PA Uncontested Divorce Laws

At the Western Pennsylvania law offices of Lisa Marie Vari & Associates, P.C., our experienced Pennsylvania family law attorneys handle both Pennsylvania no-fault and Pennsylvania uncontested divorces.

Pittsburgh No-Fault Divorce Attorneys

A Pennsylvania no-fault divorce can be filed when the spouse filing for divorce is not pursuing a fault-based ground for divorce against the other spouse, such as desertion, adultery, bigamy, indignities, or endangerment. In a Pennsylvania no-fault divorce case, the parties do not have to suffer through an emotionally and financially costly process of providing testimony at a hearing for the Pennsylvania family court judge or master to determine if either spouse was responsible for the marriage's demise. A Pennsylvania fault based divorce is oftentimes the most expensive and time-consuming method of obtaining a Pennsylvania divorce. On the other hand, once the marital property and debt issues have been resolved, a Pennsylvania no-fault divorce can be finalized after a short waiting period (90 days) and both spouses sign their consent to the entry of the divorce decree or after the spouses have been separated for two years and either spouse seeks to finalize the divorce and marital property issues.

Pittsburgh Uncontested Divorce Attorneys

In Pennsylvania uncontested divorce cases are the most cost-effective and quickest way for spouses to end their marriage. An uncontested divorce in Pennsylvania is a divorce whereby both spouses have agreed to a settlement of their financial issues including marital property and debt distribution and any alimony terms and have a signed marriage settlement agreement reflecting the agreed-upon terms. Many of the Pennsylvania uncontested divorce cases that our Pennsylvania divorce lawyers have assisted our Pennsylvania divorce clients with also include the parties' agreements regarding child custody and child support. When combining a Pennsylvania no-fault divorce with the agreement of the spouses in an uncontested divorce case, the spouses in a Pennsylvania divorce case truly save time and money in finalizing their Pennsylvania divorce issues.

Beware of Advertising Schemes for Cheap Uncontested Divorces

Some firms advertise uncontested divorces for a low, flat fee. While this sounds great, remember the phrase - "You get what you pay for." These programs are often based upon paralegals or the clients themselves completing fill-in-the blank divorce forms and filing them in a county court in the middle of the state, where the filing fee is the cheapest and where neither spouse resides.

However, many times these practices result in legally inaccurate and unenforceable divorce decrees. Pennsylvania law provides:

• Only the court in the county where assets are located or the place where the parties last resided together has the power to hear any issues involving division of assets and debts or enforcement of those agreements or orders.
• Only the county court where the defendant resides or works (absent some special rules) can enter a support order or enforce that order.
• Only the county court where minor children have resided for the past six months can enter a custody order that can be enforced by the courts.
• To enforce child support or custody agreements, an order must be entered by the court.

Source: www.pafamilylawyers.com