Divorce Attorney and Family Law Pennsylvania
The family law group at Harold Shepley & Associates, LLC is focused on shepherding you through one of the most difficult times in your life. We have all lived through divorce in one way, or another, and understand the uncertainty it can cause along with the emotional and financial distress.
Together, we will fight by your side to get you through this difficult time and help put you on the path to a brighter future. We can represent you through all aspects of a divorce, including property division, support and custody.
You do not have to go through this alone, let us be your attorney and partner
Ending a marriage is never an easy decision. It involves many sensitive decisions that will affect you, your children and your finances. At Harold Shepley & Associates, we recognize that you have enough burden to carry, so we are here to help ease your mind and help you through the process form beginning to end. There can be many aspects to a divorce and each case I unique. We will counsel you and lead you through such things as child custody, property distribution and support. Remember, you are not alone and there is hope.
Representing Clients in Divorce Proceedings is important to us and here is why
In the words of Harold Shepley: I have always been a strong champion for marriage, and I continue to be pro-marriage. However, when I gave a debt relief seminar to the Divorce Care Group at the Somerset Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, my eyes were opened to the pain that these individuals were going through. None of the individuals that I spoke with wanted to be divorced. They were all victims of divorce. I sat speechless as I listened to the “horror stories” of how they were treated by their attorneys. The issues ranged from not being able to afford an attorney, to never being able to talk to their attorney, to almost outright theft due to the outrageous fees. Perhaps the worst case was a local attorney “implying” a trade of sexual services since she could not afford his fee. The emotional pain these people were experiencing cut deep to my soul and I knew my firm could no longer sit on the sidelines. We had to get involved.
Attorney Jeff Ross from my office agreed to step forward and help these hurting people. I hired one of the best paralegals in the county to assist him, Dawn Bhullar. Not only does Dawn have 6 years’ experience working for the Somerset County Prothonotary’s Office, where all family law issues are handled, but she has been a victim of divorce herself. She has suffered through an abusive relationship and now offers hope to others facing similar adversity.
There is a bright future ahead of you. Right now it is a little hard to see through all the dark clouds. Harold Shepley & Associates will assist you with passion and conviction. We offer affordable fees and payment plans. You no longer have to feel alone and afraid. Give my law firm a call or contact us and let us help you step out of the darkness and in to the light. You do not need to feel like a victim any longer.
Spouse support is typically handled through the Domestic Relations Office of each county. It is not automatic and you must file a Complaint for Spousal Support separate from a Divorce Complaint. Pennsylvania provides statutory guidelines of how much Spousal Support should be paid. Spousal Support is paid only when the parties are separated but not yet divorced and there are some situations which may disqualify someone from receiving Spousal Support. We will help you determine if you, or your spouse, are eligible for Spousal Support and how much it may be.
Alimony, also known as permanent alimony, is alimony paid by one party to another after the divorce action is final. Although referred to as permanent alimony, this is often awarded or agreed to for a set amount of time. Some factors that are considered in an alimony case are: length of marriage, earning capacity of each party, disability of either party, the distribution of marital property, the amount of non-marital property one spouse or another owns, and fault or behavior of one party or the other. This list is not exhaustive, but just a sample of factors to be considered. Harold Shepley & Associates can help to determine whether you may have a claim to alimony as part of your divorce.
Alimony Pendent Lite is Alimony “while the action is pending” and is similar to Spousal Support in that it ends once a divorce action is final. It is based more upon the needs of the recipient than Spousal Support and can be obtained if one party is deemed ineligible to receive Spousal Support.
Like a Divorce action, one party must file a Custody Complaint and be the Plaintiff and the other must be the Defendant. Even if the parties have an agreement in place a case must be filed to have a Child Custody Order in place. Generally in Pennsylvania some type of mediation will take place before a custody trial is scheduled. This gives the parties, working with a Master or Child Custody Officer an opportunity to discuss their concerns and desires and to try to come to an agreement without the need to go to trial.
If a case goes to trial, the Court must determine what the “best interests” of the child, or children, are. The Court must consider the factors contained within 23 Pa. C.S.A. §5328. This section describes sixteen (16) factors that the Court must weigh to determine what is in the best interest of the child or children.
A Child Custody Order is not necessary when parents decide a custody schedule. However, it will offer each party certain protections in regards to their rights as parents.
Child Custody is a complex legal concept and we will help you navigate through this process and help you get the best result possible for you and your family.
Child Support is support that one parent, or the other, pays for the basic needs of their child, or children. Pennsylvania uses the shared income model where both parents’ incomes are combined as if they were still a family unit. Statutory guidelines are then used to determine the amount of support the child, or children, require and what each parent’s contribution is based on the percentage of income they contribute to the total shared income.
There are other factors that can also determine the amount of child support paid or received, such as costs of health insurance, extraordinary expenses of one of the parties, and the amount of overnights the child, or children, spend at each parents.
There can be more complex aspects to a child support calculation such as determining what actually counts as income, that we can assist you with. Call Harold Shepley & Associates so that we can answer all of your questions about child support.
There are essentially two types of property recognized in Pennsylvania for divorce purposes – Marital Property and Non Marital Property
- Marital Property is property obtained during the course of a marriage from the date of union until the date of separation. It can include cash, bank accounts, vehicles, real estate, retirement plans, household goods and furnishings, pets and debt.
- Non Marital Property is property obtained prior to a marriage, after the date of separation or property obtained through gift or inheritance during a marriage that is not co-mingled with marital property.
Generally, Pennsylvania practices Equitable Distribution of marital property meaning that marital assets are divided equally between both parties. There are exceptions to this general rule in cases of fault-based divorce.
Divorce and Family Law FAQs
A divorce is started with one party filing a Complaint in the court of the county that you live in. Your particular situation and needs will determine the contents of that Complaint. There will also be related responsibilities with a divorce filing, such as serving the other party, scheduling hearings and preparation of inventories. Our firm can provide detailed explanations of the process based on your individual situation and help your from beginning to end. Call us today.
