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Divorce Attorneys

Divorce Attorneys

Choosing the Right Lehigh Valley Divorce Attorney

Divorce Lawyers in Easton, Allentown & Bethlehem

Divorce Attorneys located in Easton, Pennsylvania providing legal advice regarding Marriage & Divorce in Lehigh, Monroe & Northampton Counties.

The Divorce Attorneys at our Easton Family Law Office have helped numerous men and women through the Northampton County Divorces, Lehigh County Divorces and Divorces throughout the Lehigh Valley.  Our Northampton County Divorce Lawyers in Easton, Pennsylvania are here to help, whether an uncontested divorce, a high asset separation or a no-fault divorce.  Our Divorce Attorneys handle all aspects of divorce, including alimony, child support, child custody and domestic violence.

Divorce in the Lehigh Valley is both an emotional separation and a financial division.  Separating your marital partnership from the legal partnership is a difficult task with many complicated considerations. Regardless of your level of income, however, our Northampton County Divorce Lawyers understand that you are ending a marriage and starting a new chapter of your life.

Decisions at each phase of divorce have immediate and long-term ramifications. Whether child custody is at issue or not, our experienced Divorce Attorneys in Easton are adept at protecting your interests while finding creative solutions and resolving your divorce in the most expeditious manner. The Family Law Attorneys in our Lehigh Valley office aim to minimize the animosity and expense, limit the impact on your children and foster a positive parenting relationship going forward. However, if your spouse is unwilling to reach an agreement, our Lehigh Valley Divorce Attorneys will pursue, if necessary, aggressive measures in order to ensure that your rights are fully protected.

Divorce Lawyers in our Easton Family Law Office will guide you through the process, helping you put your emotions in perspective so that you can make informed decisions for yourself and your family. Divorce Attorneys in our Northampton County Family Law Office represent men and women, at all levels of income, including professionals and business owners in the Allentown, Bethlehem & Easton area, Northampton County & Lehigh County.

Divorce Attorneys

Lehigh Valley Divorce Statistic

How Divorces Resolved in Lehigh County and Northampton County
Statistics from 2018 Court Year - 804 Divorces Filed
Statistics from 2018 Court Year - 952 Divorces Filed

Legal Aspects of Divorce in The Lehigh Valley

When seeking a contested or uncontested divorce in the Lehigh Valley, one or both spouse may be entitled to certain legal relief.  That relief may include Equitable Distribution, Support Payments in the form of Alimony or Spousal Support and Child Custody Determinations.  In addition, there may be tax consequences and immigration consequences stemming from a divorce.  Additionally, Lehigh County & Northampton County follow slightly different procedures in divorce cases.

Equitable Distribution

The division of property, including personal items, real estate and bank & retirement accounts.

Alimony

Alimony is the ongoing payments of money from one spouse to another after a divorce has been finalized.

Spousal Support & APL

Payments by one spouse, to another, prior to a divorce decree being granted.

Our Family Law Philospohy to Divorce Cases

Experienced Divorce Lawyers in the Lehigh Valley, Serving Lehigh & Northampton County

1. Initial Consultation with Divorce Attorney in Easton

The best Divorce Lawyers in Northampton & Lehigh County will take the time to understand your case from the very first moment

At the initial divorce consultation, in our Easton, Pennsylvania law office our divorce lawyers will discuss a number of issues with you.  The divorce attorney will discuss the reasons why you or your partner are seeking a divorce.  A divorce lawyer will discuss the marital assets to determine what property may be marital and what property may be separately owned.  You and the divorce lawyer will discuss the relative income of you and your partner.  We will discuss any savings and retirements accounts.  Finally our Divorce Attorneys will discuss any child custody considerations.

2. Initial Evaluate & Review a Divorce Case

After an initial Divorce Consult in Easton, your Northampton County Divorce Attorney will review the notes taken and run through multiple calculations and scenarios

During & after our initial divorce consultation we will review with you the possible financial liabilities you and your spouse may have to each other.  A divorce lawyer will review will you a precursory outlook of any child custody matters.  Your divorce attorney will ascertain whether a divorce is best filed as a no-fault or uncontested divorce.  If their are multiple venues for the divorce filing, the divorce attorney may discuss whether your divorce is best filed in Lehigh or Northampton County or another jurisdiction.  Our divorce lawyers will help determine whether discovery and court hearings are needed in your Lehigh County or Northampton County Divorce.

3. Cost Effective Divorce in the Lehigh Valley

The best Lehigh County Divorce Lawyers will come up with creative solutions that may maximize the benefit not only to you but, in some case, even the spouse you are leaving.

The cost of getting divorced in the Lehigh Valley can range from $1,000 for a simple uncontested divorce to over $20,000. While some Allentown, Bethlehem & Easton Family Lawyers may strive to create more billable hours for themselves in a divorce case, our Easton Divorce Attorneys strive to keep costs to our clients as low as possible.  While some divorce cases require a lengthy amount of discovery, through divorce interrogatories and requests for production of documents, most do not.  We are committed to resolving divorces at the lowest possible costs to our clients while achieving the best possible outcome for them. 

 

Total Attorney Fees in our Lehigh Valley Divorce Cases:

$1,000 of Less60%
$1,000 - $2,50015%
$2,500 -$5,00020%
>$5,0005%

Lehigh & Northampton County Divorce Lawyer FAQs

Commonly ask questions by those navigating Divorce in Allentown, Bethlehem & Easton, Pennsylvania

Do I need a lawyer for a Divorce in Pennsylvania?

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.

I've been served a divorce complaint in Pennsylvania, now what?

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.

Can either party prevent a 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.

Can a Pennsylvania family court require marriage counseling?

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.

What is a no fault divorce?

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.

Can a spouse be prevented from entering the marital residence?

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.

What is Marital Property?

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.

What is Equitable Distribution in a Divorce?

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

How is Equitable Distribution decided?

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.

Let us help you!

If you need any legal assistance in the Lehigh Valley, please feel free to contact us.  Our Easton Law Office will get back to you within one business day.  Or, just call us now.

Call :(484)548-0529

Mon – Fri 09:00-17:00

Schedule a Consultation

Are you looking for a Lehigh or Northampton County Divorce Attorney?

Let us help you! Call our Easton Family Law Office : (484)548-0529

·  Mon – Fri 09:00-17:00

Lehigh & Northampton County Divorce Attorneys