Lehigh Valley Family Law

If you paid qualified adoption expenses or finalized an adoption during 2015, you may be eligible for an adoption tax credit. If your employer provided adoption assistance, you may be able to claim an exclusion from income.  The maximum for each benefit, per child, for 2015 is $13,400.00.  Individuals may be able to claim the tax credit as well as the income exclusion, but cannot claim a credit … [Read more...] about As Tax Season Gets Officially Underway, Here is an Important Reminder for Adoptive Families About the Adoption Tax Credit

This week, the Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that a Surrogacy Agreement is enforceable in Pennsylvania. In Baby S., 2015, Pa Super 244, a couple who wished to become parents agreed to use a gestational carrier to form their family through Assisted Reproductive Technology. When one of the Intended Parents changed their mind, the question became who ultimately was responsible for and had … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania Looks for Clarity in the Law as Superior Court Addresses Complex Surrogacy Case

There are two distinct issues that couples who have Stored Genetic Material must ask themselves: (1) What happens to our Stored Genetic Material if we someday divorce or encounter other family law proceedings? (2) What happens to our Stored Genetic Material upon our death? For purposes of this discussion, Stored Genetic Material refers to cryopreserved embryos, eggs or sperm. The potential issues … [Read more...] about What Happens to Stored Genetic Material? Part One

In continuation of our last piece on Birth Certificates (heARTbeat June 11, 2015), we discussed Pre-Birth Orders and their importance in demonstrating parentage. A Pre-Birth Order is an order that allows you to place the Intended Parents on the birth certificate when the baby is born. In some Pennsylvania counties, Pre-Birth Orders have been issued for same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples … [Read more...] about More Reasons for Correcting the Birth Certificate

Despite what you may have heard, the law regarding U.S. citizenship based on place of birth is well settled.  U.S. citizenship does not always happen automatically for children born in other countries. However, children who are born in the United States are automatically granted citizenship in accordance with the 14th amendment.  These facts are true regardless of the citizenship and legal status … [Read more...] about So, What IS the Connection Between Immigration and Adoption?

When an adoption is finalized the child’s birth certificate is revised to reflect the names of the adoptive parents, and whether adult adoptees should have access to their original birth records has been debated for many years. In the past, original birth records were sealed, purportedly to protect the privacy of birth parents and prevent unwanted contact.  In recent years, states have begun to … [Read more...] about Should Adoptees Have Access to Original Birth Certificates? The Debate Continues