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43 North Pine Street, Doylestown, PA (215) 340-2207 bucksfamilylawyers.com |
News from Williams Family Law: March 2014
Did You Know?
Featured Practice Area
From The Blog
Happenings and Headlines
Around Town
Please visit our blog where we share legal insights, thoughts on legal news and much more. Below are some of our most recent posts.
Is It Spring Yet?Date of Separation and Divorce – What Does it Mean?
Why Your Custody Stipulation Doesn't Apply to the Dog
Jeffrey M. Williams Presents 'Identifying and Valuing Unique Marital Assets in Divorce Litigation'
Read more at Matrimonial Litigation Symposium.
Did You Know? Frequently Asked Questions at Williams Family Law
Q: I moved out of our marital residence and pay a lot of money to my spouse each month for child support and spousal support. Now my spouse is telling me that I have to pay for the mortgage and real estate taxes for the marital residence too. Is that true?
A: It depends. Support guidelines do provide for a mortgage contribution in specific circumstances. The mortgage contribution addresses the primary mortgage, any secondary mortgages, real estate taxes and homeowners insurance. Generally, a mortgage contribution is requested by the spouse who remains in the marital residence when the mortgages, real estate taxes and homeowners insurance exceed a certain percentage of their income, as defined in the support code. Read more here: Who pays for the mortgage and real estate taxes?
Q: I am worried about how we are going to afford college expenses for our children now that my spouse and I are getting divorced. Who will have to pay for this?
A: In Pennsylvania, neither party will be required to pay for college expenses or any other post-majority support for a child. However, if you and your spouse desire to pay for your child's college education, you will need to address this in a private agreement. Read more here: Who will have to pay for college?
Featured Practice Area: Child Support
Among the challenges that arise from divorce and child custody proceedings is the ability for parents to provide adequate support for their children. It is extremely important to remember that it is a child's right to receive appropriate child support. In most divorce or separation cases, it is necessary for the parent who does not live with the child more than half of the overnights in a year (non-custodial parent) to provide financial support to the parent who lives primarily with the child (custodial parent).
The court considers the following elements, among others, when establishing a child support arrangement:
- Number of minor children
- Incomes or earning capacities of both parents
- Medical needs of the child/children including medical insurance coverage
- Educational needs of the child such as private school expenses
- Child care costs.
If you have questions, consulting with a skilled family lawyer is critical and our family law attorneys are available to help. Find out more about child support.
As part of a Bucks County law firm, we live and work in a beautiful area in the Greater Philadelphia region. One of the jewels of Doylestown, where our office is located, is the County Theater. Located on State Street in the heart of the borough's business and shopping district, the theater first opened in 1938 and is a nonprofit, community-based movie house that specializes in independent, art, and foreign films.
