Allentown divorce attorneys who plan each step of a Lehigh County divorce around your children’s school year and daily routine.
Key Takeaways:
It’s a Sunday night in August. You’re at the kitchen table with the school calendar from the fridge, trying to work out which house your kids will wake up in on the first day of classes. Nothing has been filed yet, and the questions already have dates attached to them.
Crosson & Richetti, LLC was founded in 2018 by David W. Crosson and Ian M. Richetti, and our team brings more than 150 years of combined experience to Lehigh Valley families. Our Allentown divorce attorneys start by learning how your household runs: who drives to practice, who pays which bills, what each child needs. Then we explain every step before you’re asked to decide anything.
Schedule your consultation with our Allentown team.
A few Pennsylvania rules shape almost every case our Allentown divorce attorneys handle.
Where your case is heard. Divorces filed by Allentown residents go to the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas at 455 West Hamilton Street. If you and your spouse can’t agree on property or alimony, either of you can ask the court to appoint its Master in Divorce. The Master is a court-employed attorney who holds settlement conferences, conducts a hearing if needed, and recommends a decision. Child and spousal support claims run through Lehigh County Domestic Relations also located at the Lehigh County Courthouse at 455 West Hamilton Street.
Two no-fault routes. When both spouses sign consents, the court can grant a mutual consent divorce once 90 days have passed after the complaint is served. When one spouse won’t sign, the other can ask for a divorce based on irretrievable breakdown after the two of you have lived separate and apart for 1 year.
Fair division of what you built together. Pennsylvania uses equitable distribution. Property earned during the marriage is generally marital. Property owned before the marriage and most gifts and inheritances generally are not. The court weighs factors such as the length of the marriage, each spouse’s income, and which parent will be caring for the children.
The inventory. When either spouse asks the court to divide property, both must file an inventory of assets and debts as of the date you separated.
Most Pennsylvania divorces end by agreement, and the path you choose affects both the cost and how your children experience it.
A negotiated settlement is the path when both spouses want the decisions to stay with the family. Your attorneys exchange financial information and work through property, support, and custody. The terms go into a written agreement that the court includes in the final decree.
Mediation is the path when you can still talk but need a neutral person in the room to keep the conversation moving. Each of you can still have your own attorney review any proposal before you sign it.
A settlement conference before the Master is the path when one or two issues stay stuck, often the house or a retirement account.
A formal hearing is the path when compromise is out of reach. The Master hears testimony and makes recommendations, and either spouse can ask a judge to review them. We prepare for that stage calmly and thoroughly while continuing to look for common ground.
Our Allentown divorce attorneys will help you choose the one that fits your family and your budget.
Our relationship with clients usually continues long after the case ends. The parenting schedule that works for a second grader rarely works for a high school sophomore with a job and a learner’s permit. When that happens, our personable Allentown divorce attorneys help you update custody terms with as little conflict as possible.
A new job, a layoff, or a child’s medical costs can justify modifying child support. We handle those requests for clients we first met during their divorce. Many clients also come back to update wills and beneficiary designations, since an ex-spouse can stay named on accounts long after the marriage is over.
Our child-centered approach guides each of those later conversations. Our Allentown office at 609 W. Hamilton St. is a few minutes’ walk from the courthouse, so clients can meet with us right before a court date. We handle Pennsylvania divorce cases from filing through the final decree.
Bring the school calendar and a list of your accounts. We’ll explain where your case stands and what the next 90 days could look like. Schedule your consultation today.
