Erie E-Law is a complimentary service of the Erie County Bar Association designed to make basic legal information available to you with ease. You can gain access to E-Law either by reading the information found below or by contacting us to request a copy of the transcripts.
Litigation is a method for resolving disputes through the use of a court system. Generally, in litigation, a judge or jury decides after a hearing or trial who wins or loses (or who is right or wrong). However, there are other options or choices available for resolving disputes without litigation. From the date a husband and wife separate, and until the date a divorce is finalized and all divorce litigation has been resolved, the financially independent spouse may be required to support the dependent spouse. This support is not called alimony. Rather, it is properly called either spousal support or alimony Adoption is the legal creation of a parent-child relationship. Adoption usually occurs with minors; however, Pennsylvania law places no restrictions on the age of the person to be adopted. An adoption may be facilitated by an adoption agency or can be arranged privately. In order for an adoption to take place, the birth parents' rights must be terminated. The Pennsylvania Protection From Abuse Act is intended to protect victims of domestic violence. The Act applies to family or household members, sexual or intimate partners or the mother and father of a child and is intended to protect against future sexual abuse or future acts or threats of physical violence. Grandparents' rights to custody in Pennsylvania are governed by the Pennsylvania Child Custody Act. A grandparent may file an action for any form of physical or legal custody if they stand "in loco parentis" to the child, meaning they have assumed the obligations incident to a parent-child relationship without the formality of a legal adoption. The law has strict requirements regarding the use of names. Everyone is given a name at birth, and that name becomes the person's legal identification once it is recorded on a birth certificate. A name can be changed by various methods. A Will is the cornerstone of your estate plan. It is the way that you can direct how your property will be distributed upon your death and who will be responsible for handling your affairs. A Will is not just about money. A power of attorney is a document by which a person appoints someone else to perform certain legal duties on his or her behalf. The appointed person is called the “agent.” The term "power of attorney" does not mean that the agent has to be a lawyer. Any adult can be the appointed agent, provided that both parties agree. Two types of taxes can affect the estates of Pennsylvania residents - Pennsylvania's inheritance tax and the Federal estate tax. The two taxes work in very different ways. Some assets are subject to the Pennsylvania Inheritance tax but not the federal tax. The rates of tax are very different.
Resolving Disputes Without Litigation
Miscellaneous
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Alimony, Spousal Support, and APL
Family/Marital Law Matters
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Adoption
Family/Marital Law Matters
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Protection from Abuse
Family/Marital Law Matters
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Grandparent Rights
Family/Marital Law Matters
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Change of Name
Family/Marital Law Matters
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Wills
Wills & Estates
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Trusts
Wills & Estates
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Power of Attorney
Wills & Estates
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Inheritance and Estate Taxes
Wills & Estates
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