Lisa Marie Vari & Associates, P.C.
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Lisa Marie Vari & Associates, P.C.
Manor Building, Penthouse Suite
564 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219
Phone: 412-281-9906
Toll Free 1-866-PA-DIVORCE
Facsimile: 412-281-9908
info@pafamilylawyers.com

Appointments also available in Cranberry Twp., Robinson Twp., South Hills & Washington

Family Law Articles
Helping Our Lawyers Help You

Stepping Back From Anger - Protecting Your Children During Divorce

Tax Implications of Divorce and Support

Application of the Presumption of Paternity and Paternity by Estoppel in Pennsylvania

Inheritances Not Considered Income for Support Purposes

Pennsylvania grandparent visitation cases

Abolition of common law marriages in Pennsylvania

Use of court appointed psychologists in custody cases

PA Family Law
Divorce and Annulments

Equitable Distribution

Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

Spousal Support, APL and Alimony

Child Support and Paternity

Child Custody

Grandparents' Rights

Contempt, Enforcement, Modification and Appeals

Stepparent Rights

Juvenile Law

Domestic Violence

Same Sex Couple Laws

Assisted Reproduction Cases & Surrogacy


LMV & Associates

Pittsburgh Divorce Lawyers, Pittsburgh Support Attorneys & Pittsburgh Custody Lawyers

     At the Western Pennsylvania law offices of Lisa Marie Vari & Associates, P.C., our practice is limited to PA family law issues.  As a former judicial law clerk and Attorney for the Family Division of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, a litigant in her own prior divorce proceeding, and a child who witnessed her parents' divorce, Ms. Vari understands the legal as well as the emotional and financial implications of a Pennsylvania family law proceeding.  The goal of our PA family law offices is to make your experience in and out of the courtroom as positive and convenient as possible.  Call our office at (412) 281-9906 or toll free at (866) PA-DIVORCE or click here to schedule an appointment.

HOW IS OUR PENNSYLVANIA FAMILY LAW OFFICE DIFFERENT FROM SOME OTHER LAW FIRMS?

1.     Our Pennsylvania family law attorneys practice solely in Western Pennsylvania including Allegheny County, Beaver County, Butler County, Washington County, and Westmoreland County.   Our attorneys accept family law cases from Armstrong County, Fayette County, Greene County, Indiana County, Lawrence County, Mercer County, Somerset County and Venango County on a case-by-case basis.  Our attorneys were born and raised in Pennsylvania as well as educated in Pennsylvania.  Most importantly, our Pennsylvania family law attorneys have practiced their entire legal careers solely in the area of Pennsylvania family law.  Feel free to view the professional histories of our staff and compare them to others who indicate that they accept family law cases.  When comparing our firm to others, ask yourself whether the other attorneys have a long-term connection to Pennsylvania or are simply multi-state advertisers in Pennsylvania like some of our competitors.

2.     The entire focus of our law office is Pennsylvania family law cases.  Every minute of every work day is spent representing our clients in the Pennsylvania family law field.  When our attorneys focus solely on one area, family law, and further focus solely in one region, Western Pennsylvania, we have developed a vast knowledge of Pennsylvania family law as a whole and the invididual nuances of each of the Western Pennsylvania counties that we serve.  Have you ever heard the phrase "been there, done that"?  Our attorneys have practiced family law in every Western Pennsylvania county and have handled every type of PA family law case both in and out of the courtroom.  If comparing us to other attorneys, ask them if they focus their practice solely in family law in Western PA and if they have handled your particular type of case both in and out of the courtroom before.

3.     Our Pennsylvania family law attorneys have over thirty-five years experience in handling clients' Pennsylvania divorce, support, custody, and other family law cases.  After the initial consultation, each of our clients are assigned to one of three attorneys to act as their primary attorney, Attorney Vari, Attorney Jamie Spero, or Attorney Jesse Weidaw, all of which are assisted by our junior associate, Jill Schiffman Rosenthal.  Each of our primary attorneys have at least seven years family law experience and, if the lead attorney is not Attorney Vari, all of our cases are supervised by Attorney Vari who has over seventeen years experience in the family law field.  In fact, Attorney Spero was named in 2009 and 2010 as a "Rising Star" in Pennsylvania Family Law - an honor given to only 2.5% of all Pennsylvania associate attorneys.  Attorney Weidaw will receive that same honor, being named a "Rising Star" in Pennsylvania Family Law in May of 2010.  Many of our competitors advertise that they are family law attorneys, but a question you should ask is how many years actual experience does the attorney that you will be primarily assigned to have in the PA family law field and what kind of honors have they received in the field. 

