Category: Carla Risoldi

In Pennsylvania, family-related conflicts, such as child custody, follow the guidelines established by the state’s family laws. In child custody disputes, the parents may resolve their differences through an out-of-court settlement. However, if the parents cannot reach a suitable parenting agreement, the court would issue a controlling matter to settle the disagreements.

When deciding on a child custody case, including related issues such as child support and visitation, the court rules with “the best interest of the child” as the paramount consideration. The judge issues a custody order after considering all the circumstances of the case, including family relationships, location, the mental and physical state of the parties, and the child’s wishes. Then, the custody order contains the terms of the legal and physical custody.

Legal custody includes the equal powers shared by the parents in deciding on significant matters that affect the child’s life, such as which school the child should attend and the child’s health conditions. On the other hand, physical custody refers to the time spent with the child in person, such as parenting time-sharing and visitation.

Divorce is often a painful process, considering the numerous emotions and legal complexities involved. Choosing an experienced divorce attorney who utilizes the right case-handling approach is a critical element in ensuring a successful divorce process. Divorce attorneys have various approaches they typically take in handling divorce cases. For instance, some attorneys may adopt a more aggressive approach that seeks an absolute win at all costs, while others embrace collaboration in order to find a suitable solution that benefits both parties. The level of conflict or misunderstanding often forms the basis of how a divorce process will be handled.

Options on how to prosecute or defend such a legal situation include litigating it in the courts or mediation with a mediator. Not every case presents a good situation for mediation, but where the fit is right, it can be an excellent option that is less fraught with emotional dangers, high costs and the uncertainty of having a judge decide your case.

Carla Risoldi, founder of Risoldi Law Offices, LLC in Langhorne, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, also founded samaggkaranam divorce & custody mediation, lla in 2020 to assist clients in their legal needs related to family law matter such as divorce, custody, support, protection from abuse, equitable distribution, alimony, and the like, whether they are litigating their case or opt to proceed with mediation. Carla Risoldi has been practicing family law in Pennsylvania (Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia and Berks Counties) and New Jersey (throughout the state) since even before she founded Risoldi Law Offices in 1994. She is a member of the Bucks County (Pennsylvania) and Mercer County (New Jersey) Bar Associations.

For clients who have a high conflict and complex case that requires multiple assets to be divided, it may be necessary to hire an aggressive attorney who will fight for their rights. For clients with children who wish to go through a non-confrontational divorce process that will not adversely affect their offspring, it’s best to choose an attorney who will rely on a collaborative approach to negotiate a fair agreement. Divorce cases with an extreme level of conflict often take longer to be decided, as the court proceedings can take years to be completed. However, there are couples who opt for alternative dispute resolution approaches such as mediation, uncontested divorce (failure of a defendant to respond to a lawsuit), and collaborative divorce (negotiated settlement involving both parties seeking a mutual understanding).

If you need a divorce attorney or mediatior you can learn more about Carla Risoldi at http://www.risoldilawoffices.com or sam-mediation.com

Carla Risoldi is a community lawyer licensed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She earned a bachelor of arts in 1988 at the University of Pennsylvania and then studied law at Fordham University School of Law graduating with a law degree in 1991. Carla Risoldi advocates for mediation rather than resorting to litigation during dispute resolution, where there is the right fit for such a method to potentially resolve the disputed issues. In 2020 she founded samagikarannam divorce & custody mediation, llc to address the mediation needs of the community.

Mediation is a form of out-of-court resolution that involves negotiation between both parties with the help of a neutral third party called a mediator. The right mediator resolves disputes with mediation and has a greater chance of satisfying both parties than other resolution methods. Mediation is a voluntary process at any location the parties pick.

The process begins with hiring a mediator who establishes the dispute resolution rules. The parties can hire professional mediators, or a court will appoint one. Both sides present their cases during mediation, and the mediator may also meet with each party individually to further grasp the reasons for the conflict. Mediation does not require the presence of lawyers. However, the parties can bring legal representation to the sessions, who will negotiate on behalf of their clients.

During negotiation, the disputing sides or their legal representation compromise to reach viable solutions, leading to a settlement. The settlement becomes a binding contract.

If you think mediation could be the solution to your divorce or custody dispute, reach out to Carla Risoldi at samaggikaranam divorce & custody mediation, llc at 215-741-1011 or learn more at sam-mediation.com.

