DivorceNet

Paul J. Stacom, Esq. Law Office of Paul J. Stacom, Esquire Email Us 526 Philadelphia Avenue King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406 Phone: 610-277-1688 or 267-496-0358 436 Old York Road Jenkintown, Pennsylvania 19046

Biography

I attended Hofstra University and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics. While at Hofstra, I was a member of the Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity. I went on to the St. Louis University School of Law, where I earned my Juris Doctorate in 1990. While there, I was President of the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity and vice-president of the International Law Society. I became licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania in 1990. I am a member of the Philadelphia and Montgomery Bar Associations.

I have been practicing law for over fourteen years. The practice of family law includes divorce, property division, custody, paternity, child and spousal support,alimony, as well as adoption and protection from abuse matters. In addition, my practice includes seeking compensation for clients who have been injured as a result of a motor vehicle accident, slip and fall, dog bite, or a product malfuntion. I also prepare wills, powers of attorney, trusts, and living wills.

I am active in the community. I have been a volunteer with the Big Brother/Big Sister Program; having been matched with a child when he was age 11; he is now 22! I am a supporter of our community athletic programs, active in our local Church, and I am on the Board of the Old Swedes Education Center, located in Bridgeport, which provides an afterschool program for disadvantaged youths, as well as provides a Food Bank for the disadvantaged senior citizens in the community.

Family Law

• Divorce
• Property division
• Alimony
• Paternity
• Child support
• Custody
• Grandparent custody and visitation rights
• Prenuptial agreements
• Adoption
• Protection from Abuse
• Dependency matters

Divorce-- The breakup of a marriage is often one of the most stressful times in a person's life. I have extensive experience in helping clients through this painful experience at their own pace. While I will attempt to reach an amicable resolution of your case, I will also be an aggressive advocate on your behalf.

Property Division--Numerous factors are set forth in the Pennsylvania Divorce Law that are applied in each individual case to determine how property is divided. I will review these factors with you and discuss how they apply to your circumstances, and how they can be best interpreted in your favor.

Alimony--There is alimony in Pennsylvania,under certain circumstances. The specific factors of when alimony is awarded are set forth in the Pennsylvania Divorce Code. I review them with my clients to determine whether alimony could be an issue in their divorce.

Paternity--In cases where a child has been born out of wedlock, either party has the right to request paternity testing. If either support or custody proceedings are brought through the court, the court will ask the father whether he will sign an "Acknowledgment of Paternity" document, confirming that he is the father of the child, and waiving his rights to paternity testing. There are often unrealized legal ramifications to signing this document, which I review with the client.

Child Support--Child support is computed by the application of the Pennsylvania Support Guidelines. I go through each step of the Guidelines calculation with the client so that he or she understands how it is calculated. Many legal issues can come up in support litigation, including, but not limited to, a parent's income and/or earning capacity, the legitimacy of expenses, a multiple family calculation, and the amount of time each parent has physical custody of the child.

Spousal support--It is calculated by use of the Pennsylvania Guidelines. It is also effective the filing date of a complaint, and may last for the duration of a divorce. I explain the benefits of filing for it, as well as defenses that can be used to prevent an order being entered.

Custody & Visitation--There are several types of custody:legal custody, primary physical custody, partial physical custody and joint physical custody. Legal custody entitles both parents to have input into the major decisions in the child's life, such as education, religion, and medical treatment. Primary physical custody refers to the parent who has the child most often and is responsible for the day to day decision making for the child. The time allotted to the other parent by the court is referred to as "partial custody", it includes overnights, or "visitation," for day visits only. Joint physical custody is where the parents have equal physical custody of the child.

Grandparent custody and visitation rights--In Pennsylvania, grandparents have the right to seek physical custody of their grandchildren, whether partial or primary, as well as visitation rights.

Pre-nuptial Agreements--If you have a significant amount of assets that you want to keep out of the marital estate, a prenuptial agreement is helpful to spell out what those assets are to avoid any confusion as a result of a divorce or death.

Adoption-- Many people with children get remarried. I have handles numerous step-parent adoptions.I can help you through the process to make it as uncomplicated as possible.

Like myself, who adopted my son, many loving individuals either cannot have children, or simply want to open up their home to another child. Adoption is often a lengthy process with significant red tape. I can help you through the process so that you can share the gift of love with a special child.

Protection from Abuse matters--If you or a family member are threatened, or are suffering from physical and/or mental abuse, an Order keeping the abuser away may be your best option to keep yourself and your family safe. I can help you acquire that Order. On the other hand, if you are the defendant in a protection from abuse matter, and the allegations are false, I also can assist in having the case dismissed and/or settled.

Dependency matters: I am experienced in working within the dependency system. This involves the representation of parents or children in matters involving a local county agency responsible for investigating claims of abuse and/or neglect of children, such as the Department of Human Services in Philadelphia (DHS).

The purpose of this site is educational , general and for professional marketing and does not make me your lawyer, or you my client. The information on this web site is not legal advice and is not intended to substitute for legal counsel. If you are reading the information on this site, you probably need the assistance of an attorney. You should consult with an attorney to determine your legal rights and obligations, whether it is with my firm or with another attorney. Naturally, it is my hope that you will retain me but, unless you do so, I am not your attorney.

I will not be held liable unless I have been retained and consulted with regard to your circumstances and legal issues. Because of changes in the law and in the interpretation of the law and the lack of an analysis of your individual situation, I cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information on this web site. Links to other Internet sites of interest are located in the Library. This is not to state or imply that the author of this site is associated with or legally authorized to use any trade name, logo, trademark, or copyrighted symbol that may be found on any site reflected in any link on this page. I am not responsible for the content or the accuracy of any information found on any linked site.

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