Gettysburg Law Blog
What happens if no one files probate?
When a person creates a will, he or she typically names a person who he or she wants to execute the estate. It is the executor’s responsibility to distribute the testator’s assets upon his or her death, and for settling all debts. The law does not require a person to...
Planning to avoid estate taxes
As you work your way through the estate planning process in Gettysburg, you likely notice that there will be opportunities to reduce liabilities against your estate. Limiting estate expenses has been a recommended strategy for several years, yet like most of those...
What can be done if one parent is nowhere to be found?
.Children are almost universally better off with support from both parents. Unfortunately, the reality most kids face is much different. There are family situations in which one parent is frequently on the move, or in some cases intentionally remaining difficult to...
How does Pennsylvania divide assets in a divorce?
The division of assets can cause unexpected challenges, no matter how amicable your divorce was. It can be of the most time-consuming parts of the process and one of the most contentious. Before you worry too much about what will happen, it’s useful to know how...
Can I modify parenting plan arrangements?
Each parenting plan is unique to the needs of the family. But just because you and your ex agreed to certain conditions at the time of your divorce, doesn’t mean those conditions still apply. As life changes, your parenting plan should change with it. What warrants a...
What should be in your estate plan?
When you start the process of estate planning, you may only make a plan for who gets your assets. But there is much more to the process than leaving your inheritance behind. You also want to prepare for what happens to you as you get older. An estate plan should...
What are three risks of self-representation in divorce?
This article lists three reasons people going through a divorce should not represent themselves. One of the first decisions anybody going through a divorce will have to make is whether to hire an attorney or represent themselves. Increasingly, people are choosing...
The perils of “gray” divorce
Roughly half of all first-time marriages in America will end in divorce. The divorce rate has stayed about the same for several years now, but one key demographic - couples over the age of 50 - are divorcing at an alarming rate. Pew Research reports that the number of...
Pennsylvania reduces waiting times for no-fault divorce
Pennsylvania is reducing the separation period for no-fault divorce from two years to one year. Waiting times for divorce in Pennsylvania are about to get a lot shorter. A recently passed law will reduce the period of separation for no-fault divorce in the state to a...
Do I really need a QDRO?
Qualified domestic relations orders may help divorcing spouses in Pennsylvania avoid losing more of their valued retirement savings than they need to. People getting divorced in Pennsylvania understandably become overwhelmed by the forms and processes involved in...