43 North Pine Street, Doylestown, PA

(215) 340-2207
bucksfamilylawyers.com

News from Williams Family Law: September 2013

Firm Announcements
Did You Know?
Featured Practice Area
From The Blog
Happenings and Headlines
Around Town

From The Blog

Please visit our blog where we share legal insights, thoughts on legal news and much more. Below are some of our most recent posts.

ACT 147: A Minor's Right to Mental Health Treatment

How do the United States Supreme Court decisions on DOMA and Proposition 8 Impact Pennsylvania Same-Sex Relationships?

What about my stuff?

Pennsylvania Eliminates Parenting Coordination

Happenings & Headlines

Williams Family Law Attorneys Selected by U.S. News & World Report as 2014 Best Lawyers in America
Read more at Best Lawyers.

Three Firm Attorneys Recognized as 2013 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Read more at Super Lawyers.

Jeffrey M. Williams Speaks in Las Vegas on Valuing Marital Assets in Divorce
Read more at Litigation Symposium.

Firm Announcements

Our Name Has Changed

We have changed our name to Williams Family Law, P.C. Jeffrey M. Williams remains managing partner of the law firm. The website address (www.bucksfamilylawyers.com) and firm email addresses have not changed.

"With business growth, comes opportunity for change," said Williams. "We have renamed the firm in order to focus on family law services and our continued commitment to representing our clients' best interests while restructuring the firm's ownership. As managing partner, it is my responsibility to ensure that our family law attorneys continue to provide clients with the best counsel possible."

Read more about the name change: Williams Family Law.

Jeffrey M. Williams Named Secretary of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

Founder and Managing Partner, Jeffrey M. Williams, has been nominated to be Secretary of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML-PA). He is the only AAML Fellow with a primary office in Bucks County.

AAML-PA collaborates with lawyers, legislators, judges, agencies and professionals to improve the standards and processes of resolving conflicts involving child support, divorce, custody and juvenile matters. Fellows of the AAML Pennsylvania Chapter are skilled negotiators and litigators who represent individuals in all facets of family law. Fellows deal with the most complex aspects of matrimonial law, such as valuation, professional practices, tax consequences, alternative families, and interstate and international cases.

Read more about this nomination: American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Did You Know? Frequently Asked Questions at Williams Family Law

Q: My father passed away five years ago and I received a large inheritance. Is my spouse entitled to any of this inheritance as part of a divorce action?

A: It depends. Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Divorce Code, marital property does not include property acquired by inheritance. However, the increase in value of an inheritance will be considered part of the marital estate, subject to division between the parties. To ensure that the inheritance remains identified as a non-marital asset, it should be maintained separately from assets owned jointly by the parties. Read more here: Is my spouse entitled to large inheritance?

Q: My spouse moved out of the house when he filed for divorce. Can I change the locks and alarm code so he can't get in?

Assuming the residence where you and your spouse resided is jointly titled, it would generally be a poor idea to change the locks and the alarm code. Simply by moving out, your spouse has not waived the right to the property. Read more here: Can I change the locks and alarm code?

Featured Practice Area: Marital Settlement Agreements

When possible, it is often recommended for spouses in a Pennsylvania divorce proceeding to discuss an amicable resolution and settlement of all claims. A marital settlement agreement (also known as a "property settlement agreement") is a written agreement that provides the parties with an efficient means to resolving the issues of a divorce proceeding, such as the division of marital assets and liabilities, alimony, APL/support payments, child support, legal fees and other rights. Similar to prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, marital settlement agreements are considered to be final and binding upon the spouses and should be thoroughly discussed, negotiated and reviewed. Marital settlement agreements can also save the parties a significant amount of time and money since court proceedings are removed from the process.

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 marital settlement agreements.

Around Town: The Mercer Museum

As part of a Bucks County law firm, we live and work in a beautiful area in the Greater Philadelphia region. Constructed by historian and archaeologist Henry Mercer, the Mercer Museum contains a collection of 40,000 objects that document everyday life in 18th and 19th century America. The museum is a unique 6-story concrete castle that has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark. Recently, an expanded state-of-the-art exhibit gallery and program space was opened.