The allocation of child tax dependency exemptions is a topic of discussion among our clients on a frequent basis. While the guidelines issued by the I.R.S. dictate who is eligible to claim the children, in Pennsylvania the issue may be raised in the context of child support under Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1910.16-2(f). The stated purpose of this rule is to "maximize the total income available to the parties and children" and, therefore, the Court has the authority to award the exemption to either party and, when awarding it to the non-custodial parent (i.e. the party who may not be eligible to claim the exemption under the I.R.S. guidelines), order the custodial party to execute the I.R.S. waiver allowing the other parent to claim the exemption.

Leslie Spoltore, a partner in our Wilmington, Delaware office, recently wrote about a Delaware Family Court case which deals with the allocation of the exemption and articulates a much more specific set of criteria for deciding which party should be awarded the exemptions. It is a worthwhile read and gives some insight into a different way to deal with this issue in a family law case.