capital assets and income;

6. The sources of income of both parties, including, but not limited to, medical, retirement, insurance or benefits;

7. The contribution or dissipation of each party in the acquisition, preservation, depreciation or appreciation of the marital property, including the contribution of a party as homemaker;

8. The value of the property set apart to each party;

9. The standard of living of the parties established during the marriage;

10. The economic circumstances of each party, including Federal, State and local tax ramifications, at the time the division of property is to become effective;

11. Whether the party will be serving as the custodian of any dependent minor children

Pennsylvania is not a community property state where division of marital property is on a 50/50 basis; rather, in Pennsylvania a court is authorized by statute to equitably divide, distribute, or assign, marital property between the parties without regard to marital misconduct in such percentages as the court deems just after considering the above referenced relevant factors.