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When a family law dispute affects your family, finances, or future, it can be difficult to focus on anything else. Whether you are facing divorce, child custody concerns, child support disputes, or property division issues, the decision made today can have lasting consequences. Your Bethel Park family law attorney at Pittsburgh Divorce & Family Law, LLC can help protect your rights and guide you through the legal process.
Contact us today at (412) 471-5100 or through our online contact form to discuss your situation.
If you cannot reach an agreement about an issue involving your child or your finances, you may need to ask the court to become involved. What starts as one disagreement can quickly affect other parts of your case and create additional conflicts. Your family lawyer in Bethel Park, PA can help you address a wide range of family law matters, including:
You may come to court because of one disagreement and find that additional issues need to be addressed before the case can be resolved. A divorce may involve questions about property division or support, while a custody dispute may require decisions about parenting time. The way those issues are resolved can influence the direction of the case.
When a judge enters a court order, that decision can impact important aspects of your family life and financial responsibilities. The amount of time you spend with your child or the financial obligations placed on either parent may remain in place unless the order is modified. Before agreeing to a settlement or asking a judge to decide an issue, consider how that decision could affect your family in the future.
According to data published by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, many divorces in Pennsylvania involve marriages lasting 10 years or more, with some ending after several decades. When a marriage ends after that length of time, questions involving property division, support, and parenting responsibilities are often more complicated than many people expect.
Property division is often one of the most contentious aspects of a divorce. If you are ending a marriage, you may have questions about what happens to the assets you acquired during that time and how those decisions could affect your finances after the divorce. Your Bethel Park divorce lawyer can help you address these issues and evaluate the potential consequences before agreeing to a settlement or asking a judge to decide.
If you are going through a divorce, you may have questions about what property will be divided and what property will remain yours alone. Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3501, Pennsylvania law distinguishes between marital property and certain types of separate property. That distinction can affect whether an asset is included in the property division process.
Disagreements often arise when spouses disagree about who owns a particular asset or whether it should be considered marital property. After those issues are resolved, the court decides how marital property will be distributed.
You may discover that some financial issues continue for months or even years after your divorce is finalized. Court orders involving debt and other financial obligations can continue affecting your budget after the case is over. Your divorce attorney in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, can help you evaluate those obligations before agreeing to a settlement.
Debt can remain a source of disagreement even after property has been divided. One spouse may be responsible for certain debts, while the other takes responsibility for different financial obligations.
If you and the other parent cannot agree about where your child will spend time, the issue may end up in family court. Disagreements about support can make an already difficult situation even harder to resolve. Your child custody lawyer in Bethel Park, PA, is here to help you with a number of issues involving families and children, including:
Custody and child support disputes often affect the entire family. If you and the other parent cannot reach an agreement, a judge will decide the unresolved issues. Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 5323, Pennsylvania courts have the authority to enter custody orders, and those decisions are guided by what is in the child’s best interests rather than what either parent wants.
You may find that a family court order does not completely resolve the issues in your case. If the other person is not following that order, you may need to ask a judge to enforce it. Families also return to court when major changes make an existing order difficult to follow. When that happens, the court may need to review the order and decide whether changes are needed.
If your child’s other parent is not following a custody order, the situation can create serious problems for you and your child. Missing parenting time or failing to follow the court-ordered schedule can lead to repeated disagreements between parents. Your custody lawyer near Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, can help you determine what steps may be available if those problems continue.
A custody order is intended to provide consistency for both parents. When one parent repeatedly ignores the order, a judge may decide that additional action is necessary. If the problems persist, returning to court may be necessary to enforce the order and address violations affecting your parenting time.
If support payments suddenly stop, you may be expected to cover expenses that you were not prepared to handle on your own. Missed child support or spousal support payments can make it harder to keep up with bills and other financial obligations. Your spousal support lawyer in Bethel Park, PA, can help you respond when support payments stop or fall behind.
A support order does not stop applying simply because one person decides not to follow it. When a parent or former spouse fails to comply with a support order, a judge may order enforcement. If you are not receiving the support you have been awarded, returning to court may be necessary to enforce the order and pursue unpaid support.
When a family law case reaches this stage, the decisions made during the process can influence your home life and financial responsibilities. If you and the other parent cannot reach an agreement, it can be difficult to know what the court is likely to consider and how a particular decision may affect your family. Our family law firm in Bethel Park, Pittsburgh Divorce & Family Law, LLC, will be here to help you:
Decisions made during a family law case can become much harder to revisit once a final order is entered. Before agreeing to a settlement or asking a judge to make a decision, make sure you know how those terms could affect your child or your finances. Whether your case is resolved through negotiation or litigation, our firm can help you review important decisions before they become final.
If you are involved in a family law dispute, an agreement may allow you to avoid asking a judge to make decisions for your family. Sometimes that happens through direct negotiations or mediation. In other instances, you and the other parent cannot resolve the disagreement, and the court must become involved. Your divorce attorney in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, can help you prepare for what comes next. Some of the matters that may be addressed through negotiation or resolved in court include:
While many family law disputes are resolved through negotiation or mediation, some cases require court intervention. When important issues remain unresolved, a judge may need to hear evidence and decide the outcome. Preparing for that possibility early can help you avoid surprises as your case progresses.
Pittsburgh Divorce & Family Law, LLC assists clients throughout Bethel Park and the surrounding South Hills communities with a wide range of family law matters. Whether you need a divorce attorney, a child custody lawyer, a child support attorney, a spousal support lawyer, or assistance modifying an existing court order, our firm can help you understand your options and pursue a resolution that protects your interests.
Family law matters often involve complex legal and emotional issues. Having experienced legal representation can help you navigate negotiations, mediation, hearings, and litigation to achieve the best possible outcome for your family.
Yes, in some situations. Pennsylvania law allows certain grandparents to seek custody or visitation. If a judge hears the case, the child’s best interests will be the judge’s primary focus.
A parent usually cannot move a child a significant distance without addressing the issue through the court. If the proposed move could affect parenting time, the court may need to review the request before the relocation takes place. The judge will consider how the move could affect the child and the existing custody arrangement.
Not always. Some courts require mediation before certain family law disputes are heard by a judge. Mediation gives you and your child’s other parent an opportunity to work through disagreements before asking the court to make the decision.
Bring any documents that help explain your situation, including court orders or financial records. If your case involves custody, bring any information that may help explain your child’s situation as well. If you have questions about how to file for divorce in Bethel Park, PA, your consultation is a good time to ask what information will be needed.
Yes. You do not have to be married to seek custody rights through the court. A formal custody order can establish court-ordered parenting time and determine who will make decisions involving your child.
Usually, yes. If your parenting schedule is part of a custody order, permanent changes often require court approval. If the current schedule no longer works, you may need to return to court to request a modification.
Pennsylvania uses statewide child support guidelines that consider both parents’ incomes and other relevant factors. The court may also consider health insurance costs, childcare expenses, and the amount of time the child spends with each parent.
Before you agree to a proposed family court order, make sure you know how it could affect your family once the order is final. We help clients address difficult family law disputes both inside and outside the courtroom.
Contact Pittsburgh Divorce & Family Law, LLC today if you need help resolving a dispute involving your child or another family law issue.