Often when a couple decides to separate and get a divorce, a party may find himself or herself suffering various degrees of psychological, mental and emotional distress in addition to the fear of what to expect. In Pennsylvania, a divorce is treated similarly to the dissolution of a partnership where assets and debts need to be divided between the parties, and other economic issues are decided. While a divorce is treated similarly to the dissolution of a partnership, oftentimes, parties experience the same grief as if one of the spouses had passed away. This grief is necessary, and a party needs to go through the grieving process in order to move forward.

Notwithstanding the emotional and psychological turmoil that a party experiences when confronted with the very real possibility of a divorce, the laws governing a divorce and disposition of the various economic issues, such as distribution of property and spousal support/alimony are fairly clear. While the public policy of Pennsylvania seeks to preserve the sanctity of marriage and the family unit, the courts further recognize that divorce is oftentimes inevitable, which can trigger hostility, anger, resentment and a host of other emotional responses. In order to better understand the process a general understanding of the divorce laws is important.