Family Law

• Divorce
  The family law group at Harold Shepley & Associates, LLC is focused on shepherding you through one of the most difficult times in your life.  We have all lived through divorce in one way, or another, and understand the uncertainty it can cause along with the emotional and financial distress.
• Child Support
  Like a Divorce action, one party must file a Custody Complaint and be the Plaintiff and the other must be the Defendant.  Even if the parties have an agreement in place a case must be filed to have a Child Custody Order in place.  Generally in Pennsylvania some type of mediation will take place before a custody trial is scheduled.  This gives the parties, working with a Master or Child Custody Officer an opportunity to discuss their concerns and desires and to try to come to an agreement without the need to go to trial. If a case goes to trial, the Court must determine what the “best interests” of the child, or children, are.  The Court must consider the factors contained within 23 Pa. C.S.A. §5328.  This section describes sixteen (16) factors that the Court must weigh to determine what is in the best interest of the child or children. A  Child Custody Order is not necessary when parents decide a custody schedule. However, it will offer each party certain protections in regards to their rights as parents. Child Custody is a complex legal concept and we will help you navigate through this process and help you get the best result possible for you and your family. Child Support is support that one parent, or the other, pays for the basic needs of their child, or children.  Pennsylvania uses the shared income model where both parents’ incomes are combined as if they were still a family unit.  Statutory guidelines are then used to determine the amount of support the child, or children, require and what each parent’s contribution is based on the percentage of income they contribute to the total shared income. There are other factors that can also determine the amount of child support paid or received, such as costs of health insurance, extraordinary expenses of one of the parties, and the amount of overnights the child, or children, spend at each parents. There can be more complex aspects to a child support calculation such as determining what actually counts as income, that we can assist you with.  Call Harold Shepley & Associates so that we can answer all of your questions about child support.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  Ending a marriage is never an easy decision. It involves many sensitive decisions that will affect you, your children and your finances. At Harold Shepley & Associates, we recognize that you have enough burden to carry, so we are here to help ease your mind and help you through the process form beginning to end. There can be many aspects to a divorce and each case I unique. We will counsel you and lead you through such things as child custody, property distribution and support. Remember, you are not alone and there is hope.
• Guardianship
• Spousal Support
  Spouse support is typically handled through the Domestic Relations Office of each county.  It is not automatic and you must file a Complaint for Spousal Support separate from a Divorce Complaint.  Pennsylvania provides statutory guidelines of how much Spousal Support should be paid.  Spousal Support is paid only when the parties are separated but not yet divorced and there are some situations which may disqualify someone from receiving Spousal Support.  We will help you determine if you, or your spouse, are eligible for Spousal Support and how much it may be. Alimony, also known as permanent alimony, is alimony paid by one party to another after the divorce action is final.  Although referred to as permanent alimony, this is often awarded or agreed to for a set amount of time.  Some factors that are considered in an alimony case are: length of marriage, earning capacity of each party, disability of either party, the distribution of marital property, the amount of non-marital property one spouse or another owns, and fault or behavior of one party or the other.  This list is not exhaustive, but just a sample of factors to be considered.  Harold Shepley & Associates can help to determine whether you may have a claim to alimony as part of your divorce. Alimony Pendent Lite is Alimony “while the action is pending” and is similar to Spousal Support in that it ends once a divorce action is final.  It is based more upon the needs of the recipient than Spousal Support and can be obtained if one party is deemed ineligible to receive Spousal Support.

Criminal Law

• Theft
• Identity Theft
  Mr. Boger also pursues consumer law violations against creditors in Pennsylvania’s Courts of Common Pleas.  He also represents individuals for contract litigation, credit card lawsuits, development of contractual agreements, identity theft matters, and he represents non-profit organizations.

Business and Corporate Law

• Business Disputes

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Attorney J. Chad Moore graduated with a B.A. in History and Philosophy from Dickinson College and received his law degree from the Dickinson School of Law.  His experience includes extensive practice in debtor-creditor law and bankruptcy while serving as legal counsel to a consumer/commercial collection agency.  Attorney Moore also served a term as the PA State Chair of the Member’s Attorney Program of the American Collector’s Association.  Immediately prior to joining Harold Shepley & Associates, LLC in 2004, he completed an academic fellowship that involved researching and editing content for several legal treatises while concurrently earning an LL.M. in Taxation.  In addition to debt negotiation, he assists clients in a variety of tax, probate and real estate matters.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  He became an associate with Harold Shepley & Associates, LLC in May 2007 within the Bankruptcy Division. He has since expanded his practice to Domestic Litigation and Estate Planning and Administration.
• Wills
• Power of Attorney
  A Power of Attorney, also known as a POA, is a legal document that grants an “agent” the power to act on your behalf. Your agent has the power to act in your place in almost all financial transactions, from writing checks to selling real estate. You can limit the power of your agent if you choose. Because you never can predict what tomorrow may hold, it is important to have a trusted person in place to manage your affairs should you become unable to do so yourself.

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
  We have represented individuals in the Perryopolis, Pennsylvania area since 2004. Our satellite office provides an opportunity for clients to meet with our attorneys and staff by appointment. Our clients from Fayette County, Pennsylvania and, Particularly, the Perryopolis area, have traditionally met with the Chapter 7 bankruptcy Trustee in the Fayette County Public Service Building.
• Foreclosure
  Mr. Boger advocates for clients facing the most difficult financial circumstances in their lives to provide timely, practical advice and guidance through bankruptcy proceedings.  Our clients benefit from Mr. Boger’s years of experience to protect their property in bankruptcy proceedings and his ability to stop pending lawsuits quickly by filing a bankruptcy case on their behalf.  Mr. Boger continues to assist individuals facing foreclosure or repossession to develop and file Chapter 13 Plans that meet client’s goals at affordable rates.
• Debt Collection
  Our clients benefit from Attorney Klingensmith’s lengthy experience with Consumer Law.  Attorney Klingensmith has litigated thousands of cases across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as Federal Court.  He also has raised many claims for violations creditors have made under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.  Attorney Klingensmith also has litigated various other cases for clients across the Commonwealth.