March 15, 2016 In a recent decision, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued an opinion departing from the long standing general principle that a stepparent does not owe a duty of support to his stepchildren. The court limited its holding to circumstances where a stepparent takes affirmative legal steps to assume the same parental rights […]
February 5, 2016 Getting engaged is exciting! For most couples, their engagement is immediately followed by a long list of tasks for planning a successful wedding. And, while no newly engaged couple wants to think about it, in reality, misconceptions abound about what happens to a couple’s assets if there’s a divorce. For example, many […]
MacElree Harvey family law attorneys Marie I. Crossley and Patrick J. Boyer will both present at The Fundamentals of Family Law Seminar on January 29, 2016. The Seminar is organized by the Family Law Section of the Delaware State Bar Association (DSBA) and is designed to provide helpful insight to attorneys unfamiliar with family law […]
Building the Blended Family through Stepparent Adoption Neither biology nor a piece of paper makes a parent. The act of loving and supporting a child unconditionally makes you a parent to a child whether natural born, adopted or as a stepparent. But, in the eyes of the law, as a stepparent, you are not the legal […]
Child custody is always subject to court review and adjustment in the best interests of the child. For parents who divorce when their child is young, this could mean dozens of court filings and appearances before their child turns 18 or graduates from high school. If the parties are represented by counsel, those court filings […]
In family law cases, I often see clients make similar mistakes. Most, if not all, family law issues—divorce, abuse, custody concerns—are stressful. And stress often makes people do things they otherwise wouldn’t. Here are some of the 5 most common—and sometimes the most costly… Moving out of the Home: Moving out the home and […]
Child custody battles and fights over the disposition of marital property are frequent occurrences during divorce proceedings. The enduring fight to maintain control and raise one’s children typically revolves around issues such as residency and visitation rights. Most often, the couple argues over which side is entitled to custody based upon a superior ability to […]
Ten years ago, in happier times, Miguel and Megan purchased their home together, owning the property and creating a tenancy by the entirety. A tenancy by the entirety is created between a husband and wife and by which together they hold title to the whole with Right of Survivorship. Miguel and Megan are now in […]
