Wexford Pennsylvania Family Law Blog

Many Pennsylvania parents will request a child custody modification due to changing life circumstances and -- depending on the situation -- a family law judge may or may not award such a request. That being said, there is one circumstance in which a court will always agree to the modification: when your child is in serious danger.

Ultimately, a family law court will always intervene when the best interests, health and well-being of your child are at risk. Therefore, if your child's life or health are in jeopardy, it's important to start gathering evidence and building a request for modification immediately.

When two individuals decide to marry, they generally expect their marriage to last a long time. The reality, though, is that financial problems may quickly cause the marriage to break down. This is why many couples in Pennsylvania are now creating prenuptial agreements before they say their I Do's. For currently married couples who never put together prenuptial agreements, however, there is still hope. They can create what are called postnuptial agreements, which can help them to protect their financial interests in the same way that prenuptial agreements can during divorce.

A prenuptial agreement is designed to explain two spouses' intentions concerning how they use their earnings as well as their assets while married. It also explains how the two parties would like to address their assets in the event of divorce. A postnuptial agreement similarly describes how the individuals plan to utilize their property while married as well as divide it during a future divorce proceeding.

In the United States, including in Pennsylvania, people generally dream of getting married and living in marital bliss long term. This is why divorce can be so painful: it is the opposite of the American dream. Unfortunately, between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who are married end up getting divorced. However, divorce can certainly come with positives as well.

For instance, research shows that three-quarters of couples experience major conflict with in-laws. Specifically, the relationship between the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law tends to be the most difficult to handle. Those who are going through divorce, however, can finally say goodbye to these negative relationships. After all, when people divorce their spouses, they essentially divorce their spouses' family members, too.

Breaking up with a spouse in Pennsylvania is undoubtedly a difficult event for an adult to experience. Still, just as adults can be negatively impacted by divorce, children can also experience the negative effects of divorce. Fortunately, parents can help to mitigate these negative effects in a couple of ways.

First, parents may want to be open about the divorce rather than trying to keep it a secret. The reality is that the children will find out about the marital breakup at some point, so it is best to be upfront about it early on and tackle it head-on. When informing children about a divorce, taking into consideration how old and mature they are to handle certain details is paramount.