Treat Your Divorce Like a Business Transaction: Why Emotion Has No Place at the Negotiating Table in Pennsylvania
Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin

Treat Your Divorce Like a Business Transaction: Why Emotion Has No Place at the Negotiating Table in Pennsylvania

Divorce is one of the most emotionally charged events a person can experience. Anger, betrayal, grief, guilt — the emotional landscape is complex and can easily overwhelm good judgment. Yet when it comes to protecting your future, your assets, and your family’s well-being, emotion is your worst enemy.

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Pennsylvania Superior Court Reaffirms Critical Legal Standards in McGee v. McDowell Custody Dispute
Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin

Pennsylvania Superior Court Reaffirms Critical Legal Standards in McGee v. McDowell Custody Dispute

In a significant opinion for family law practitioners and parents navigating custody disputes in Pennsylvania, the Superior Court's recent decision in McGee v. McDowell (No. 765 WDA 2024) underscores the importance of strictly adhering to statutory procedures and due process rights in custody litigation. 

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Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Prenuptial Agreement: Pros, Cons, and Insights Under Pennsylvania Law
Family Law Brocton Skeen Family Law Brocton Skeen

Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Prenuptial Agreement: Pros, Cons, and Insights Under Pennsylvania Law

Prenuptial agreements, commonly known as prenups, are contracts signed by couples before marriage that outline the division of assets and financial responsibilities in the event of divorce or death. For high-profile couples like Beyoncé and Jay-Z, these agreements are crucial not only for protecting individual and joint wealth but also for setting clear expectations within their marriage.

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What Does Supervised Visitation Mean?
Family Law Brocton Skeen Family Law Brocton Skeen

What Does Supervised Visitation Mean?

Within child custody matters, sometimes a court will require visitation as a term of granting supervision to a parent or guardian. There are different types of visitation but one that is possible in Pennsylvania courts is supervised visitation.  

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What is “Child Custody?”
Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin

What is “Child Custody?”

Child custody in the state of Pennsylvania determines who has actual custodianship over a specific child. The person (or persons) with legal custody over the child has the right to make decisions in the best interest of the child pertaining to health, education, and religious decisions.

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How Much Alimony Can I Expect to Receive?
Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin

How Much Alimony Can I Expect to Receive?

There is no exact formula for calculating how much you may receive from a former spouse through alimony. In Pennsylvania, courts have the power to determine how much one is required to pay in alimony and thus how much you will receive.

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How are Assets Divided During Divorce?
Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin

How are Assets Divided During Divorce?

Pennsylvania courts generally divide marital property equally. For the most part, either spouse should receive 50% of the marital property. This also means that 50% of any marital debts will also fall on each spouse.  Although this is the general rule, the court may skew the distribution so that one spouse receives more than 50% of the marital estate.

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Protect Yourself (and Your Property) with a Prenup
Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin Family Law Crystal L. McLaughlin

Protect Yourself (and Your Property) with a Prenup

What exactly is a prenup?  A prenuptial agreement, sometimes called a “prenup,” is an agreement between future spouses regarding their marriage.  It may spell out how to address property and assets, as well as support obligations, in the event of the dissolution of their marriage.  When a marriage ends, the property and assets owned by both spouses, individually or jointly, comprise the marital estate.  The Court then considers a list of 11 factors in determining how to distribute the marital estate between the spouses and will also decide whether the property is non-marital.

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