Business divorce cases are most often litigated in state courts, and that can create difficulty for all those involved. Based on anecdotal evidence (me talking with members of the judiciary at various lawyer events), many Pennsylvania judges see only a few business-flavored cases a year and it could be several years between when they see a significant business divorce. Dockets are crowded and the businesses at the hearts of these cases tend to suffer as time passes. Many county courts use case management systems that result in different judges hearing different parts of the case, which creates a mess in a complex owner dispute.

For those reasons, we always take a hard look at whether we can get a case into federal court. Here are some things that have worked over the years and some that haven’t.