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Since 1977, the Law Office of Williams & Scheetz has been providing professional and knowledgeable representation in all family law matters including divorce, child custody, child support, alimony and equitable distribution. We know that choosing a family lawyer can be an intimidating experience. That is why we will work with you to determine the best strategy for meeting your legal goals. We have extensive experience in litigating these types of matters and in drafting important related legal documents, including:

  1. Pre-marital Agreements
  2. Property Settlement Agreements
  3. Qualified Domestic Relations Orders
  4. Child Custody Agreements
  5. Child Support Stipulations

Our primary objective in representing clients is to help you get through this difficult experience as quickly and painlessly as possible, while at the same time making sure that your interests and goals are fully protected. In most cases, we are able to accomplish these objectives by means of negotiation and agreement. But whenever that approach appears to be futile, we are prepared to litigate contested issues.

Child Support

Child support is often one of the most contentious issues between former spouses. It is imperative that you have the representation of an experienced child support attorney who can assist you in ensuring that the child support award in your case is fair and appropriate. The Law Office of Williams and Scheetz has the experience necessary to ensure that you receive effective and efficient representation in these types of cases. Our firm understands the factors the court will use when deciding whether a party will be responsible to pay child support and can assist you in presenting your case to the court. Those factors include:

  1. The income of each parent
  2. The number of children involved
  3. The percentage of time the children spend under each parent's care and control
  4. The amount of child support either parent is paying for the care of other children

Our firm stands ready to assist you through the often complicated court process. Please call us at 215-322-7340 to schedule a free consultation.

Child Custody

When awarding custody, the court will always base its decision on what is in the best interests of the child. In order to do so, the court will look at several relevant factors. The following list is some, but not all, of the factors that the court will consider.

  1. Primary Care Giver
  2. Parental Fitness
  3. Character and Reputation
  4. Agreements
  5. Ability to Maintain Family Relationships
  6. Child Preference
  7. Age, Health and Gender of the Child
  8. Residences of Parents and Opportunity for Visitation
  9. Instances of Prior Abandonment or Surrender of Custody
  10. Religious Views

It is important that you have the representation of an experienced family law attorney who will review the above factors with you to ensure that your best case is presented to the court. Many parents go to custody hearings not realizing that they must portray themselves as the best custodial parent rather pleading to the court that they simply deserve the children. Having the assistance of an experienced family law attorney like the Law Office of Williams and Scheetz to guide you through the process can prove to be invaluable.

Alimony

Alimony is a payment made by one spouse to another in order to provide the lower-income spouse with money for living expenses over and above the money provided by child support. Alimony is different from child support in that alimony is very much in the discretion of the judge. In deciding whether to grant alimony, and if so how much, the judge will consider a number of relevant factors, including:

  1. The relative earnings and earning capacities of the parties
  2. The ages and the physical, mental and emotional conditions of the parties
  3. The sources of income of both parties, including, but not limited to, medical, retirement, insurance or other benefits
  4. The expectancies and inheritances of the parties
  5. The duration of the marriage
  6. The contribution by one party to the education, training or increased earning power of the other party
  7. The extent to which the earning power, expenses or financial obligations of a party will be affected by reason of serving as the custodian of a minor child
  8. The standard of living of the parties established during the marriage
  9. The relative education of the parties and the time necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to enable the party seeking alimony to find appropriate employment
  10. The relative assets and liabilities of the parties
  11. The property brought to the marriage by either party
  12. The contribution of a spouse as homemaker
  13. The relative needs of the parties
  14. The marital misconduct of either of the parties during the marriage
  15. The Federal, State and local tax ramifications of the alimony award
  16. Whether the party seeking alimony lacks sufficient property, including, but not limited to, property distributed under Chapter 35 (relating to property rights), to provide for the party's reasonable needs
  17. Whether the party seeking alimony is incapable of self-support through appropriate employment. (23 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3701)

One important fact regarding alimony is that it is treated differently from child support on your tax return. Alimony is tax deductible to the person who pays it, and included in the taxable income of the person who receives it. Child support, by contrast, is not taxable to the person who receives it and not tax deductible to the person who pays it.

Having the representation of an experienced family law attorney who understands alimony and its ramifications can be invaluable and can save you money. Please call our office at 215-322-7340 if you would like to further discuss the issues surrounding alimony in Pennsylvania.

Meeting Your Needs

We will work aggressively to meet your present legal needs while preparing you for the future. If you are considering filing for divorce, custody or support, or simply have questions about the process, please call our office at 215-322-7340 to schedule a free consultation. Our firm is dedicated to personal attention, responsiveness, and accessibility and we understand the importance of being available to meet with our clients and their families at times that are convenient to them.

We look forward to helping you move past this difficult time in your life and into a better future.