Child Support / Spousal Support / Alimony Pendente Lite / Alimony

Introduction

In most cases, rules pertaining to child support, spousal support, alimony pendente lite and alimony are determined by the Pennsylvania support guidelines. The right to obtain child support, spousal support, alimony pendente lite or alimony does not arise automatically. A person seeking child support, spousal support, alimony pendente lite and/or alimony must file a claim and/or complaint with the court in order to pursue their claim. Typically a claim is only retroactive to the date of filing. Our attorneys are available to help you address any issues that can arise involving child support, spousal support, alimony pendente lite and alimony.

Child Support

A typical child support claim can involve numerous issues including the base amount of child support, allocation of child care expenses, payment of health insurance, the division of unreimbursed medical expenses, payment of private school tuition, summer camp or other extraordinary needs and whether one parent should contribute to the mortgage in addition to the base support amount. Issues can also arise regarding when it is appropriate to deviate from the support guidelines and when it is appropriate to attempt to modify a support order that is already entered based upon some change of income or other material change in circumstance. Issues can also arise related to the federal child dependency tax exemption.

Our attorneys are prepared to help you with the many issues that are potentially involved in either establishing an initial child support order or modifying or terminating an existing child support order. Our attorneys also have extensive experience in helping those individuals whose income exceed the amount of the maximum amount set forth in the guidelines.

Child support checks will no longer be issued after April 2005.

ALL child support payments will be disbursed via Direct Deposit or the NEW Pennsylvania EPPICard MasterCard.  If you are not signed up for Direct Deposit prior to April 2005, you will automatically be enrolled in the EPPICard program.  Information about EPPICard will be available in 2005.

If you have a checking or savings account, you may arrange today to have your child support payments received by Direct Deposit from PA SCDU.  Direct Deposit is a FREE, FAST, CONVENIENT and SECURE method to receive child support.

Direct Deposit enrollment takes approximately 10 days from receipt of the completed form.  Once you are enrolled there is:

• No waiting for checks to come by mail
• No check cashing fees
• No lost or stolen checks
• No waiting for the deposit to clear the bank

Please contact our office today in order to obtain the Direct Deposit Enrollment form.

Spousal Support / Alimony Pendente Lite / Alimony

Prior to a divorce decree being entered, an income inferior spouse (i.e. spouse who earns less) can also assert a claim for either spousal support or alimony pendente lite. Our attorneys can assist an income inferior spouse seeking the appropriate claim as well as advising the income superior spouse of their rights with respect to defending these claims.

In addition to spousal support/alimony pendente lite, an income inferior spouse may also be entitled to assert a claim for alimony. Our attorneys are prepared to advise both income inferior and income superior spouses as to their rights regarding alimony, including issues involving the duration, modification and termination of alimony.