PALawHelp.org

Custody and Guardianship of Children

Legal Information

This section of PALawHelp.org has information and resources about Custody and Guardianship of Children issues in Pennsylvania.

• Child Custody

  Information from Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc. on rights relating to custody and visitation of children. Read More

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  Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc.

• Custody Proceedings - Representing Yourself: Forms and Information from the Pennsylvania Courts

  Free online information is available from the Pennsylvania Courts website to assist the growing number of Pennsylvanians who want to file their own family law cases in courts across the state. Standardized court forms for child custody proceedings may be obtained on this page of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania’s website. Included are forms for both parents and third parties, including grandparents. Read More

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  Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts

• Local Forms and Self-Help Information

  For local forms and information for your county, click the title to see the SELF-HELP FORMS AND INFORMATION sub-topic. Counties are listed alphabetically after some generally applicable forms or you can set your location on the page to see only forms applicable for that location. Content Detail

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  PALawHELP.org

• Inside Custody Court: Factors Relevant to Custody Decisions (Video)

  This video produced by Penn Law School with the assistance of Philadelphia Legal Assistance, provides an introduction to the factors relevant to custody decisions in Pennsylvania. Read More

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  Penn Law School and Philadelphia Legal Assistance

• PA Courts Public Access Policy - Filing Requirements in the Courts (Video)

  Effective on January 6, 2018, a new Public Access Policy is in effect in Pennsylvania Courts. This policy imposes requirements on anyone filing court documents in the trial and appellate courts to safeguard information in the documents they file. The Pennsylvania Courts have released this series of videos that explain the judiciary’s new policy for protecting confidential information and the required steps you must take to protect that information when filing documents in the courts. Content Detail

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  Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts

• Preparing for a Custody Hearing - Pennsylvania (Video)

  This video explains what happens at a child custody hearing, describes the "best interest of the child" standard, and gives you tips on how to obtain the custody order you want. The video is part of Philadelphia Legal Assistance's "Make Your Case" video series. Read More

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  Philadelphia Legal Assistance

  Read this in:

  Spanish / Español

  French / Français

  Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt

• Supervised Visitation (Video)

  This video from the Supervised Visitation Task Force provides information about being a supervisor where a Court requires supervised parental visitation, also known as supervised physical custody, for the safety and comfort of children. Frequently, relatives or friends are selected and appointed to serve in this capacity as an alternative to using formal visitation centers. This provides guidance for those serving as a Court-ordered supervisor. Read More

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  Supervised Visitation Task Force

• Child Custody Relocation - Changing the Residence of Your Child (Northwestern Pennsylvania)

  Information from Northwestern Legal Services on your obligations when you change the residence of a child in your physical custody. Included are forms and instructions for use in the following counties in northwestern Pennsylvania: Crawford; Erie; Mercer; and Venango, as well as a way to generate the necessary forms in any county in Pennsylvania. Read More

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  Northwestern Legal Services

• Child Custody Video Workshop - North Penn Legal Services

  This video workshop from North Penn Legal Services provided basic information about child custody and visitation and describes how custody disputes are handled throgh the courts or through negotiation or mediation. Read More

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  North Penn Legal Services

• Criminal Record and Abuse History in Custody Actions with Instructions

  Beginning in September 2013 any person filing a complaint for custody, or any petition for modification for custody must also file a verification regarding any criminal or abuse history of the petitioner and anyone living in the petitioner’s household. This form, completed and filed following the included instructions, may be used to satisfy this requirement. [PDF] Content Detail

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  North Penn Legal Services

• Custody

  Chapter 5 of Family Law Manual, developed by North Penn Legal Services. [PDF] Read More

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  North Penn Legal Services

• Custody and Visitation in PA (Audio-MP3) audio

  Episode of Northwestern Legal Services' "Access to Justice" Radio show broadcast on JET 1400 AM in Erie, PA on 5/22/2008. Robert Oakley, NWLS Director interviews Judge Stephanie Domitrovitch, Erie County, Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, and Karen Klapsinos, NWLS Staff Attorney regarding custody in Pennsylvania. Information is provided on what a Custody Order is, what it means, how to obtain one, and issues to consider when pursuing custody or visitation. (24:06) Read More

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  Northwestern Legal Services

• Custody Law in Pennsylvania

  General information on custody law in Pennsylvania Content Detail

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  Neighborhood Legal Services Association

• Custody - Myths & Facts

  Information from MidPenn Legal Services on the true facts regarding child custody law. Read More

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  MidPenn Legal Services

• Custody Update 2014 (Video)

  This video from North Penn Legal Services, presented by Ellen Kramer of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, provides updated information for issues related to custody relocation and the factors a court needs to consider in any custody case. Read More

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  North Penn Legal Services