Dispelling the Deadbeat Dad Myth

The oft-used term “dead beat dad” conjures up an image of a father who neglects to support his offspring emotionally or financially. Not every dad who does not fulfill his child support obligation can be accurately construed as a “dead beat.” The law recognizes this distinction.

The Dependent Tax Exemption Issue for Non-Custodial Parents

The legal right to claim a child as a dependent for income tax purposes is a significant issue which can easily be overlooked in dealing with all the other issues involved in custody, visitation, and support cases. The non-custodial parent may assume that the custodial parent gets to claim the …

Financial 101 For Your Attorney

In your initial consult with your divorce attorney, he or she will likely spend most of the initial meeting getting an idea of the broad generalities of your case. Your attorney, during that first consult, will be able to tell you what to commonly expect regarding child custody and child …

QDRO, COBRA and Divorce

Every field has its own set of abbreviations and acronyms. People who work in the field are comfortable using these terms but, to people who do not work in the area on a daily basis, the terminology is foreign. In domestic relations law two of the most common acronyms are …

The Impact of Relocation on Financial Orders

Other articles have addressed how to respond when the other party wants to move and relocate the minor child. The purpose of this article is to examine how relocation of one party might impact the financial orders in a divorce case (child support and maintenance). We will assume the relocation …

Child Support Payment – Child Care

Question: There are a lot of CS calculators and discussions regarding child support payments. My question is when the calculator shows a figure based on incomes, is that including or excluding child care (ie day care or nanny) costs? I read PA law excerpts that seem to say it excluded, …

What if wife voluntarily quits her job for lesser paying job?

Question: I have been divorced over 5 years. I pay no child support. I have joint legal and joint physical custody of my son. We get along fine and trade days, weeks, eves, etc. with absolutely no problems. Recently, my ex has become very serious about changing jobs. Because of …