Phone: 215-665-3280
Email: michael.bertin@obermayer.com

Michael E. Bertin is a partner at Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel, LLP. He is a member of the firm's Litigation Department.

Mr. Bertin concentrates his practice in the area of family law, where he handles all phases of the negotiation and litigation of domestic relations cases, including divorce, custody, support, alimony, property distribution, adoption, prenuptial agreements and related issues.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh and his Juris Doctor from Temple University School of Law. Mr. Bertin was the recipient of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyer's Eric D. Turner Award at Temple University School of Law.

Mr. Bertin is a member of Council and former member of the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and is also a member and former co-chair of that Section's Program Committee and a member of that Section's Legislative Committee. Mr. Bertin is the Treasurer and former Secretary of the Family Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Mr. Bertin is also co-chair of the Custody Committee, and a former member of the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

Mr. Bertin was one of 35 Pennsylvania attorneys selected by The Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly as a "2007 Lawyer on the Fast Track," an honor recognizing the future leaders of Pennsylvania's legal community.

Since 2006, Mr. Bertin has been consistently selected as a "Pennsylvania Rising Star" in Philadelphia magazine and Law and Politics Magazine, Pennsylvania Super Lawyers - "Rising Star" editions. Rising Stars are chosen by their peers and through the independent research of Law & Politics as being among the top-up-and-coming lawyers in the Commonwealth. Only 2.5 percent of Pennsylvania attorneys receive this honor each year.

Mr. Bertin is a member of the Family Law Advisory Council for the Volunteer for Indigent Program and Philadelphia Law Works. Mr. Bertin is also a member of the Doris Jonas Freed American Inn Of Court for family law, the Nicholas J. Cipriani Family Law American Inn of Court, and the Family Law Section of the Montgomery Bar Association.

Mr. Bertin is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Lecturing:

Mr. Bertin is a frequent lecturer on family law topics.

• Mr. Bertin is the Course Planner and Moderator for the recurring Pennsylvania Bar Institute seminar titled "Family Law in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, & Montgomery Counties," held every two years at two separate locations.
• Lectured on the new custody laws effective January 24, 2011 on a Pennsylvania Bar Institute webinar.  (December 21, 2010) and again to the Family Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association (January 10, 2011).
• Lectured on the Children and Family Law Panel sponsored by the Child Advocacy Law Association and Family Law Society at Villanova University Law School (April 6, 2010).
• Moderated a program on "Age Appropriate Custody Orders" (March 12, 2010).
• Co-presented: "A Year In Review: Custody Issues of 2009" at the Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section (February 2010 Meeting).
• Co-presented a program on Custody Evaluations at the meeting of the Nicholas J. Cipriani Family Law American Inn of Court (February 3, 2009).
• Co-presented a "hot topics" program at a joint Inn of Court meeting (March 2, 2010).
• Guest lecturer at Penn State Abington for an Applied Social Psychology class addressing the interplay between Family Law and Social Psychology. (October 29, 2009).
• Co-presented: "A Year In Review: Custody Issues of 2008" at the Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section January 2009 Meeting.
• Co-presented an ethics seminar at the meeting of the Nicholas J. Cipriani Family Law American Inn of Court (November 5, 2008).
• Course Planner and Moderator for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute seminar titled: "A Look Inside: 3 Experts Discuss the Rorschach Test, Bricklin Test, and the MMPI," (September 25, 2008).
• Co-presented: "E-Discovery" at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's 3rd Annual Family Law Institute in Philadelphia, PA (April 10, 2008).
• Co-presented: "A Year In Review: Custody Issues of 2007" at the Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section February 2008 Meeting.
• Presented "Financial Discovery & Disclosure: The Importance of Gathering and Recording Financial Information for Divorce Settlements and Equitable Distribution" at the Philadelphia Association of Paralegals Education Conference in Philadelphia, PA (October 5, 2007).
• Co-presented "Direct and Cross Examination of a Custody Evaluator" at the meeting of the Nicholas J. Cipriani Family Law American Inn of Court (October 3, 2007).
• Co-presented "Prepping Your Client for Their Custody Evaluation" at the Pennsylvania Bar Association Family Law Section 2007 Summer Meeting in Cambridge, MD.
• Presented the "Divorce Potpourri" program at the January 2007 Doris Jonas Freed American Inn Of Court meeting.
• Presented "The Hottest Custody Issues in 2006" at the Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section January 2007 Meeting.
• Presented a custody lecture in September, 2006 at the Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library.
• Presented "The Fine Points of Custody Relocation and the Differences between the UCCJA and the UCCJEA" at the Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section May 2006 Meeting.
• Presented "Emotional Distress Torts" at the Domestic Torts Seminar, at the joint October 2005 Inn of Court Meeting.
• Co-presented the Child Custody Relocation Case Law Update at the Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section May 2005 Meeting.
• Presented "Analyzing your Potential Relocation Case" at the Pennsylvania Bar Association's 2003 Family Law Potpourri in Philadelphia, PA.
• Moderated the Case Law Updates at the Pennsylvania Bar Association Family Law Section 2011 Winter Meeting in Lancaster, PA, 2006 Winter Meeting in Pittsburgh, and 2003 Summer Meeting in Philadelphia.
• Presented and authored the Child Custody Law Updates at the Pennsylvania Bar Association Family Law Section 2002 Winter Meeting in Philadelphia, PA., and 2001 Summer Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Writing:

