Welcome to the Family Law Offices of Spitale, Vargo, Madsen & Blair
Even parents who are happily married have different views when it comes to raising their children. For parents who are divorced or who do not live together, disputes over the best interests of the child are magnified.
Our child custody lawyers are sensitive to the difficulties of co-parenting. We handle a variety of matters, but we know that few legal issues are more important or more emotionally charged than child custody. We work hard to truly understand your concerns and to achieve a favorable outcome, in and out of court.
Our Lehigh Valley child custody lawyers represents mothers, fathers and grandparents throughout the Lehigh Valley, including Monroe, Northampton and Lehigh Counties. Contact us today for a consultation.
Protecting Your Parental Rights And Your Child’s Best Interests
The first thing many clients ask is what rights they have in child custody proceedings. The best child custody lawyers take the time to explain Pennsylvania custody law and to address all your questions about the legal process. Our child custody attorneys take the time to understand your concerns and your goals so that we can determine a course of action.
We handle to following types of proceedings:
• Physical custody and legal custody
• Visitation and parenting plans
• Relocation proceedings
• Grandparents rights
• Paternity actions
• Modification of custody or support orders
• Interference with visitation rights
• Dependency, CYS, CYF and DHS matters
Understanding Child Custody
Sole physical custody is rarely awarded to a parent unless he or she can show cause such as serious drug use or child abuse. It is common for a court to award primary physical custody to one parent and partial physical custody (visitation) to the other parent.
The Pennsylvania family courts have become more and more progressive, fathers are obtaining shared physical custody in many cases. There is a presumption that dads deserve equal time if they have been actively involved in raising the child.
Disputes arise when a parent asserts primary custody without a court order and tries to limit the other parent’s access to the child. If parents cannot agree on how to split parenting time, our attorneys are prepared to litigate a favorable outcome.
Legal custody refers to decisions about the child’s schooling, health care, religious upbringing and general welfare. In most cases, both parents will share legal custody. While sole physical custody is rare, sole legal custody is an even more unlikely outcome in child custody litigation.
A parenting plan refers to the day-to-day scheduling of the co-parenting arrangements and, in some cases, which parent will make decisions regarding certain aspects of the child’s life. We can help negotiate the calendar of weekends, overnights, vacations and holidays, as well as pick-up times and other day-to-day details. We work to make the plan clear and enforceable while encouraging communication and flexibility.
Lehigh Valley Child Custody Lawyers
Every situation is different, but the best child custody lawyers can help find the elusive solutions to custody conflicts. We handle all child custody matters. Contact us for a consultation today.