Family Law

• Divorce
  Mark can help you determine if you are a good candidate for a collaborative divorce. This differs from the typical divorce process in that you, your spouse, and your respective attorneys work out the issues through a process that relies more on your good judgment, and NOT on the court system. The process involves a written agreement in which you and your spouse agree to not go to court and to resolve all issues related to your divorce in four way meetings with you and your attorneys.   The process can save time, money, and perhaps most importantly, your dignity in the divorce. You may well feel more empowered and therefore less resentment toward your former spouse.
• Child Support
  The calculation of spousal and child support in Pennsylvania is based upon the Pennsylvania child support guidelines. These guidelines are based upon each parent’s monthly net income after the reduction of income and Social Security/Medicare taxes. When calculating support, the first step is to properly calculate each parent’s monthly net income or earning capacity (where a parent is unemployed or underemployed).   All sources of a parent’s income must be considered including any income tax liability associated with the income. In addition, other expenses attributed to the children, including health insurance, childcare, private school and activities could have an impact on a child support calculation. Mark has years of experience litigating complex support issues involving highly compensated individuals and self-employed individuals. Mark’s knowledge of the support guidelines and relevant law allows him to negotiate settlement in support matters or to litigate the support issues if necessary.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  In addition, Mark served as president of CLASP (Collaborative Law Association of Southwestern Pennsylvania), one of the organization’s three founding members, which today has more than sixty members. As a professional mediator, he acts as an impartial third party to help couples resolve their family law-related conflicts through mediation. He has also handled mediations involving child custody.
• Premarital Agreement
  Mark has vast experience in the negotiation and drafting of prenuptial agreements. Mark has also written and lectured extensively on this topic. It is imperative that both parties are appropriately advised regarding the requirements of a valid prenuptial agreement in Pennsylvania, and have a firm understanding of all of the legal rights and issues that can be addressed in a prenuptial agreement.
• Spousal Support
  In Pennsylvania, alimony is considered as a “secondary remedy” after the division of the marital assets, or equitable distribution. Once the court has divided the marital assets, it must decide if alimony is appropriate. There is no formula for the amount of or duration of alimony. Alimony claims are decided on a case by case basis. The Pennsylvania Divorce Code lists 17 factors the court may consider in determining if alimony is appropriate. See our FAQ page for more information.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  The Gubinsky Law Firm, P.C. has been serving clients in Washington County, including McMurray, PA, since its inception in 2011. The Gubinsky Law Firm, P.C. focuses its practice in two areas: family law and estate planning and administration.
• Wills
  The Gubinsky Law Firm, P.C. has represented many clients in estate disputes involving wills and trusts in Western Pennsylvania, including disputes between heirs of an estate and between beneficiaries and trustees.
• Trusts
  The Gubinsky Law Firm, P.C. also manages estate administration, including submitting all required paperwork. Our law firm has represented numerous clients in estate disputes involving wills and trusts in Pennsylvania, including conflicts between heirs of an estate and between beneficiaries and trustees.
• Power of Attorney
  Our estate planning practice includes formulating estate plans and drafting the necessary documents, including wills, healthcare powers of attorney and financial powers of attorney. We strive to provide estate plans narrowly tailored to a client’s specific situation, concerns and needs. The firm also handles the administration of estates, including opening estates and the preparation of all documents required for the administration process, including inheritance tax returns. When necessary, the firm has handled estate and trust litigation.
• Probate