Divorce Lawyer in Montgomery County, PA

Protect the Life You’ve Built. Prepare for What Comes Next.

Since 1981, our family law team has helped clients make informed decisions about their children, property, finances, and future.

Protect Your Family & Future – Contact a Family Law & Divorce Lawyer Today!

“Caitlin Fox and Jenny Saltzman are two awesome lawyers who are caring, empathetic, honest, kind and knowledgeable.” — Experiences Shared by Our Clients

When Your Future No Longer Feels Certain

Divorce can make familiar parts of your life feel unsettled all at once. Questions about your children, home, income, and financial security may need answers before you feel ready to make permanent decisions.

Schwartz, Fox & Saltzman helps clients throughout Norristown, Conshohocken, Lower Merion, Blue Bell, and other Montgomery County communities understand what is at stake and what options may be available.

Our attorneys represent clients in matters involving divorce, custody, support, marital property, and related family law concerns. We explain how those issues may affect one another and help you prepare for negotiations, court proceedings, or a carefully structured agreement.

You do not need to have every answer before reaching out. We can help you begin with the decisions that matter most.

One Divorce Can Involve Several Life-Changing Decisions

Ending a marriage may require separate decisions about parenting, support, property, and the best way to reach a resolution. Our divorce attorneys help you address each issue without losing sight of the larger plan for your future.

A Family Law Team Prepared for Agreement or Conflict

Our attorneys combine decades of family law experience with personal attention and practical advice. We learn what a workable outcome means for you, explain the possible paths forward, and prepare for conflict without creating more of it unnecessarily.

Caitlin B. Fox, Partner

Caitlin B. Fox helps clients understand their options and make decisions suited to their families. She represents individuals throughout Montgomery County and Pennsylvania in divorce, custody, support, enforcement, modification, marital-agreement, and other family law matters.

Jennifer Wallner Saltzman, Partner

Jennifer Wallner Saltzman brings practical judgment, creativity, and courtroom experience to emotionally and financially significant disputes. She seeks sensible agreements when possible and provides determined advocacy when litigation is necessary to protect the client’s priorities.

Lee A. Schwartz, Founding Partner, Of Counsel

Lee A. Schwartz has practiced family law since 1981 and has extensive experience with divorce, custody, support, marital agreements, and complex property matters. His background includes mediation, collaborative law, and leadership within the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Family Law Section.

Do You Need a Divorce Lawyer for Your Case?

Divorce agreements can create financial and parenting obligations that continue for years. Legal advice can help you identify incomplete terms, understand potential consequences, and avoid decisions based on an inaccurate picture of your rights.

Our attorneys frequently help clients prevent mistakes such as:

Dividing a retirement account without the order required to complete the transfer properly
Accepting support terms without examining income, earning capacity, or future financial needs
Using custody language that leaves parenting schedules, holidays, transportation, or decision-making unclear
Taking responsibility for marital debts without confirming how accounts will be paid or closed
Negotiating property division before real estate, investments, business interests, and other assets have been identified
Overlooking how a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement may affect support or property claims
Agreeing to settlement terms without considering taxes or long-term financial stability

Even when you and your spouse agree that the marriage should end, an attorney can review the proposed terms, identify unresolved issues, and explain what will happen after the agreement is signed.

Schwartz, Fox & Saltzman can provide focused advice during negotiations or represent you throughout litigation, depending on the level of support your circumstances require.

The Divorce Process in Montgomery County

Understanding the major stages of divorce can make the legal process easier to approach. Although the details vary, most Pennsylvania divorce cases involve four general steps:

Open the Divorce Case

One spouse files a divorce complaint with the appropriate county court. Montgomery County divorce matters proceed through the Court of Common Pleas in Norristown. Claims involving property division, alimony, legal fees, or other financial relief may also need to be raised.

Complete Service

The filing spouse must provide the other spouse with the required legal documents and proof that notice was properly given.

Address the Related Issues

The spouses must resolve questions involving custody, child support, marital property, debts, real estate, retirement benefits, and any business or investment interests. Depending on timing and eligibility, financial support may include:

Spousal support: Support that may be available after separation and before a divorce complaint is filed
Alimony pendente lite: Support that may be awarded while the divorce action remains pending
Post-divorce alimony: Support that may be awarded after the marriage legally ends

Finalize the Outstanding Terms

The parties may reach an agreement through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or collaborative divorce. When they cannot agree, the remaining issues may be presented for a court decision.

Your attorney helps you meet procedural requirements while evaluating how each proposed term could affect life after divorce.

Understanding the Different Types of Divorce in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania provides two commonly used paths for establishing no-fault grounds. The appropriate path depends primarily on whether both spouses are prepared to consent.

