Thomas & Thomas, Attorneys at Law

We remain open for business by telephone, email and video. We are not able to meet with clients at the office but are able to handle all aspects of business remotely. Feel free to contact us at any time.

A criminal conviction might keep an individual from pursuing teaching as a career path.

It's important to know the difference between the two types of property in a marriage.

Just a reminder to drivers out there: with the new school year underway it is important to keep an eye out for school buses. When the bus is stopped with red lights flashing and the stop sign arm extended it is illegal to pass the bus. Not only is it against the law but you will get a 60 day license suspension if you plead guilty or are found guilty in court. So be careful out there and exercise great caution when you see a school bus!

Why are some applications for disability benefits denied?

There are key benefits of establishing a comprehensive parenting plan, including stress reduction and better communication.

The underage drinking law has been changed. You no longer get a license suspension as part of your penalty if you do a pre-adjudication disposition or are convicted of underage drinking. You can still expunge any underage drinking convictions once you are 21 years old.

When is a search considered "reasonable?"

Is there any recourse for a disabled individual who is denied a hearing?

Alimony laws are changing as of January 1, 2019. If an alimony agreement or order is entered on or after January 1, the tax effect will be different. The person paying alimony will no longer be able to deduct the alimony payments on their taxes, and the person receiving the payments will not have to report it as income. This will affect how we resolve alimony issues and amounts through negotiation or court hearing.

Child support helps the custodial parent cover general costs involved in raising a child.

This proposal would truly be a disaster. This step was eliminated in Pennsylvania 19 years ago. There is no data in support of its reinstatement, and very very few people are approved at the reconsideration level. The net result is a much longer wait for a hearing for most people. Call or email your congressman and express your opinion on this issue!

Truck drivers be careful out there. When you get citations from the police make sure you know their effect on your license before you pay your fine/plead guilty

Blog post today on landmark SCOTUS cellphone data collection decision

A Pennsylvania appellate court has just upheld Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli's policy that ARD is not available to undocumented illegal aliens regardless of how minor the crime is. If you are charged with a crime in this situation good, effective representation from the outset is critical.

Learn when police are required to read the Miranda rights to citizens.

One of our clients was recently found not guilty of underage drinking at trial. We were able to successfully argue that the police seriously overstepped their bounds in the way in which they raided a private residence. It was the right result.

For older couples, divorce can present challenging financial questions.

Learn the difference between Social Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

For anyone under the age of 21, blood-alcohol content above 0.01 is considered a DUI.

For nearly every child, two issues occupy their thoughts during divorce.

We work very hard to help people with disabilities. This is a story of a woman caught in the system, and the status of the system now. The agency needs funding to catch up on this backlog and get on track.

Can certain health conditions affect a breath test?

Pennsylvania has reduced the separation period to get a no fault divorce from 2 years to 1 year effective December 4, 2016. This applies to all divorces filed after December 4, 2016. This is a good law as the 2 year waiting period often prolonged the uncertainty of the divorce/separation.

People have been trying to predict incoming policy changes after the election results.

Underage drinking is dangerous especially when liquor is involved. The vast majority of my underage drinking cases involve consumption of hard liquor like vodka, whiskey, or grain alcohol. Steer clear and be safe!

Bruce Thomas, Esq., recently handled a driving under the influence trial, and our client was found not guilty by the jury! Our client has provided a testimonial which is found on our website.

To all commercial truck drivers. Many local roads are being posted as off limits by weight as local governments react to the increased truck traffic in the Lehigh Valley. Keep your eyes open as the fines can be huge(two recent clients were fined over $5,000.00 although we were able to get them reduced significantly in court). New signs seem to be going up every week.

We are very happy to continue to support North Penn Legal Services(NPLS) which offers legal help to those unable to afford it themselves. We are also proud sponsors of the Raise a Glass to Justice Fundraiser for NPLS this Thursday, October 17, at Cosmopolitan Restaurant in Allentown and hope to see you there!

Bruce Thomas appeared on national television in this episode of Teen Mom 2 which first aired on February 26, 2013. Check out this recap of the episode. Bruce was able to get the protection from abuse petition filed against his client withdrawn by the other side in court. See the episode recap for details.

Bruce Thomas was quoted on ESPNNewYork.com in a January 23, 2013 article by Jane McManus about New York Jets coach Rex Ryan's recent traffic accident in Bethlehem. It seems that he ran a red light but only received a warning from the police so far. The police have 30 days from the accident date to issue a citation to Ryan.