Contrary to the prevailing belief in 1980 when Pennsylvania became a no-fault state, liberalization of the divorce laws did not prompt an avalanche of divorce. After many years focusing my
Continue Reading UNHAPPY AT HOME? Think About What You OwnDivorce
PA. Supreme Court Affirms that “Contractual Expectancies” Are Gifts & Non Marital Property
By Mark Ashton on
Those of us from large firms sometimes read opinions where solo practitioners take a shot at an issue and force us to take notice. The facts in this Bucks County…
Continue Reading PA. Supreme Court Affirms that “Contractual Expectancies” Are Gifts & Non Marital PropertyAre You Living in the “Shadow” of Wealth?
By Mark Ashton on
In recent years there has been an evolving literature devoted to income and wealth disparities between the “top tier” of Americans and what is often termed “the rest of us.”…
Continue Reading Are You Living in the “Shadow” of Wealth?PENSION JUSTICE DONE; BUT ALONG A ROCKY ROAD
By Mark Ashton on
On April 30, 2019, the Superior Court published a panel decision related to a retirement benefit divided in divorce. This wasn’t just any pension, but one established for a Pennsylvania…
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FINANCIAL INFIDELITY: Don’t Let Your Spouse Make You A Victim.
By Mark Ashton on
As part of National Public Radio’s morning edition report for April 29, 2019, business correspondent Yuki Noguchi reported on a phenomenon we have witnessed, financial infidelity. Ours is an age…
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SEPARATION & SOCIAL MEDIA: MANAGING THE ANNOUNCEMENT
By Mark Ashton on
At the risk of appearing obsessed, I write a second time about the separation of Jeff and Makenzie Bezos. This time my subject is again borrowed from the Wall Street …
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ALIMONY ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE AN UNTIMELY DEATH
By Mark Ashton on
As this is written, the House and Senate this week are scheduled to vote upon a conference report of both houses of Congress which will “reform” tax law in a…
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Observations On Mediation
By Mark Ashton on
There is a world of information on the internet. That includes a huge number of websites professing to advise you about divorce. And among the topics often discussed on these…
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`Tis the Season?
By Mark Ashton on
When this writer first began to practice matrimonial law in 1982, the period after November 1 of each year could be termed the “Quiet Time.” In those days, once Halloween…
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The Do It Yourself Syndrome
By Mark Ashton on
There was a time not so long ago when clients would unload their domestic troubles on lawyers like a cord of rotted wood. They might take care in shopping for…
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