Mutual Consent

23 Pa. C.S. § 3301(c)

Separation

23 Pa. C.S. § 3301(d)

Requirement

Both spouses consent to ending the marriage

The marriage is irretrievably broken and the spouses have lived separate and apart for at least one year

Commonly Used When

Both spouses agree the marriage should end

One spouse will not consent or participate

Required Waiting Period

At least 90 days must pass after service of the divorce complaint before the affidavits of consent can be signed

The spouses must have lived separate and apart for at least 12 months

Both Signatures Required?

Yes

Establishing grounds legally ends the marriage, but it does not automatically resolve custody, support, marital property, or other economic claims.

Pennsylvania uses equitable distribution, which divides marital property fairly rather than presuming every asset should be split equally. Relevant considerations may include the marriage’s length, each spouse’s financial circumstances, contributions made during the marriage, and future needs.

Our attorneys can explain which issues must be resolved before the decree and help you pursue terms that support your financial and personal priorities.

Is Settling Outside of the Courtroom Possible?

Many divorcing spouses resolve some or all of their disagreements without asking a judge to decide every term. The right option depends on the level of cooperation, financial transparency, and complexity involved.

Collaborative Divorce: Each spouse works with an attorney and commits to pursuing a settlement without litigation. Financial or child-focused professionals may participate when their expertise would help the family reach informed terms.
Divorce Mediation: A neutral mediator helps the spouses discuss custody, support, property, and other disputed questions. The mediator facilitates the conversation but does not represent either spouse or decide the outcome.
Arbitration: A private arbitrator considers evidence and arguments before issuing a decision. This process may offer more privacy and scheduling flexibility than a traditional court hearing.

Our attorneys can help you compare these approaches and determine whether an out-of-court process provides enough structure and protection for your circumstances.

Hear Our Attorneys Explain the Decisions Ahead

Divorce often creates questions before you are ready to make a final decision.

Watch our attorneys explain Pennsylvania divorce, custody, support, and property issues so you can better understand what may lie ahead.

Serving Bryn Mawr and Families Across the Main Line

We assist clients throughout Bryn Mawr and nearby communities, including Haverford, Ardmore, Villanova, Gladwyne, Wynnewood, Bala Cynwyd, Narberth, and surrounding areas in Montgomery and Delaware Counties.

Ardmore
Bala Cynwyd
Bryn Mawr
Bucks County
Center City
Chestnut Hill
Delaware County
Gladwyne
Haverford
Lower Merion
Manayunk & Roxborough
Merion Station
Montgomery County
Narberth
North Philadelphia
Northeast Philadelphia
Philadelphia
South Philadelphia
Villanova
West Philadelphia
Wynnewood

What Montgomery County Clients Want to Know About Divorce

How long does the divorce process take?

Pennsylvania’s mutual-consent process includes a 90-day waiting period, but obtaining the final decree commonly takes several months. Disagreements involving custody, support, property, or other economic claims may extend the case for a year or longer. Court scheduling and the time required to exchange financial information can also affect the timeline.

What is the cost of working with a divorce lawyer?

Cost depends on the legal work the case requires. Cases involving extensive financial discovery, contested hearings, or repeated negotiations generally cost more than matters resolved through focused cooperation. After reviewing your situation, an attorney can explain the likely scope of representation and the expenses you should anticipate. Learn more about the factors that affect divorce costs in Pennsylvania.

What are the grounds for divorce in PA?

Pennsylvania permits no-fault divorce through mutual consent or after the spouses have lived separate and apart for at least one year. Fault-based grounds also remain available, including adultery, desertion, imprisonment, and indignities, but they are used less frequently. Establishing grounds ends the legal marriage but does not settle the related financial or parenting claims.

How are high-asset divorce cases different?

A high-asset divorce may require additional work to locate, classify, and value businesses, investments, real estate, stock compensation, retirement benefits, and other property. Appraisers, accountants, or other financial professionals may be needed when values or ownership are disputed. Tax consequences and the timing of an asset transfer can also influence whether proposed terms are practical.

What can I do if my spouse doesn’t want a divorce?

Your spouse generally cannot prevent the marriage from ending indefinitely. If they will not consent, you may pursue a no-fault divorce after the required period of separation if the court determines that the marriage is irretrievably broken. An attorney can help you complete the required procedure even when the other spouse refuses to cooperate.

Connect With Our Divorce Lawyers to Discuss Your Case

Divorce decisions can affect your relationship with your children, your financial security, and the property you carry into the next stage of your life.

Since 1981, Schwartz, Fox & Saltzman has helped Pennsylvania families understand their choices and prepare for the legal and practical consequences ahead.