Tag: family law
Reader’s Choice Awards Announcements 2022
September 1, 2022We are proud to be your Reader’s Choice Awards Winner
Thank you for choosing Pyfer Reese as your 2022 Reader’s Choice Awards Winner! We take great pride in providing our clients with unmatched service in all of our specialized areas of law. Our team of highly experienced attorneys and paralegals take the time to get to know you personally so we can provide you with quality service, advice and care.
WHY YOU NEED A POWER OF ATTORNEY
August 22, 2022When we prepare an estate plan for our clients, we strongly recommend that it include a will, a power of attorney, and often an advanced health directive. A power of attorney often referred to as a POA is a legal document that allows you as the principle to appoint another person to act as your agent or attorney-in-fact. The agent has the authority to act on your behalf and handle financial and personal affairs.
A power of attorney is important because a will has absolutely no effect until after the death of the person who wrote it. A POA allows a person (or persons) that you name as your agent (or agents) to act on your behalf while you are incapacitated or are unable or unavailable to act on your own behalf. You may also include a provision which allows your agent to receive medical information and give instructions to medical providers.
Kids Have A Say In Custody Decisions
July 8, 2022
When determining an award of custody, Pennsylvania Courts consider sixteen (16) factors as listed and described under 23 Pa. C.S. § 5328. One of those factors, specifically, 23 Pa. C.S. § 5328(7) provides that the “well-reasoned preference of the child based on the child’s maturity and judgment” be considered when making a decision concerning custody.
Common sense would dictate that the older the minor child subject to a custody action, the greater the evidentiary value his or her preference would have for the presiding judge in a custody hearing. But for a few exceptions, the foregoing is accurate for obvious reasons. First and foremost, the older minor child would be more able to articulate his/her preference than would a much younger child. Second, the older child’s stated preference would more likely impact a decision concerning custody because it would be the manifestation of a more mature and developed intellect, based on age.
Rules Governing Military Benefits in Divorce Cases
June 27, 2022A military spouse considering separation and divorce should be aware of protections afforded by The Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act (USFSPA) and options for dividing military retired pay. Primarily, USFSPA was enacted to provide financial protections to former spouses of military members, to include allowing states to divide military disposable retired pay as marital property upon the entry of a Divorce Decree. USFSPA also provides certain categories of a spouse’s additional protections and benefits:
It’s Back-to-School Season; Difficult Decisions Need to Be Made!
August 23, 2021It is that time of the year again, as children return to school for the 2021-22 school year. Somehow, summer breaks always seem to fly. It can be both an exciting and overwhelming time, as the return to homework assignments, packed lunches, extracurricular activities, and early mornings set in.
As a parent, you want to see your child succeed, both inside and outside of the classroom. Dealing with the unusual school year that 2020-21 presented, it will be essential to establish a new daily routine for your children.
Well-Established Lancaster-Based Law Firm Adds Two Attorneys to Its Ranks, Expanding to Meet Legal Needs in Susquehanna Valley
July 27, 2021Pyfer Reese Straub Gray & Farhat PC is pleased to announce that we’ve expanded our Team to include family law and criminal defense attorney Anthony Knabb diDonato and family law and wills and estate/probate attorney Megan H. Herr. This additional staff is part of our strategic growth plan to best serve the legal needs of both Lancaster and York county residents as well as surrounding communities.
Both professionals bring unique experience and expertise, bolstering our ability to serve clients in Lancaster, Willow Street, York, Ephrata, and the surrounding areas.
How Are Child Support Payment Amounts Determined in PA?
May 26, 2020Pennsylvania child support guidelines are complex and, while the state has a formula for calculating child support payments, there are various factors, including expenses, custodial arrangements, and other nuances that can impact how child support payment amounts are determined in the Commonwealth.
The guidelines on child support payments are based on an income shares model, with the idea that a child will get the same financial support or portion of his parents’ income as he or she would if the parents remained together. The Pennsylvania child support guidelines strive to be as fair to the child as possible, although this model can be complicated.