Custody & Support

Pittsburgh-Area Custody, Visitation, and Support Lawyers

At Paladin Law Offices, PC, our lawyers represent parents in matters related to child custody, visitation, and child support. To resolve these issues, we often suggest a collaborative law approach - a creative, mutual problem-solving negotiation method that maintains respect for all involved. This usually results in a better outcome - one that all parties can support - than one imposed by a court. For more information about our approach to child support, custody, and visitation, contact us at our Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, law firm.

Custody and Visitation

Unfortunately, divorcing couples are frequently too angry or hurt to be able to work cooperatively. If they cannot reach an agreement either by themselves or through a collaborative law process, our attorneys help them develop and support their positions on custody and visitation. We discuss custody and visitation options with our clients, keeping the best interests of the children before us at all times.

• Physical Custody. Physical custody refers to where the child lives. There are a number of variations for physical custody--joint custody, partial custody, and sole custody or full custody. An important factor used by judges to determine physical custody is the school the child attends--if parents are in different school districts, primary custody is often awarded to one parent.
• Legal Custody. Legal custody determines who makes decisions about the child's health, education, and religious instruction. We help clients work through minor issues to arrive at a place where the child's best interests will be the primary consideration.
• Visitation. Visitation rights are awarded to the parent with the smaller amount of contact hours with the child. The amount and schedule of visitation depends on many factors, including the residences of the parents, the type of physical custody awarded, and the desires of the child.

Child Support

Child support is determined by a state formula. However, the formula can be affected by other factors. Such factors can include special medical or educational needs, the capacity of the parents to work and earn enough to contribute to child support, and other sources of income that may not be considered by the state formula. Our lawyers work up a proposal for child support that is fair and provides the child with the same living standard as before whenever possible.

Modifications and Contempt

We also work with parents to modify custody, visitation, and support orders when changing circumstances require this. We may be able to file a contempt petition when support is delinquent or the visitation schedule is being violated by the other parent. Preserving parental rights is a high priority for us.

In all we do, our attorneys work with clients to ensure that the best interests of the children are considered first. Contact a Penn Hills attorney to learn how we can help you with child custody, support, and visitation. We serve the Turtle Creek Valley area, including communities such as West Mifflin.


We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.