Recent Articles

SO WHY IS IT NOT 50/50?

Mark Ashton
December 16, 2008 14:35

At most initial interviews we listen to what clients tell us to be the history of the marriage and the asset pool we are addressing and attempt to predict an equitable distribution result.  Sometimes our predictions are very accurate; sometimes they are not.  Perhaps because they are...

DID THE "INCREASE IN VALUE" CASE JUST SINK INTO THE SWAMP?

Mark Ashton
December 11, 2008 13:40

We are litigating several cases currently where much of the value that is subject to equitable distribution comes from an increase in the value of assets that were in the hands of one spouse prior to marriage or gifted to one spouse only during the marriage.  In contrast to the view of most...

DIVORCE 101: HOW TO SAVE LEGAL FEES & HOW TO WASTE YOUR OWN TIME

Mark Ashton
December 09, 2008 14:56

 Lawyers have not been well-regarded since the days before Shakespeare suggested that we should all be executed. The lament has been the same; we do too little, charge too much.  We foment dispute.  But, as much as the American public ranks lawyers right down there with...

MERRY ????? HAPPY????? HOLIDAY????

Jane E. Lessner
December 09, 2008 14:46

I handle a lot of custody matters. At this time of year, families where the parents and/or grandparents are not living together have similar and stressful issues. Everyone wants their child’s holiday to be a happy and memorable one. After 2 decades of working with children and...

NOW YOU CAN ESTIMATE CHILD SUPPORT IN YOUR OWN HOME

Mark Ashton
December 04, 2008 21:56

No need to drive to hearings or hire high priced lawyers.  If you google PA Child Support Home Page or go to www.childsupport.state.pa.us you will travel to a website that allows you to calculate the amount of support due using Pennsylvania’s guidelines. You must agree to the...

TRUSTING THE ESTATE PLAN: HOW TRUSTS WORK WELL FOR THE HAPPILY MARRIED BUT CONFUSE THE RIGHTS OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT.

Mark Ashton
November 17, 2008 20:42

All married couples should have an estate plan. For those with special needs or large estates estate planning often involves the creation of trusts.  Trusts are a device by which the owner of property conveys it to others to hold for a defined purpose. It is often a means of avoiding...

"IS IT TRUE THAT I WILL BE DIVORCED 90 DAYS AFTER I FILE?" and "WHAT'S A LEGAL SEPARATION?"

Mark Ashton
November 13, 2008 20:34

Ask any divorce lawyer in Pennsylvania to specify the two most common questions he or she might encounter in an initial interview and the answer will inevitably include one or both of the questions recited in the title. The second question is easy to answer. It is pretty safe to say that it...

MORTGAGE DEVIATION IN SUPPORT

Mark Ashton
November 06, 2008 21:55

We have had support guidelines in Pennsylvania since 1984.  The effort was part of a federal initiative to see that all families with similar levels of income paid comparable child support. A few years ago the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania modified the rules to give recognition to the...

WHAT TO TELL YOUR CUSTODY LAWYER

Jane E. Lessner
November 03, 2008 20:41

There is nothing worse than being in a legal battle regarding who gets to see and care for your child(ren). Usually the battle is with the other parent, but sometimes it is with a grandparent or other family member, or a local child welfare agency. No matter who is involved, this case...

NOT THROUGH GOOD TIMES, BUT THROUGH BAD

Julie Ganz
November 03, 2008 19:53

While anecdotal reports seem to indicate that divorce is on the rise because of the current economic situation, Fresno County, California and Comanche County, Oklahoma are both reporting a substantial drop in the number of divorce filings this year. According to data published by the county,...