Pittsburgh Divorce Lawyers
The Law Offices of David Shrager, along with attorney Susan J. Pearlstein provides compassionate, experienced representation for family law and divorce related legal issues to people in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and surrounding area. Contact our office to arrange for your free initial consultation.
Straight Talk about Divorce
Divorce can be one of the most stress-inducing events you will ever experience. The United States has one of the highest divorce rates in the world. Nearly half of all U.S. marriages end in divorce. If you don't know your legal rights and responsibilities, you can make mistakes that heighten the financial and emotional impact of a divorce. You must consider the divorce's effect on your children, your residence, your personal property, your finances, your retirement investments, your business, and your future economic and emotional well-being. Consultation with an experienced divorce attorney is a must.
Pennsylvania is a "no-fault" divorce state. You can be divorced as quickly as ninety days after the Divorce Complaint is served on your spouse if there are few complications. But contested divorces are common. They last longer, because so many important issues have to be resolved. Even if you want to agree and do things smoothly, make sure you know your rights and responsibilities before you reach agreements. It's important. The decisions you make now will affect your life, and your children's lives, for years to come.
Are you considering separating or filing for divorce? If so, please read the following tips our family law attorneys prepared to help protect your legal rights.
1. Do not negotiate your rights piece by piece. That means do not give up the house, or keep the house, without figuring out what to do with the pension, the checking account, and the rest of the marital assets.
2. If you and your spouse, or spouse-to-be, can reach an agreement do it. Sign the agreement, even if your lawyer tells you not to, if it is the right thing for you to do to end your marriage in peace, or start your new marriage in peace and harmony. However, never sign an agreement without having a lawyer look it over first.
3. There is no automatic 50-50 split of marital property in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is an equitable distribution state that means property division relies on factors such as age, health, earning capacity, and the education of the parties.
4. Talk to your friends, neighbors, and relatives about your problems but never think that what happened to them is what is going to happen to you. Each child, marriage, separation, and family is unique.
5. Unmarried couples, straight or gay, have rights when they separate, but the rights are based upon contract law, not divorce law.
6. Everyone deserves the best representation he or she can get. Lawyers are not there to judge you; they are there to advise and represent your interests, and to work tirelessly to get you the best possible solution.
Contact Us
Do you want more straight talk about separation? Call our office toll-free at 1-866-504-9974 or 412-567-7967 or visit our contact page to arrange for your free initial consultation. We accept credit cards to pay any lawyer fees, and we answer our phones 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
