Marcia Binder Ibrahim Divorce Law Blog on Lawyers.com

While a mutual-consent divorce is usually the simplest type of divorce, it is not the only option.  The Pennsylvania Domestic Relations Code provides that a spouse may obtain a unilateral divorce if the other spouse has engaged in any of the following conduct:

• Willfully abandoned the innocent spouse for a year or more
• Committed adultery
• Subjected the innocent spouse to cruel or barbarous treatment
• Entered a subsequent bigamous marriage
• Received a criminal sentence of two or more years
• Made the life of the innocent spouse intolerable through indignities
• Has been confined in a mental institution for 18 months or more

Even if the other spouse did not engage in any of this conduct, a unilateral divorce may still be available on the grounds of irretrievable breakdown if the parties have lived separate and apart for at least two years.  A Norristown divorce lawyer can help a spouse determine if grounds for divorce exist and initiate divorce proceedings even without the consent of the other spouse.

Negotiations during divorce

Divorce attorneys in Norristown frequently use negotiation to expedite and simplify the divorce process.  Parties often settle many of their issues among themselves before even filing a divorce petition.  A spouse who is initially unwilling to consent to a mutual divorce may ultimately reconsider after negotiation.  If possible, this can be an easier option than proceeding on fault grounds, and does not have the lengthy waiting period of a divorce for irretrievable breakdown.  But if a spouse remains recalcitrant, these other types of divorce remain an option.

Other divorce issues

In contentious divorces, an intractable spouse may use physical intimidation or a superior financial position to bully the other spouse.  The law recognizes this and supplies spouses in contentious divorces with options.  Spouses who experienced physical intimidation or stalking can obtain a protection from abuse order (PFA) or other injunction.  Additionally, a Norristown divorce attorney can seek spousal and child support as well as alimony pendente lite, including health insurance coverage, to allow a financially disadvantaged spouse to maintain financial security during divorce proceedings.

Consult experienced divorce lawyers in Montgomery County

The law firm of Marcia Binder Ibrahim has served clients nationwide since 1981.  Its attorneys practice in the areas of immigration, personal injury, and family law—including separation, divorce, support, and custody.  The firm is located at 222 South Broad Street, Suite 1, Lansdale, PA 19446 and is available by phone at 215-362-2478 or through its online contact page.