Best PFA Lawyer Pittsburgh
Helping Kids With Stress
The standard response for problem children is to punish them. However, new studies show that making sure everyone in the school community understands the effects of trauma on children can help reduce their damaging effects.
Children who lack adequate protection from adults can experience potentially damaging effects. Researchers have learned that highly stressful childhood experiences have far-reaching implications for schools.
With this knowledge, schools can offer children special services that cater to their individual needs.
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law with a focus on high-conflict child custody and allegations of domestic abuse. We handle: child custody, child support, divorce, spousal support, Protection From Abuse (PFA), and Children Youth and Families (CYF).
To schedule a consultation with an experienced family law attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Child Support: Earning Capacity
Q: Do I still have to pay child support if I’m unemployed?
A: Maybe. If a parent has no income, but is capable of working, the court can order child support based on that parent’s earning capacity. In this situation, the court may estimate what the unemployed parent could earn given his or her education, skills and prior employment history.
Other factors involve the child-custody arrangement and each parent’s expenses relative to their income levels.
Spivak Law Firm handles all family law matters, including: divorce, child custody, child support, Protection From Abuse (PFA), and Children Youth and Families (CYF). To schedule a consultation with an experienced family law attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Child Custody: Sharing Time
In the past, sole custody was usually given to the mother because of society’s ideas about gender roles. However, in today’s world, with the image of the mother as primary caregiver changing as more fathers take on active roles in child-raising, other kinds of custody arrangements have emerged.
To date, more than 25 states have introduced bills advocating for shared parenting over sole custody.
Proponents of shared parenting argue that it allows children to spend as close to equal time as possible with both parents without placing an overwhelming burden on the mother or alienating the father.
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law, including: child custody, child support, divorce, spousal support, and Protection From Abuse (PFA). To speak with an experienced child-custody attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Parental Alienation
A common issue in custody battles is when a parent intentionally attempts to alienate the children from the other parent. Trying to prove the alienation can be difficult and many judges are reluctant to allow children to testify in court.
Experts recognize the tragic impact serious alienation has on children, as the children may go on to have psychiatric disorders, failed relationships, and dysfunctional lives.
Spivak Law Firm helps parents assert their child-custody rights in Pittsburgh and all surrounding counties, including: Allegheny County, Beaver County, Butler County, Washington County, and Westmoreland County.
Protect Against Online Harassment
Have you ever felt that your partner’s online behavior is out of control? Do they send constant messages that leave you feeling on-edge, use location features to track where you are, or demand to have access to your phone?
Here are some tips to protect yourself against online domestic abuse:
- Use strong, unique passwords to keep your accounts from being hacked.
- Use two-step verification to make your accounts more secure.
- Back up your data to secure and collect evidence of harassment.
- Browse the web privately so your partner cannot track your Internet history.
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law with a special focus on domestic violence and Protection From Abuse (PFA). Call us at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Protect Kids From Trauma
Researchers have found that exposure to psychological abuse between parents is associated with more damage to the wellbeing of children as they get older than physical domestic abuse.
Social support has been found to be vital for recovery from traumatic events in childhood. However, this research reveals that exposure to high levels of psychological domestic abuse may be associated with a decrease in young people’s satisfaction with the social support they receive.
Spivak Law Firm handles all family law matters, including: divorce, child custody, child support, Protection From Abuse (PFA), and Children Youth and Families (CYF). To schedule a consultation with an experienced family law attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Consequences for Violating A Custody Order
You should not withhold your children from the other parent unless there is a true emergency. Instead, you may file a custody action and obtain an enforceable order of court.
An order of court establishing custody or visitation rights may always be modified for the best interests and welfare of the children.
Failure to comply with an order of court by withholding your children from the other parent could result in a contempt action. Sanctions against you may include makeup time for the other parent and paying their attorney fees.
To speak with an experienced child custody lawyer in Allegheny County, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
PFAs and Gun Rights
In Pennsylvania, Protection From Abuse (PFA) defendants are frequently ordered to relinquish their firearms. If the defendant has to surrender the guns, they can be held for safekeeping by a third party like a family member or friend who passes a criminal background check by police.
Spivak Law Firm advocates for PFA defendants to protect their Second Amendment right to gun possession and ownership. We have effectively represented many people whose careers were at risk due to a PFA, including: police officers, homeland security officers, nurses, teachers, firearms dealers, and military personnel.
If you’ve been served with a PFA order, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
PFA: Dating Partners
If signed into law, House Bill 223 would provide dating partners in Louisiana the same protections in domestic-abuse cases as spouses are afforded.
Under current law, dating partners involved in domestic abuse cases may only be charged with simple battery, not domestic abuse battery, which carries more severe penalties.
It’s vital for dating partners to receive the same protections from battery as other abuse victims. Abusive behavior left unchecked tends to escalate, and domestic-violence laws include enhanced penalties to deter such behavior.
The danger is just as real in a dating relationship as in marriage. In fact, roughly 60% of the people killed in domestic homicides in Louisiana in 2016 were not married to their alleged killers.
Spivak Law Firm provides aggressive representation for plaintiffs and defendants in domestic violence cases, including Protection From Abuse (PFA), Children Youth and Families (CYF), and criminal domestic violence. To schedule a free consultation, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Post-Gazette Features Spivak Law Firm
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has once again featured Spivak Law Firm on issues involving family law and criminal defense.
The P-G recently published the article, Impoverished Parents Deserve Their Day In Court, written by Rebecca Canterbury, who will begin work at Spivak Law Firm as an associate attorney in the fall.
Attorney Todd Spivak, the owner of Spivak Law Firm and a two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, assisted with writing and editing the article for publication.
The Post-Gazette routinely features Spivak Law Firm, publishing several articles of important legal commentary on child custody and Protection From Abuse (PFA) laws in Pennsylvania.
In Crack Down On Domestic Violence In Allegheny County, Attorney Spivak calls on Allegheny County to let specialized judges with extensive domestic-violence training oversee all PFA hearings.
In Improve Pennsylvania’s Domestic-Abuse Law, Attorney Spivak exposes the issue of bogus PFA orders and recommends ways to curb abuses in the system.
In Child Custody For Rapists, Attorney Spivak explains how rapists use family court to harass and intimidate their victims. Since the article’s publication, the Pennsylvania Legislature has taken action to safeguard the custody rights of rape victims.
Spivak Law Firm provides strong, compassionate, cost-effective representation in all family law and criminal defense matters. Call us at (412) 344-4900.