Family Law

Our attorneys have extensive knowledge and experience in Pennsylvania family law including the following areas:

 

Divorce Law - Pennsylvania allows specific grounds for divorce, whether it is contested or uncontested. When a marital separation of the spouses occurs, the parties must reach agreements concerning spousal support, alimony, child custody and support, and property division, among other things. If such agreements cannot be reached, the court will decide these issues based on Pennsylvania law. Our attorneys can advise you on what grounds you can seek a divorce, and help you negotiate the various agreements needed to terminate the marriage. If necessary, we will prepare the divorce filings and will represent your interests before the court.

 

Child Custody - Custody law involves each parent's right to make decisions for the child and the right to have the child with them, or, in some cases, a grandparent. Pennsylvania courts decide child custody issues based on "the best interests of the child,"  which involves the court's consideration of a set of factors in the law including a child's age and maturity, parenting abilities of each parent, the child's relationships with parents and other relatives, housing and other important factors in the law. Our attorneys can advise you on what grounds you can seek custody and visitation, and help you negotiate a custody agreement. If necessary, we will prepare the custody petition and will diligently represent your custody interests before the court.

 

Child Support - Pennsylvania law requires that children be supported, and sets specific guidelines on the amounts a non-custodial parent must pay. However, courts may deviate from these guidelines depending on the individual situation of a parent. We can assist you with filing for child support, spousal support and other related claims.  We can also represent your interests before the court in all support matters.

 

Adoption - Pennsylvania has liberal adoption laws and any person may be adopted, regardless of age or residence. However, certain requirements such as consent provisions must be met in order to validate the adoption before the court can approve the adoption.  Our attorneys have extensive experience in all types of adoption matters including petitions seeking adoption by a step-parent or other relations.

 

Guardianship -  If a child or adult person is not able to properly care for themselves or their assets, Pennsylvania law allows for the courts to approve a legal guardian for such person provided the guardian has no interest adverse to the person and can act in their best interests. Our attorneys can answer your questions about guardianships and we can represent your interests in filing for appointment as a guardian before the court.

 

Contact the Higgins Law Office at 570-421-3830 to talk to an attorney about your case for free.