Family Law FAQs

Pennsylvania
Divorce & Family Law FAQs

Collaborative Law Professionals of Southeastern Pennsylvania answer frequently asked questions about Pennsylvania Divorce and Family Law. Using the Collaborative Process, trained mediators and professionals help couples going through divorce stay out of court. Is the Collaborative Process right for you and your family?

Learn more about our professional collaborative team and how we can help you establish mutually acceptable agreements and resolve issues amicably for a variety of family law and divorce issues.

Many of our experienced lawyers and professionals are located in Horsham, Doylestown and Norristown. We provide family legal services in Montgomery and Chester counties and throughout Southeastern PA.

What kind of income is used to determine child support?

Pennsylvania Child Support Guidelines contain a detailed explanation of what constitutes as income for child support purposes. In addition to salary, gross income may include things such as bonuses, commissions, interest, rent, lottery winnings, income tax refunds, and many others. In situations where a parent owns their own business or holds an executive position that includes things like stock options or deferred income, may be taken into consideration and counted as a financial source of income.

If you are and your spouse are willing to fully disclose, share and cooperatively evaluate all financial information, such as tax returns, account statements, stock options and compensation agreements then you may be able to avoid the traditional court process and work with Collaborative Law Professionals of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Learn more about collaborative law mediation strategies and the collaborative approach toward child support.

How can Collaborative Practice assist with parenting plans and child custody modifications?

My ex- and I haven’t talked together about our children since the court’s custody decision last year. We just text. It’s too hard. Things aren’t working with this schedule. I need to go back to court.

Returning to court will result in a new custody order, however, the modifications you obtain may not be the best solution to your concerns and it may not change the emotional and commutation struggles that you are having with your co-parent. Already strained relationships between parents can be further eroded in the lengthy and confrontational litigation process. Children for sure suffer.

The Collaborative Process will create opportunities, in a confidential setting, for you and the other parent to develop clear understandings of what you need from each other to parent your children. Our lawyers and child specialists have been trained in the collaborative process and trained in mediation designed specifically for these topics. We will help you explore what gets in the way of effective coparenting and identify what you want most for your children. In an environment that acknowledges and supports the critical role each parent has in the lives of your children, we will accomplish meeting your goals. Learn more about PA family law and the collaborative approach toward child custody modifications.

In Pennsylvania, is property division in a divorce always 50/50?

No. In the state of Pennsylvania property division is not always 50/50. If you go to court to discuss property division, the court will apportion the assets and debts based on the thirteen factors in the law. This may or may not result in a 50/50 division. It’s up to the court to make that determination.

In a Collaborative Divorce you and your spouse will remain in control of the division of assets and debts. The collaborative team includes access to lawyers and financial specialists trained in cooperative mediation technique and will help you understand the overall picture created by your family’s financial situation, evaluate tax implications of a proposed financial division and achieve a desired financial settlement for each of you that considers your shared values. Learn more about divorce law in Pennsylvania and how the collaborative process can help you determine division of property and assets by using your goals and your family’s specific needs.