Divorce is always difficult, but in these extremely rough economic conditions, divorce is becoming even more difficult. Divorcing spouses in Pittsburgh and in other locations across the country are finding that they are having more difficulties in divorce, whether the issue is child support, spousal support or property division. Where once spouses had to divide their assets, now they are ever more frequently dividing not assets, but debts.
Former spouses who pay alimony or child support are having more trouble than ever meeting their court-ordered obligations. Unfortunately, at the same time, former spouses who receive spousal support or child support need those funds more than ever to survive.
A recent survey got the attention of Pittsburgh divorce attorneys. It was a survey of an organization of family law attorneys, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Eighty-five percent of the respondents to the survey said that they had seen an increase in divorce settlement complications related to the serious depreciation in housing prices. When divorcing spouses are unable to sell, or only able to sell their homes at a sizable loss, it is even harder to agree on how the matter should be handled than when there is a profit on a home sale.
The other notable result of the survey was that the respondents have noticed a definite increase in the number of requests by parents to move to another state in order to pursue employment opportunities. Fifty-three percent of the respondents have seen more child custody cases involving “move-aways.” Twenty-one percent said they have also seen an increase in the requests for move-aways being granted by courts.
Source: Sacramento Bee “Struggling Economy Complicates Divorce and Child Custody Cases says Survey” Sept. 26, 2011
Subscribe To This Blog’s Feed
