"We are on Your Side"
Pennsylvania Child and Spousal Support Attorneys
CHILD SUPPORT
The financial support of children is a fundamental obligation of parenthood. It cannot be avoided absent a legal termination of parental rights. Our job is to ensure that our clients, both those paying support and those receiving it, are treated fairly and in accordance with the law.
Child support in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey is determined based on the incomes of the parents and the number of children. Formulas and tables of numbers known together as support guidelines determine the amount of support to be paid. Also considered are other expenses related to the children such as: school tuition, medical expenses, day care and summer camp expenses. These expenses are divided between the parties based on their incomes and abilities to pay. The court will also consider support obligations to children of other relationships in its calculations. Finally, shared custody arrangements may also impact the amount of support owed by one parent to the other.
In order to determine a parent's income the court will review pay stubs, tax returns, business records and other documents. Fluctuating pay situations such as overtime and bonuses are also considered by averaging pay over larger periods of time. We will conduct a review of your documents to tell you what you can expect and to prepare you to engage in settlement negotiations. If required, we will prepare you to testify in court regarding your income and the needs of your family.
SPOUSAL SUPPORT, ALIMONY PENDENTE LITE & ALIMONY
When married people separate and their incomes are different, the spouse who earns less money is sometimes entitled to spousal support. Circumstances may negate this obligation, however, such as if the spouse earning less money is living with a paramour.
Another form of support is available to a spouse with lesser earnings once a Complaint in Divorce is filed. This support is known in Latin as Alimony Pendente Lite, which means alimony during the litigation. Its purpose is to level the playing field during the litigation and assist the spouse with less income in paying to defend their legal rights. With this as its primary purpose, Alimony Pendente Lite can be awarded even when a party is cohabitating.
The amount of support will be determined based on the parties' incomes and will be paid typically until the divorce is complete unless circumstances warrant ending the payments. After the divorce is granted, the Court may award further payments in the form of alimony. One major reason for awarding alimony has been to assist a spouse who may have forgone work and career development to be a caretaker of the parties' children. This spouse would be entitled to assistance so that he or she can "get back on his or her feet" again to be financially independent. The court will determine how long the alimony award will be paid based on the circumstances of the parties. Our lawyers will present your situation to the court to obtain a fair result for you in keeping with your needs or ability to pay.
Karen Ann Ulmer, P.C.
Main Office:
174 Middletown Blvd.
Langhorne, PA 19047-3201
Telephone: 215-752-6200
Fax: 215-752-6202
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