This program is eligible for 3 hours of CLE credit in 60-minute states. In 50-minute states, this program is eligible for 3.6 hours of CLE credit. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.
Overview
Divorce cases involving family farms present unique legal, financial, and emotional challenges that distinguish them from traditional marital dissolution matters. For many agricultural families, the farm is not simply a business asset—it is a multigenerational legacy, a source of livelihood, and a cornerstone of family identity. This program provides family law practitioners with practical guidance for navigating the complex issues that arise when agricultural operations become part of divorce proceedings.
- The program begins with an examination of why divorces involving family farms require a different approach. Topics include inherited farmland, intergenerational ownership structures, limited liquidity, preserving the long-term viability of the farming operation, and balancing the interests of family members who are not parties to the divorce, including siblings and future successors.
- Presenters will then explore the impact of farm succession planning and business entities such as LLCs, S Corporations, and partnerships. Attendees will learn how transfer restrictions, buy-sell provisions, and governance documents can significantly affect equitable distribution options, as well as key considerations when drafting and interpreting these agreements.
- The course will also address the strategic use of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements to protect agricultural assets, reduce uncertainty, and establish clear expectations regarding property ownership before and during marriage. Discussion will include inherited property, family-owned businesses, and assets acquired during the marriage.
- A panel discussion will review practical approaches to dividing farm assets. Presenters will evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each option while considering both the economic realities of farming operations and the goals of equitable distribution.
- The program concludes with an in-depth review of valuation issues affecting agricultural property and businesses. Attendees will gain insight into how valuation decisions can impact both the divorce process and the continued operation of the farm.
Whether you represent farming families, business owners, or spouses seeking an equitable resolution, this program will provide the practical knowledge needed to address the distinctive challenges of agricultural divorce cases.
Faculty
Tina Laudermilch, Esq.
Tina has been practicing law for more than 15 years, focusing her practice exclusively in all areas of family law. During her tenure as chair of the DCBA Family Law Section, Tina served on the advisory committee to create the first family court in Dauphin County. In addition, she is trained in parenting coordination and has authored, lectured and moderated seminars for the Dauphin County Bar Association, the PBA Family Law Section Summer Meeting and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. She received her B.A. in Social Work from Shippensburg University and her J.D. from Widener University School of Law.
Karen Miller, Esq.
Karen W. Miller is a partner with the Harrisburg law firm of Daley Zucker, LLC. She has been practicing law for more than twenty (20) years, with a focus on family law, estate planning, estate administration and estate-related litigation. Ms. Miller handles all phases of the negotiation and litigation of domestic cases, including divorce, custody, support, adoption, alimony, equitable distribution, prenuptial, mid-nuptial and postnuptial agreements. She also represents clients in will contests, beneficiary representation and guardianship litigation. While she is a skilled litigator, Ms. Miller also practices Collaborative Law, routinely serves as a Guardian Ad Litem in the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin County and Cumberland County, and is a trained Parenting Coordinator and mediator. Ms. Miller is actively involved in numerous professional associations, and is a member of the Family Law and Estate Law Sections of the Pennsylvania, Dauphin County and Cumberland County Bar Associations, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, former Co-Chair of the Collaborative Professionals of Central Pennsylvania, former Barrister in the Lipsitt Inn of Courts of the Dauphin County Bar Association, and previously served as the Chair for the Dauphin County Bar Association Family Law Section. She also frequently lecturers on a variety of family law topics. Ms. Miller earned her B.S. in Geology and Environmental Science from Dickinson College, and her J.D. from The Florida State University College of Law. She is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and before the Court of Appeals for the State of Maryland.
Casey Johnson-Welsh, Esq.
Casey Johnson-Welsh is an attorney at Daley Zucker, LLC. In her family law practice, she draws on a unique career background to provide families with guidance. Prior to becoming a lawyer, she spent five years as a caseworker with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Children, Youth, and Families. She utilizes her background in psychology and social work in her family law practice. She is trained in Collaborative Law and utilizes both Collaborative Law and traditional litigation in her family law practice. Ms. Johnson-Welsh is a member of the PBA Family Law Section, the Cumberland County Bar Association, the York County Bar Association, and she currently serves as the vice-chair of the Dauphin County Bar Association Family law section and the secretary for the Central Pennsylvania Collaborative Professionals. Ms. Johnson-Welsh graduated from Messiah College with a B.S. in psychology. She received her J.D. from Widener University Commonwealth Law School.
Vicky Ann Trimmer, Esq.
Ms. Trimmer is a partner in the Harrisburg area law firm of Daley, Zucker, LLC, where she concentrates in estate planning and administration, business organization and planning, Pennsylvania state and local taxation and agricultural law. She received her B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh and was awarded her J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law. She also received an associate’s degree in Business Administration from Harrisburg Area Community College. Ms. Trimmer served as Senior Assistant Counsel with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue of the Office of Chief Counsel. She is also a Certified Public Accountant. She was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel in October 2019. Ms. Trimmer has made numerous presentations before professional organizations, including the PICPA conferences and Pennsylvania Bar Institute events. She is a member of the Pennsylvania, Dauphin County and Cumberland County Bar Associations and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Ms. Trimmer is a past adjunct associate professor of law at the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University. She is a past president of the Estate Planning Council of Central Pennsylvania, Inc. Ms. Trimmer is a member of the Upper Allen Women’s Club and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs Pennsylvania, which is a women’s organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service. Ms. Trimmer served as state president of GFWC PA for the 2013-2016 term. She is currently serving as a member of the GFWC international Board of Directors as Chairman of the Civic Engagement committee.

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