Do I need to hire a Pennsylvania family law lawyer?

It is not advisable for any person to complete paperwork to file a Complaint for Divorce without having a detailed consultation beforehand with an attorney to discuss the ramifications of such action.  There are companies and even law firms that offer low-cost paperwork for a person to file their own Divorce Complaint.  Once again, this is not advisable since a spouse may loose certain rights if the Complaint does not raise all claims between the parties.  Furthermore, for some spouses it is not advisable to be the filing party of a divorce action because doing so may limit certain defenses to the payment of support to a spouse or, if the filing spouse is the lower wage earning spouse, filing a Divorce Complaint  may limit the length of time that the dependent spouse may collect certain forms of support.  The strategy behind whether or not it is appropriate to file a Divorce Complaint generally can only be understand after a consultation with a family law attorney.  Do not simply tell an attorney you want to file for divorce.  Ask questions first of whether this would be in your legal best interests.    

A person should also consult with an attorney prior to vacating the marital home or moving away from the residence that your children occupy and also after service upon them of any type of family law action that is filed by the other party with the Pennsylvania courts.  Once again, important legal rights may be adversely impacted if you do not take immediate action.  

If you cannot financially afford to pay for a consultation, we suggest that you review the information in this website to obtain a general understanding of family law topics and contact the Legal Aid Society located in your county to determine if you are eligible for free services.

Our law firm represents individuals in Pennsylvania divorce, equitable distribution, child custody, child and spousal support, alimony, paternity, protection from abuse, juvenile law, adoption, and related family law matters in Western Pennsylvania including Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), Beaver County, Butler County, Washington County, and Westmoreland County (Greensburg).  Our Pennsylvania family law attorneys accept family law cases in other Western Pennsylvania counties including Armstrong County, Clarion County, Greene County, Indiana County, Lawrence County (New Castle), Mercer County, Somerset County, and Venango County on a case-by-case basis.   Our law firm conducts appointments in our Allegheny County offices located in downtown Pittsburgh and Whitehall Borough and in our Butler County office located in Cranberry Township.  In some circumstances, telephone appointments are available.  To schedule a consultation, click here . 

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