All of the property acquired by a couple during marriage is considered marital property and thus subject to division during the divorce process. In Pennsylvania, separate property is property that is owned by one spouse only. This is property that was acquired or purchased before the marriage, or after the marriage if acquired by…
Getting a divorce? Mediate, Don’t Litigate is a great concept that has fast become the popular trend in divorce. In Mediation, angels of communication will help you negotiate your settlement by guiding you through conversations that you can’t get through on your own; participate in brainstorming a solution that works for both parties; and, provide…
On May 4, 2018 Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed into law Senate Bill 844, which makes some major changes to who can petition a Pennsylvania family court for child custody. It affects grandparents’ rights to ask for custody of their grandchildren; and under certain circumstances, it grants standing for the very first time to…
Caucusing, where a mediator meets with each party to the mediation separately, can be useful in many mediation contexts; however, it also poses a risk to the parties perception of the mediators neutrality. In addition, caucusing can detract from the transformative process mediation typically seeks to produce in the relationship between the…
Lori A. Walker, Attorney at Law, specializes in divorce and custody litigation and mediation and represents families from a variety of backgrounds and has been selected by National Advocates as a Top 40 Attorney Under 40 in Pennsylvania. Her family law experience includes all aspects of divorce, child custody, child support and spousal support. …
Lori A. Walker, Esquire has been named as “10 Best” in the field of Family Law in Pennsylvania by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys. This is her third consecutive year in a row receiving this distinguished honor. To read more, see here.
Too many women have let husbands make the long-term financial decisions, leaving them vulnerable when separation or death strikes. For some, it means liberation. For others, loss. For women in particular, the doubling of the divorce rate for the 50-plus crowd since the 1990s can mean something far more prosaic: a need to shoulder the big financial…
Who holds the key to keeping marriages together? Divorce attorneys play a surprising role in identifying what causes a divorce to happen (and are expert advisors on how to keep it from happening to you). Divorce rates have been climbing steadily in the past 50 years, and no one knows that better than the…
Neither mediation nor collaboration is necessarily going to be the best —or worst— choice in all cases. Which approach to use is determined by the unique circumstances of your case and your individual preferences. Here are the most common factors that may influence your choice. To read about the common factors, see here.
The Complaint for Divorce is the initial document filed with the Pennsylvania court. It is in this document that the filing will request the court to terminate the marriage under certain specified grounds. There are fault and non-fault grounds to divorce in Pennsylvania. To read about the divorce grounds, go here.