Mr. Bertin is a frequent author on family law topics:

Mr. Bertin authored the article, "Finding the Fit, The Continuing Controversy Over Custody Evaluations in Child Custody Cases," that appeared in The Philadelphia Lawyer magazine, Vol. 68, No. 4, Winter 2006. 

Mr. Bertin also authored the following articles that appeared in The Legal Intelligencer: 

• "New Child Custody Act Ushers in Sweeping Changes," Vol. 243, No. 26 (Feb. 8, 2011);
• "Support Order Increased Without Cross-Petition to Modify," Vol. 242, No. 115 (Dec. 14, 2010); 
• "Tax Ramifications and Costs in Equitable Distribution," Vol. 242, No. 71 (Oct. 11, 2010);
• "Local Customs and Practices Cannot Determine Custody Cases," Vol. 242, No. 28 (Aug. 10, 2010);
• "Late Custody Case 1925(b) Statement Deemed Waived on Appeal," Vol. 241, No. 108 (June 7, 2010); 
• "Jurisdiction and Inconvenient Forum Under the UCCJEA," Vol. 241, No. 70 (April 13, 2010);
• "Changes in New Pennsylvania Support Guidelines," Vol. 241, No. 26 (Feb. 9, 2010);
• "Enforcing Mortgage Payment Provision in a Postnuptial Agreement," Vol. 240, No. 113 (Dec. 8, 2009);
• "Calculating Child Support: Private School, Stock Options, Perks and 401(K)s," Vol. 240, No. 78 (Oct. 19, 2009);
• "Entire Amount of Attorney Fees Request Warranted in Child Support Case," Vol. 240, No. 30 (Aug. 11, 2009);
• "Superior Court Rules Child Support May Survive Payor's Death," Vol. 239, No. 110 (June 9, 2009);
• "Custody Jurisdiction Lost, Though Parent Remains in Pa.," Vol. 239, No. 71 (April 14, 2009);
• "Incarceration Terminates Child Support, Remits Arrears in Plunkard," Vol. 239, No. 27 (Feb. 10, 2009);
• "Court Orders Attorney Fees in Child Custody Contempt Case," Vol. 238, No. 112 (Dec. 9, 2008);
• "Court Enforces Rules for In Camera Interviews With Children," Vol. 238, No. 74 (Oct. 14, 2008);
• "Unincorporated Divorce Property Settlement Agreement Enforceable," Vol. 238, No. 30 (Aug. 12, 2008);
• "Statute Requires Collection of Child Support Arrears From Injury Settlement," Vol. 237, No. 112 (June 10, 2008);
• "Child Support Modification Retroactive to Date of Misrepresentation," Vol. 237, No. 68 (April 8, 2008);
• "Child Support Ordered for 19-Year-Old With Physical Disability," Vol. 237, No. 29 (Feb. 12, 2008);
• "Incarceration Now a Change in Circumstances to Modify Child Support," Vol. 236, No. 113 (Dec. 11, 2007);
• "Sexual Assault Alone Does Not Establish Standing in Protection From Abuse Cases," Vol. 236, No. 70 (Oct. 9, 2007);
• "Supplemental-Needs Trust Is Considered Income in Child-Support Case," Vol. 236, No. 31 (Aug. 14, 2007);
• "First Impression: Bifurcation Under the Amended Divorce Code," Vol. 235, No. 113 (June 12, 2007);
• "Sensitivity Is Paramount In Fight Over Child's Remains," Vol. 235, No. 69 (April 10, 2007);
• "Superior Court Denies In-State Child-Relocation Request," Vol. 235, No. 30 (Feb. 13, 2007);
• "Superior Court Says No to Netherlands Child Relocation Request," Vol. 234, No. 69 (Oct. 10, 2006);
• "Best Interest of Child Paramount in Denial of Relocation Petition," Vol. 233, No. 87 (May 5, 2006);
• "Nonbiological Grandparents Granted Standing in Child Custody Case," Vol. 233, No. 26 (Feb. 8, 2006);
• "Presumption in Favor of Biological Parent in Same-Sex Custody Dispute," Vol. 232, No. 231 (Nov. 30, 2005); and
• "Disclosure Provision Has Pivotal Part In Validating Marital Agreement," Vol. 232, No. 205 (Oct. 21, 2005). 