4.     We don't use advertising gimmicks that indicate we solely represent men's rights or women's rights in order to attract business.  Instead, we strive to always do what is best for the children of any broken relationship first; then what is best for our clients - whether they be men or women.  Neither party wins when a relationship ends; it is our job to minimize the damage that occurs during a divorce or other break-up, especially the damage to the children.  Our office has a track record of being able to settle cases out of court which ususally means both parties - the man and woman - recognize the agreement as fair.  Furthermore, the best way to know what the legal arguments of the opposing side or opposite sex will be in a given case is to have prior experience representing the other side of family law cases - mother and fathers; husbands and wives. 

5.  Some internet advertisers engage in a "bait and switch scheme" whereby they advertise that they offer simple, uncontested divorces for a low, flat fee.  These programs are often based upon paralegals or the clients completing fill-in-the blank divorce forms and filing them in an a county court in the middle of the state. Pennsylvania law provides that only the court in the county where assets are located or the place where the parties last resided together has the power to hear any issues involving division of assets and debts or enforcement of those agreements or orders. Furthermore, to enforce child support or custody agreements, an order must be entered by the court.  Only the county court where the defendant resides or works (absent some special rules) can enter a support order or enforce that order.  Only the county court where minor children have resided for the past six months can enter a custody order that can be enforced by the courts.  So what are some clients of the internet advertisers left with? Huge legal bills when settlement agreements are not complied with and attorneys must travel to the out-of-the-way counties to fix the problems.  Or worse yet, agreements regarding child support and custody that are unenforceable in the foreign county and which must be processed again through the appropriate court.  Our Pennsylvania family law office is a full service family law firm that completes all necessary forms for you, files them with the appropriate courthouse, and has the ability to quickly seek to enforce any property division, custody, or support orders that we properly filed with the appropriate courts.  Remember the phrase - "You get what you pay for!"

6.     Our Pennsylvania family law firm employs multiple attorneys and multiple secretaries to assist in the smooth operation of client cases.   Our clients do not need to worry about what will happen to their case if their primary attorney is on vacation, sick, or handling other client matters as our office employs multiple family law attorneys who can assist a client if their primary attorney is unavailable for a short period of time. Furthermore, by employing multiple secretaries, our clients are always greeted by telephone by a live staff member from our office and not by an answering machine or answering service that has no knowledge of our clients' legal matters.  Our senior secretary and office manager, Barb Doubt, has been employed by Attorney Vari for over twelve years and has a long-standing relationship with many of our former as well as current clients as well as a wealth of knowledge developed over her years of employment as a family law secretary.

7.   If you're thinking about a family law problem today, you can have an appointment today with a family law attorney!  Appointments can be scheduled to take place by telephone or in person at our office or regional meeting locations in Cranberry Township (Butler County), Robinson Township, Washington, South Hills, and Sewickley.  If you have just a few questions, a 30 minute telephone appointment (or in person at the Pittsburgh office) at a reduced fee may be all that you need.  For a more detailed appointment or in more complicated cases, you may wish to schedule a more detailed appointment that typically last about 1 - 1 1/2 hours and that may take place in person or by telephone with one of our Pennsylvania family law attorneys.  Call our office at (412) 281-9906 or (866) PA-DIVORCE for an appointment today!

8.  Our Pennsylvania family law firm utilizes the latest computer technology in managing clients' ongoing family law cases and in communicating with clients.  Many of our clients elect to communicate with our office by email for immediate copies of any documents drafted by our office or received from the opposing party as well as other routine communication between our attorneys and the clients.  Whether by email or regular mail, our clients are kept fully aware of the progress of their case as we provide copies of all materials received from the opposing party or attorney, copies of all documents generated by our office, and copies of all court orders or other documents from the court.

     And the list goes on and on.......  We truly believe that given our roots in Pennsylvania, our team of experienced family law attorneys and staff, and our case management techniques, our  office is uniquely different from many others who represent themselves as Pennsylvania family law attorneys.

WHAT TYPES OF CASES DOES THE PENNSYLVANIA FAMILY LAW OFFICE OF LISA MARIE VARI & ASSOCIATES HANDLE? 

Our Pennsylvania family law firm handles all aspects of Pennsylvania family law cases including:

PA Divorce, Annulment and Common Law Marriage

Equitable Distribution of Marital Assets and Marital Debts

Prenuptial Agreements (Antenuptial Agreements), Postnuptial Agreements & Cohabitation Agreements

Spousal Support, Alimony pendente lite (APL) and Alimony cases

Pennsylvania Child Support and Paternity Issues

Primary, Partial, & Shared Child Custody & Visitation Rights in PA

Pennsylvania Grandparents' Rights including Visitation and Custody

PA Adoption Petitions - Voluntary and Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights (TPR)s

Pennsylvania Step parent Adoption & Other Rights

Juvenile Law Issues - Juvenile Dependents and Juvenile Delinquents

Contempt, Enforcement, Modification and Appeals of PA orders

PA Domestic Violence, Spousal Abuse and Child Abuse

Same Sex Couple Laws including cohabitation agreements, the legal dissolution of same-sex relationships,  same sex partner adoptions, and custody rights

