Pittsburgh Criminal Defense Lawyers
Spivak Law Firm Offers Many Clients Flat Fees
Flat fees are one-time charges for legal services. Unlike retainers, flat fees provide clients certainty for how much their total legal fees will cost.
Flat fees are generally offered if a client seeks legal representation at a court hearing or for drafting legal documents. Flat fees may even include filing fees and travel costs related to the case.
At Spivak Law Firm, many of our clients appreciate that we offer flat fees so they know upfront how much they will need to pay for our representation.
We offer flat fees for many types of cases, including:
- PFA hearings
- Child support hearings
- Child custody conciliations
- Preliminary hearings
- ICC hearings
- Summary trials and summary appeals
- Criminal record expungements
- Drafting wills and powers of attorney
To speak with an experienced family law and criminal defense attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Domestic Abuse and Mass Shootings
Experts say there are striking parallels between the factors that drive domestic violence and mass shootings.
FBI data on mass shootings from 2009 to 2015 show that 21 percent of the attackers had previously been charged with domestic violence.
For instance, Omar Mateen, the gunman in the nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida, had reportedly beaten and attempted to control his ex-wife during their brief marriage.
“Take the dynamic of coercive violence to its most horrible extreme,” according to an article in The New York Times, “and it looks an awful lot like how the Islamic State treats women. It is intimate violence on an industrial scale.”
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law and criminal defense with a special focus on domestic abuse.
Call us at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Don’t Let A Criminal Record Hold You Back
If a criminal record is holding you back, you now have several options for relief under Pennsylvania law.
First, if the charges were withdrawn or dismissed, or if you were convicted on a low-level offense and five years have passed, you can have your record expunged, which effectively erases the information from the public dockets.
Second, Pennsylvania recently adopted a new law allowing for limited access orders, which restricts employment agencies and internet websites from accessing any information relating to a conviction or arrest for people convicted of second- and third-degree misdemeanors.
Third, if you are currently serving a sentence for a crime, you can seek total forgiveness through by formally requesting a pardon from the governor. Obtaining a pardon tends to be more expensive and challenging the administrative processes for obtaining an expungement or limited access order.
To learn more about options for dealing with your criminal record, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Accused of Child Abuse?
In the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, Pennsylvania expanded the mandatory child abuse reporting laws. As a result, the number of child abuse reports has soared.
Spivak Law Firm understands that reports of child abuse can be motivated by true safety concerns, though they are sometimes made to retaliate or harass.
Spivak Law Firm has extensive experience representing people accused of child abuse at Protection from Abuse (PFA) hearings, Children Youth and Families (CYF) hearings, and criminal domestic-violence hearings.
Based in Pittsburgh, we provide strong, compassionate, cost-effective representation.
If you face child abuse accusations, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or tolls free at (800) 545-9390.
Helping People Expunge Criminal Records
People with criminal records face major barriers to employment, housing and education.
Perhaps surprisingly, more than 90 percent of people eligible for criminal-record expungements don’t even apply, according to researchers.
Most people don’t know they can get an expungement, or don’t know how to do it, and don’t have lawyers to advise them.
The process can be long and complicated, requiring visits to courthouses. The fees and costs are a barrier for people in poverty.
At Spivak Law Firm, we help people expunge their criminal records so they can move on with their lives.
For a free consultation, call us today at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Pittsburgh Media Features Attorney Todd Spivak
Attorney Todd Spivak, owner of Spivak Law Firm, recently published an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the importance of vigorously defending people accused of committing heinous crimes.
Attorney Spivak, a two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, practices family law and criminal defense with a special focus on child custody and domestic-violence defense. His article discusses the challenges of handling high-conflict emotional cases involving people with mental illness, substance abuse, and histories of violent behavior.
Spivak Law Firm has represented hundreds of people in Pittsburgh and surrounding counties, including: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Indiana, Mercer, Washington, and Westmoreland. Call us today at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Domestic Abuse: Immigration
Since President Trump took office, domestic-abuse victims seeking help have been concerned about their possible deportation.
A recent survey of over 700 advocates and legal service providers found that 62% have observed an increase in immigration-related questions from survivors of violence.
The immigrant community has interpreted President Trump’s rhetoric and reports of increased enforcement to mean all are at risk. This anxiety has translated into behavioral shifts among some of the most vulnerable immigrants, including those trapped in violent situations.
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.
Partial Expungements In Pennsylvania
A criminal record can harm your employment opportunities. Pennsylvania recently increased the options for restricting employers from viewing your criminal record through what are called limited access orders.
For the first time, people convicted of second- and third-degree misdemeanor offenses may be able to restrict employers from viewing their criminal records.
But what about people convicted of felonies and first-degree misdemeanors? Such people may not be able to completely erase or seal their records, but they can obtain partial expungements.
For instance, people with long rap sheets can clean up their backgrounds by partially expunging their records to remove all charges that were withdrawn or dismissed. Though a criminal record remains, it will look far better to employers, especially if the convictions occurred many years ago.
Spivak Law Firm is devoted to helping people with criminal records move on with their lives. Call us today at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Don’t Spank Your Kids
Under Pennsylvania law, parents are permitted to use corporal punishment if it is for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the welfare of their child.
But the force used on the child cannot create a substantial risk of death, serious bodily injury, disfigurement, extreme pain, or mental distress.
A spanking that leaves a mark or bruise could result in a Protection from Abuse Order (PFA), a Child, Youth and Families (CYF) investigation, or even criminal charges for child abuse.
Parents engaged in child-custody disputes should consider avoiding all forms of corporal punishment to avoid allegations of abuse.
Spivak Law Firm provides strong, compassionate representation in all family-law and criminal-defense matters. To schedule a consultation, call (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Domestic Violence Increases Wage Gap
Men make more money than women over the course of their lifetimes due in part to the disparate number of domestic violence incidents committed against women, according to a recent report from McKinsey and Company.
Women who suffer violence often miss work, become less productive, and lose their jobs or get picked over for a promotion.
The domestic violence perpetrator may further disrupt her work and embarrass her by calling repeatedly and showing up to make a scene.
Such behaviors have further increased the wage gap between men and women, the report states.
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law and criminal defense with a focus on domestic violence and child custody. To schedule a consultation, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.