Pittsburgh PFA Lawyer
Protecting Kids In Divorce
Divorce can be one of the most difficult challenges in a person’s life. You are learning to cope with a divided family, and you may harbor ill feelings toward your ex-spouse.
As tempting as it may be, it is important to never vent about your ex-spouse to your children. Consider reserving those feelings for friends or counselors.
Remind yourself that the issues between you and your ex-spouse are between the two of you.
Avoid putting your children in the middle of conflict and making them feel as though they have to choose sides.
Spivak Law Firm provides strong, compassionate, cost-effective representation in all family law matters. Call us at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
PFA Destroys Reputations
A Protection From Abuse (PFA) Order can ruin a person’s reputation.
A PFA is a restraining order that alleges abusive behavior, such as: physical violence, sexual violence, harassment, threats of violence, or stalking.
In Pennsylvania, most defendants first learn about the PFA when a police officer serves them with the Order.
This can be humiliating when done at work where colleagues and employers are immediately made aware of the issue.
It’s no less embarrassing when served at home in front of neighbors and family.
The PFA petition, which details the alleged abuse, is an easily accessible public document.
The petition may contain lies or exaggerations, though it appears official because it is part of a formal Order of Court signed by a judge.
At Spivak Law Firm, we provide strong defense at PFA hearings. We also help people erase PFA petitions and orders from the public record when possible.
If you’ve been served with a PFA, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
PFA and Financial Help
In Pennsylvania, courts can award financial assistance at Protection From Abuse (PFA) hearings.
More than 70 percent of women surveyed at domestic-violence shelters reported that they stayed with an abuser longer because they could not afford to leave, according to a Mary Kay Foundation report.
Perpetrators of domestic abuse frequently use financial manipulation to torment and control their victims.
While some states offer unemployment-insurance benefits to domestic violence and stalking victims who have to quit their jobs and relocate, many states don’t have any form of financial assistance.
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law and criminal defense with a special focus on PFA and child custody. Call us at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
PFA And Divorce: Date Of Separation
The filing of a Protection From Abuse (PFA) petition against a married partner may be the first step toward divorce.
If so, the PFA will usually as a clear date of separation when the couple stopped living together.
This may prove important, as divorce laws in Pennsylvania permit a spouse to delay the divorce process by a year.
The filing of a PFA often starts the clock on the one-year waiting period.
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law, including: divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, and PFAs.
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.
Pennsylvania Law Affects Gun Owners
In Pennsylvania, people convicted of misdemeanor domestic-violence crimes will be required to relinquish their guns to police within 24 hours.
The new law applies to people convicted of:
- Simple Assault
- Terroristic Threats
- Aggravated Assault
- Endangering The Welfare of A Child
- Recklessly Endangering Another Person
- Child Abuse
- Stalking
- Harassment
The new law could have a devastating impact on people whose livelihoods depend on the ability to carry a firearm such as police officers and other law-enforcement officials.
Spivak Law Firm provides strong, aggressive defense for people accused of domestic abuse. For a free consultation, call us at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
PFA Destroys Careers
If you’ve been served with a Protection From Abuse (PFA) order, your career may be at risk.
The PFA petition alleging abusive behavior is a public record that may be viewed by your employer.
You may be especially at risk if your employment requires background checks such as nurses, teachers, coaches, and daycare providers.
Others at risk include police officers, security guards and others whose jobs require them to possess a firearm.
Under newly restrictive laws in Pennsylvania, gun possession is expressly prohibited so long as the PFA remains active.
Spivak Law Firm provides strong, aggressive defense at PFA hearings in Pittsburgh and all surrounding counties, including: Allegheny, Fayette, Beaver, Butler. Indiana, Mercer, Washington, and Westmoreland.
We have helped to save the careers and restore the reputations of police officers, homeland-security officers, state troopers, registered nurses, teachers, coaches, and government employees.
Served with a PFA? Call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Child Custody Schedules
When a court has ordered shared custody between parents, it can be particularly challenging to alter that joint schedule.
But there are a number of circumstances where a judge may consider changing a custody schedule, including, when you or your ex:
- Attempt to alienate the child from the other parent;
- Repeatedly denigrate the other parent to the child;
- Are charged or convicted with a crime;
- Are incarcerated;
- Are investigated by Children Youth and Families (CYF);
- Abuse drugs or alcohol, or;
- Relocate outside of the county.
To speak with an experienced child custody lawyer, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
PFA: Economic Abuse
Economic abuse is a common tactic used by abusers to gain control and power in a relationship.
Economic abuse is present in 98 percent of abusive relationships, according to the National Network To End Domestic Violence.
Economic abuse includes methods of financial control such as withholding money, forbidding the victim from working, and controlling how all of the money is spent.
The effects of economic abuse can be devastating. In fact, 60 percent of domestic violence survivors reported losing their jobs as a direct consequence of the abuse.
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.
PFA Restricts All Contact
A Protection From Abuse (PFA) Order restricts you from having any contact with the person who filed against you.
No contact includes:
- No face-to-face contact
- No phone contact
- No texting
- No contact through social media
- No passing messages through a third party
In fact, if you see the accuser in a public place, you are advised to immediately leave the area or risk getting arrested.
Spivak Law Firm routinely handles all matters involving PFAs, including: PFA hearings, PFA expungements, and PFA violations. To learn more, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.
Child Custody: Relocation and School
School placement for children during and after a divorce can be a very contentious topic between spouses.
If you are contemplating changing schools or districts for your child during a custody case, it is imperative that you either agree that the child will change schools or bring the issue in front of the court as early as possible.
Under Pennsylvania law, relocation is any change in residence of the child which significantly impairs the ability of the non-relocating parent to exercise custodial rights. It is up to a judge to determine whether a move qualifies as “significantly impairing.”
Spivak Law Firm handles all areas of family law and child custody, including: drafting custody orders and litigating custody trials and relocation hearings.
To speak with an experienced family law attorney, call Spivak Law Firm at (412) 344-4900 or toll free at (800) 545-9390.