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Child Custody

Legal Information > Information from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network

• Child Custody

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

  By:

  Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc.

• Custody - Myths & Facts

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

  By:

  MidPenn Legal Services

• Family Law Manual

  This handbook provides useful information about common Family Law issues. If you need Family Law help, this handbook has good suggestions about some of the most common areas of Family Law. This handbook also gives answers to commonly asked questions. [PDF] Read More

  By:

  North Penn Legal Services

  Read this in:

  Spanish / Español

• Filling out an Affidavit of Service (Video)

  This video from Laurel Legal Services explains how to complete and file an Affidavit of Service in a custody proceeding after servicing legal papers on the opposing party in your case. The video covers situations where a person is personally served by giving them a copy of the papers and when the service is done by mail. Read More

  By:

  Laurel Legal Services, Inc.

• How to File a Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis

  This video from Laurel Legal Services provides an explanation of what In Forma Pauperis is - a request to file legal papers without having to pay the filing fee because you cannot afford to pay the fees - and line-by-line instructions on completing a petition to request permission to proceed without paying filing fees. Read More

  By:

  Laurel Legal Services, Inc.

• 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

  By:

  Penn Law School and Philadelphia Legal Assistance

• Pennsylvania: Notice of Relocation

  This will link you to LawHelp Interactive where you can prepare a "Notice of Relocation," which you can use if you have physical custody of a child and you wish to move with the child to another residence, where your move will significantly impair the ability of someone else to exercise his or her custodial rights. The site will ask you a series of questions about your situation and then create documents for YOU based on YOUR ANSWERS. The notice can then be mailed to the person who has custodial rights. The form also generates detailed instructions, a Counter-Affidavit Regarding Relocation, and a Petition To Confirm Relocation. PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a fill-in-the-blank form. Read More

  By:

  Philadelphia Legal Assistance

• Pennsylvania: Petition for Contempt of Custody

  This will link you to LawHelp Interactive where you can prepare a "Petition for Contempt of Custody," which you can use if you are a party to a current custody order and the other party violates the order. If you also want to change the custody order, you must file a Petition To Modify Custody in addition to a Petition for Contempt of Custody. The site will ask you a series of questions about your situation and then create a petition for YOU based on YOUR ANSWERS. The petition can then be printed and filed in your local court. PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a fill-in-the-blank form. Read More

  By:

  Philadelphia Legal Assistance

• Planning for Custody and Care of Children: an Informational Guide for Immigrant Families

  This guide is designed to provide important basic information about child custody to immigrant families. Content Detail

  By:

  Philadelphia Legal Assistance

• 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

  By:

  Philadelphia Legal Assistance

  Read this in:

  Spanish / Español

  French / Français

  Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt

• Serving a Defendant (Video)

  This video from Laurel Legal Services explains how to serve an opposing party (defendant) in a lawsuit with legal papers related to the lawsuit. Parties must be notified about court proceedings against them and provided with copies of legal papers filed in the proceedings. This video explains the proper and required legal way to notify them of the proceedings. Read More

  By:

  Laurel Legal Services, Inc.