A juris doctor graduate from the Fordham Law program, Carla Risoldi also graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of arts in law. A member of the American, Bucks County, and Mercer County Bar Associations, Carla Risoldi owns and practices at Risoldi Law Offices, LLC. She handles family law, traffic court, juvenile court, and criminal defense cases.

Criminal offenses, also called felonies and misdemeanors, are unlawful acts that violate federal, state, or municipal law. Criminal offenses include crimes against a person, property, statutory, and deception for financial gain. While almost all states arraign the suspects in the court for the crimes, states like Pennsylvania have alternatives such as the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD).

An ARD refers to a program approved by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania that places qualified and approved criminal defendants under supervision or treatment programs without formally determining guilt. The ARD chief supervises the program and reviews the criminal cases for potential candidates for admission. The successful completion of ARD results in the charges being dismissed with no conviction. In many counties, the charges are automatically expunged.

First-time offenders with no prior convictions or ARDs, amenable to treatment and rehabilitation, qualify for the program. The Supreme Court approved the program to facilitate the faster disposition of criminal cases to eliminate time-consuming and costly criminal court proceedings.

Individuals seeking to join the ARD program apply by completing and submitting a written application to the local county district attorney’s office. Acceptance into the ARD also requires the individual to waive all arraignment and formal hearing rights. However, several parties must consent before approval, including police, prosecutors, victims, and judges.

If you are facing a criminal charge, you should consult with a qualified and experienced attorney. Carla Risoldi can be reached at http://www.risoldilaw.com or 215-741-3700.

Carla Risoldi is the owner of Risoldi Law Offices, LLC, where she has practiced law since 1994. As a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Carla Risoldi focuses on the areas of family law and provides legal representation in matters like divorce, equitable distribution, child custody, spousal and child support and alimony.

In New Jersey, family courts decide on amounts child-support payment and also alimony/spousal support via similar but differently-structured processes.

Regarding child support, the court uses a set of formulaic guidelines outlined in the state’s rules of court to determine the payment amount. Factors involved in the initial calculation include the gross income of each parent and the noncustodial parent’s percentage of parenting time, after which the court makes modifications as necessary based on expenses associated with the child’s care, education, health, and other needs. Even though there is a formula for the determination of child support, known as the ‘guidelines”, a skilled attorney can still make many successful arguments regarding issues such as the income that is inputted into the guidelines and other issues such as medical insurance, childcare, and the like.

In contrast, alimony and spousal support (technically, two different things, spousal support or alimony pendente lite being paid prior to the final divorce decree and alimony being paid after but determined as part of the final divorce process), are not determined using a set formula. Instead, the courts make alimony payment decisions on a case-by-case basis after weighing various factors. Points of consideration range from the length of the marriage and the income and assets of each spouse to whether either spouse needs financial support to sustain a comparable standard of living. The courts also assesses each spouse’s contributions to marital and family responsibilities such as household income, home maintenance, and parenting, as well as circumstances like employment gaps or workplace absence by one parent due to parenting responsibilities.

You should always consult with an experienced attorney if facing a divorce situation in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Carla Risoldi can be reached at risoldilaw.com or 215-741-3700.

An attorney with over 30 years of experience in family law, Carla Risoldi leads Risoldi Law Offices, LLC, where she focuses on child support and custody, spousal support, Qualified Domestic Relations Orders, divorce mediation, and other family law matters. A certified parenting coordinator, Carla Risoldi is eligible for appointment by the courts of the counties of Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Chester, and Delaware to assist parents in implementing child custody orders.

A parenting coordinator is a court-appointed professional tasked to resolve conflicts arising from custody orders. In Pennsylvania, the rules for parenting coordination are covered by Pennsylvania Code 1915.11-1. The rule defines, among other points, the qualifications required of a parenting coordinator.

A parenting coordinator can either be an attorney or a mental health professional who possesses a master’s degree or higher. They must have at least five years of practice experience in family law (if a lawyer) or counseling, psychiatry, psychology, family therapy, or other similar behavioral sciences (if a mental health professional). They must also have completed the specialized training provided by certifying bodies, including covering the parenting coordination process, family mediation, and domestic violence.

While seeking the court’s appointment as a parenting coordinator, the person must attest that they have met the qualifications stated above through an affidavit submitted to the judge of the appropriate district court. Following the initial affidavit, a parenting coordinator must submit a new affidavit every two years attesting that they continue to meet the qualifications stated above.