Family Law Attorney in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County

One of the most crucial aspects of your divorce will be the division of your property and assets. In PA, this is referred to as equitable distribution. If you didn’t already have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement in place, you are probably concerned with what you’re entitled to.

For the most part, anything you came into the marriage with as yours will remain yours. And anything you purchased together will need to be distributed between you. However, that doesn’t mean that your debts and assets will be split equally. Some of the factors that matter in equitable distribution include:

• Both individuals’ standard of living, pre-divorce 
• Income of both couples 
• How long you were married 
• Tax effects 
• Child custody of shared children 
• Whether one spouse boosted the financial success of the other

These are just a few of the items that will factor into your case. Working with your lawyers to decide the division of your property and assets can be better than a family law judge deciding for you.

What You Need to Know About Spousal Support

In cases where one spouse earns less than the other and/or has been financially dependent on their partner, they may require alimony. There are a few types of alimony:

• Spousal Support – This financial support is paid after you’ve separated but have yet to file your divorce complaint. 
• Alimony pendente lite (APL) – APL is paid throughout the divorce process to allow both spouses to maintain their standard of living, as well as to hire a lawyer. 
• Alimony – Alimony is awarded after the divorce has been finalized and the equitable distribution process resolved.

The purpose of these forms of spousal support is to enable both spouses to avoid dire money problems. The goal is for the spouse receiving alimony to one day be able to support themselves.

Alimony can be given for a short period of time while the receiving spouse obtains job training or education. It can also be given permanently in some situations. If you are in need of spousal support, or if you need to ensure you aren’t made to pay more than is fair, reach out to your lawyer.

Establishing Child Custody

The issue of child custody can turn a peaceful divorce into a downright difficult one. Parents are often quick to try to keep the child’s other parent away from them, whether they are fit parents or not. This is why having a lawyer matters.

No matter what is going on between the parents, you must always consider the best interests of the children. That is how the courts are going to handle your case if the choices become theirs to make.

You’ll need to work with your former partner to decide whether one parent will retain physical custody of the children or if you’ll share physical custody. Physical custody means the children will primarily reside with that parent.

There is also the matter of who will make major choices for the children. These choices may include where they’ll go to school, their religious upbringing (if any), what activities they’ll participate in, and any healthcare decisions. If you’ll be sharing these decisions, you’ll enter into a joint legal custody arrangement. But if one parent will make these choices, they’ll be granted sole legal custody.

Form Your Parenting Plan

After you’ve determined your custody agreement, you’ll need to form a visitation plan. If you can resolve this on your own, you can come up with any visitation schedule you see fit. (Most parents stick with an every-other-weekend and alternating-holidays schedule.)

You should do your best to come up with a parenting plan that works for the whole family. That way, the courts won’t have to step in and make these choices on your behalf.  

All About Child Support

Both parents are required to provide support for their children. More often than not, the custodial parent will receive child support from the noncustodial parent. The amount of child support you’ll pay or receive will be based on the income and expenses of both parents, how many children you share or are caring for, and a number of other factors.

A child support order will often also dictate who will cover childcare expenses; the costs of extracurricular activities and sports, school supplies and clothing, and health insurance; and any other expenses that both parents should be jointly responsible for.

You can work out the details of child support based on the PA child support guidelines with your lawyer to ensure that your partner is doing their part.