Berks County Divorce Law Blog

It's natural to believe that asking for a prenuptial agreement will lead to an argument with your fiancé.

Although the potential for trouble exists, there are steps you can take to ease the tension and make it easier for both individuals to move forward in the best way possible.

A parent in Pennsylvania pursuing a separation or divorce might hit financial hard times. This is especially common when one parent was financially dependent on a spouse. Loss of income due to separation or divorce might prompt someone to apply for public assistance. Government agencies, however, will want details about child support payments before awarding benefits like food, housing, or childcare assistance. If child support payments have not been officially set up through a court, a public assistance agency might seek to collect the support money to offset taxpayer expenses to the dependent child or parent.

An agency will typically look at a child's birth certificate to identify a parent who should be paying child support. If a birth certificate lacks a second name, then an agency might rely on who an applicant says is the other parent. In cases of divorce involving same-sex partners, agencies will look for a legal agreement that establishes both parties as co-parents. Without this documentation, an agency might not impose a child support obligation on a person who does not have a biological connection to the dependent child.

People in Pennsylvania who go through a divorce may wonder about the impact that remarriage can have on child support. In many cases, people who remarry may seek to have more children in the future as part of their new marriage. In other cases, people marry other single parents and take on at least some of the financial responsibilities for raising their children. It can be particularly important for divorced parents to understand the impact that different scenarios can have on their child support entitlements and obligations.

In general, the custodial parent's remarriage is unlikely to affect the child support obligations of the non-custodial parent. Even if their new spouse is wealthier than the birth parents, the child is their responsibility, and the state is unlikely to change a child support order for this reason. In addition, some custodial parents may want their new spouse to legally adopt their child. However, this is unlikely unless the non-custodial parent has agreed to terminate their own financial rights.

Couples in Pennsylvania are finding that divorce can have a devastating impact on a family's finances. Since divorce is prevalent, all people are encouraged to consider every aspect of their finances when in the process of a divorce or dispute. This is especially important because the household's finances become divided into two separate homes. One of the most important considerations is how the student's financial plans will be handled in the event of a devastating divorce.

A couple's primary concern is often the well-being of the minor children. Both parties must somehow manage the immediate financial needs of the children. The couple's plans for their children's education may take a backseat because there may be less money to go around. Having a financial plan in place to address the child's educational needs is as important as discussions on marital property and pensions. Making college affordable can encompass a tuition savings plan such as a 529 account, scholarships, grants, and legacy student tuition rates. What couples find in a typical divorce scenario is that while their hopes for a higher education for their children may be a priority, opinions may diverge on how to pay for it.