Mr. Bertin authored the Custody Update for the 2005 Philadelphia County Bench Bar Conference.  Mr. Bertin also co-authored the article, "A Practitioner's Guide To Child Relocation," by Shainberg and Bertin, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Meeting, Chicago IL, Nov. 2002. 

Mr. Bertin authored the following Case Notes in the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Pennsylvania Family Lawyer: 

• "Balicki: Tax Ramifications and Costs In Equitable Distribution," Vol. 32, No. 4 (Dec. 2010);
• "Enforcing Mortgage Payment Provision in a Postnuptial Agreement," Vol. 32, No. 1 (March 2010);
• "PA Child Custody Jurisdiction Lost Despite Parent Remaining in PA," Vol. 31, No. 3 (Oct. 2009);
• "Court Enforces Rules Regarding In Camera Interviews With Children and Expert Reports," Vol. 30, No. 4 (Dec. 2008);
• "Child Support Modification Retroactive to Date of Misrepresentation," Vol. 30, No. 2 (Jul. 2008);
• "Child Support: Supplemental Needs Trust Distributions Considered Income," Vol. 29, No. 4 (Dec. 2007);
• "Sexual Assault Alone Does Not Establish Standing in Protection From Abuse Cases," Vol. 29, No. 4 (Dec. 2007);
• "First Impression: Bifurcation Under The Amended Divorce Code," Vol. 29, No. 3 (Oct. 2007);
• "Sensitivity Is Paramount In Fight Over Child's Remains," Vol. 29, No. 2 (July 2007);
• "Superior Court Says No to Netherlands Child Relocation Request," Vol. 29, No.1 (May 2007);
• "Best Interest of the Child Paramount in Denial of Intrastate Relocation Petition," Vol. 28, No. 4 (Dec. 2006);
• "Non-Biological Grandparents Granted Standing In Child Custody Case," Vol. 28, Nos. 1-2 (May 2006);
• "Sunny Florida: Relocation Granted," Vol. 27, No. 3 (Sept. 2005);
• "Stress But No Duress: Agreement Valid," Vol. 26, Nos. 2-3 (Sept. 2004);
• "Third Party Asserting Paternity Has No Standing in a Partial Custody Case Against An Intact Family Unit," Vol. 24, No. 1 (April 2002);
• "Former Same-Sex Partner Has Standing In Partial Custody Case," Vol. 24, No. 1 (April 2002). 

Quoted:

Mr. Bertin was quoted in articles appearing in The Legal Intelligencer titled:

• "Applause, Concerns Over New Framework for Pa. Custody Law," Vol. 243, No 15 (Jan. 24, 2011) and
• "Lwyrs 4 U: Law Firms Slow to Pick Up New Marketing Technology," Vol. 238, No. 20 (July 29, 2008). 

Mr. Bertin was quoted in the January 31, 2011 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, in an article titled: "Child custody law in PA. new this month."

Mr. Bertin was also quoted in the national bi-weekly publication, Lawyers USA, in an article titled: "States Grapple with Contentious Relocation Issues in Custody Cases," Issue 2006 – 17/2006 LUSA 445 (August 14, 2006).