Assisted Reproduction Cases including egg (ovum) and sperm donors, surrogacy contracts and adoption

     From our PA law offices located in downtown Pittsburgh, our team of Pennsylvania family law attorneys are available to represent clients with their issues originating in Western Pennsylvania.  We welcome clients who reside in the Greater Pittsburgh area and can meet with us at our Pittsburgh office or at several other meeting locations we have throughout Western Pennsylvania including Cranberry Township, Robinson Township, Washington, South Hills, and Sewickley.  We also welcome clients from other cities, states and countries who wish to communicate with our office primarily by telephone, mail, and email.  Out of town clients are no problem for us as we have represented clients who lived or worked in foreign countries from as far away as India, United Arab Emigrates, Iraq, and Afghanistan.   

     Whether you need  Pennsylvania divorce lawyersPittsburgh custody attorneysPA child support lawyersPittsburgh spousal support attorneysPA Grandparents' Rights lawyers, PA adoption advocatesPittsburgh equitable distribution lawyersPA family law appellate attorneys for appeals of PA ordersAllegheny County Juvenile Dependency and Juvenile Delinquency lawyersPA domestic violence advocatesPA attorneys who handle prenuptial, postnuptual, and cohabitation agreements , or attorneys for some other PA family law issue, our team of PA family lawyers and support staff  are ready to assist you with your Pennsylvania family law matter.  

     We understand that the decision to pick up the phone and telephone or email a family law attorney about appointment options is a major step forward in resolving often long-standing problems and that once the call or email for help is placed, the potential client usually desires immediate help.  For this reason, our office will do everything possible to accommodate your desire for a prompt (sometimes same-day) appointment and will work with your schedule when arranging an appointment with our office. Schedule an appointment with our team of PA family lawyers  to assist you with your PA family law matter!

 


Family Law Practice : Family Law FAQs : Our Team : News : Active Military : Directions : Contact Us : Web Resources : Home : Site Map

Divorce and Annulments : Equitable Distribution : Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements : Spousal Support, APL and Alimony : Child Support and Paternity : Child Custody : Grandparents' Rights : Contempt, Enforcement, Modification and Appeals : Stepparent Rights : Juvenile Law : Domestic Violence


IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES AND NOTICES :
The materials in this site have been prepared by the law offices of Lisa Marie Vari & Associates, P.C. for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. Readers should not act upon information contained within this site without seeking professional counsel. Although we try to keep our site current and accurate, you should not rely on this information or its applicability to any specific circumstances without first speaking with an attorney. We cannot guarantee that the information on this site is applicable to your circumstances.

Transmission of the information from this site to the reader and contact with our office by email from the reader will not create an attorney-client relationship between the sender and the receiver. Email communications with our firm may not be secure even if they are encrypted and prospective clients or clients should not send confidential, time-sensitive or proprietary information over unsecured electronic lines.

This site provides links to a variety of other resources. However, this site does not intend such links to be referrals to, or endorsements of, the linked resources or information that they make available.

Photographic images contained in this website are dramatizations except for images provided in the staff biography section.

The attorneys at the law offices of Lisa Marie Vari & Associates, P.C. are available to help families and individuals who have cases in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties including communities such as: Aliquippa, Ambridge, Baden, Baldwin, Beaver, Beaver Falls, Bell Acres, Bellevue, Bentleyville, Bethel Park, Blawnox, Brentwood, Brownsville, Burgettstown, Butler, California, Canonsburg, Carnegie, Centerville, Cheswick, Clairton, Claysville, Collier, Coraopolis, Cranberry Township, Crescent, Darlington, Donora, East Deer, Economy, Edgeworth, Elizabeth, Findlay, Finleyville, Forward, Fox Chapel, Franklin Park, Gastonville, Gibsonia, Greensburg, Greentree, Grove City, Hampton, Harmar, Hickory, Hookstown, Houston, Indiana, Jefferson Hills, Kennedy, Kilbuck Ross, Latrobe, Lincoln, Lyndora, Marianna, Mars, Marshall-Bradford Woods, McCandless, McDonald, McMurray, Meridian, Midland, Monaca, Monessen, Monongahela, Monroeville, Moon, Mount Oliver, Munhall, Murrysville, New Brighton, New Castle, New Eagle, New Kensington, North Fayette, North Versailles, O'Hara, Oakdale, Ohio Township, Ohioville, Penn Hills, Pine, Pleasant Hills, Plum, Port Vue, Rankin, Richland, Rochester, Scenery Hill, Scott, Sewickley Heights, Shaler, Slippery Rock, South Fayette, South Park, Springdale, Stowe, Tarentum, Uniontown, Upper St. Clair, Valencia, Washington, West Deer, West Elizabeth, West Mifflin, West View, Wexford, White Oak, Whitehall, Wilkins and Zelienople.