Child support and spousal support are established and enforced through the Domestic Relations Section of the Common Pleas Court where your case resides. In order to establish and obtain a support order, you need to file a complaint with Domestic Relations. Under PA child support laws, parents and guardians are legally required to provide basic, essential support for their children until the age of 18, or until the child graduates from high school, whichever is later.
To obtain an order for spousal support, you must show that you are a financial dependent of your spouse. The court will consider other factors before awarding spousal support, particularly the spouse’s ability to pay. Spousal support is similar to alimony pendente lite (APL) in that is ends once the divorce is decreed. However, in some cases there are still economic dispositions pending after the divorce is granted. Typically, the spousal support is converted to APL until all economic issues are resolved.
The amount for spousal support and APL are normally derived from the Pennsylvania Support Guidelines, along with most child support orders.
If you are dealing with issues regarding PA alimony laws, you should contact a qualified alimony attorney who can help you understand Pennsylvania’s complex alimony laws and rules that may be pertinent to your divorce case.
Contact us for a FREE consultation to find out how we can assist you with your spousal support or child support issue in Westmoreland, Washington, Indiana, Butler, Beaver, Blair, Allegheny and Cambria Counties.
Tibbott & Richardson
1040 Fifth Avenue, Fourth Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 444-7171
