Contending with family court cases isn't easy, even without considering the complexities of Pennsylvania law. Residents of Dauphin County are under no obligation to try and address both familial concerns and those aforementioned complexities without guidance.
Instead, parties pursuing family court cases or who have been summoned to family court on issues of domestic violence, protective orders, child support, or divorce can get in contact with the team at LLF Law Firm for both legal advice and representation. Our Family Law Team can help families address their internal concerns while also pursuing the legal ends that may suit them best.
Details of Family Court
Cases resolved in family court center on the needs of the nuclear family and any immediate relations. While family court representatives cannot help clients overcome property or will disputes within their own families, they can help clients attend to legal issues, including a range of issues from child support to custody, visitation, divorce, and adoption.
There is some overlap, however, between family court and a criminal court. Instances of domestic abuse, for example, as well as juvenile delinquency, may be resolved in either family court or criminal court depending on the severity of the accusations and the desired outcome of the prosecution. Abuse and neglect cases also pass through family court if one or more parties involved happen to be related to one another or within a person's care as a dependent.
Parties interested in bringing their concerns to family court in Dauphin County, PA, can visit the Dauphin County Domestic Relations Department at:
25 S Front St
Harrisburg, PA 17101
When Do You Need a Family Court Attorney?
While interested parties may seek out legal advice on family court cases under any circumstances, there are some cases that beget representation more than others. These include:
Requesting or Contending With a Restraining Order
Family members can request a restraining order, known as a protection from abuse order in Pennsylvania, for myriad reasons, from domestic violence to assault. These orders are designed to ensure that a victim no longer has to endure violence at the hands of another party by threatening severe consequences against those parties who might violate the terms of said orders.
Parties looking to apply for a protection order can work with the team at LLF Law Firm to first determine what kind of protection order they're looking for. Those available to residents of Dauphin County include:
- Temporary protection orders – as the name suggests, temporary protection orders only separate two parties for a set period of time. These protection orders are most often used in domestic violence cases to the benefit of the party seeking restitution. Parties influenced by a temporary protection order must attend a protection order hearing within ten days of the order's issuing.
- Final protection orders – parties looking to separate on a more permanent basis may apply for a final protection order. Again, all parties impacted by this order must attend a protection order hearing, at which time both the issuer and the party affected by the order may seek out legal representation before presenting their case regarding the order to a Dauphin County judge.
Protection from abuse orders, be they temporary or final, prohibit the party signified in said document from engaging in behaviors that can be interpreted as:
- Harassment
- Stalking
- Emotionally, physically, mentally, or sexually abusive
- Using physical force against the issuer
- Causing bodily harm to the issuer
Anyone requesting a protection order in Dauphin County can speak with a courthouse clerk in their area to first request, then later secure the protection order they're looking for. If for some reason, the process of securing a protection order is prolonged or delayed, concerned parties can reach out to the team with LLF Law Firm to smooth the process along.
Requesting, Contesting, or Modifying Child Custody Cases
In the case of child custody disputes, the Dauphin County court system can collaborate with the Pennsylvania Child Support Program to ensure that all parties involved in the case, including the child, are treated fairly. This means that an attending judge will assess the concerns of all parties involved in the case through a lens that prioritizes a child's upbringing. Parties who wish to bring child custody cases forward, with this in mind, may face questions detailing:
- Parental sobriety or a history with drugs and alcohol
- The status of any siblings that the child in question may have
- A history of abuse of any kind on the side of all parents and guardians involved in the case
- Attempts on the parts of all guardians involved to manipulate the opinions of the child to the detriment of the others who might wish custody, visitation rights, and so on
- Attending parents' ability to provide their child with a stable, safe, and happy upbringing
Parents looking to address concerns regarding child custody – whether to demand it, contest demands for it, or modify it to better suit their situation, may collaborate with the team at LLF Law Firm to do just that. The team can also help parents address their custody rights.
Scheduling a Case Consultation
Dealing with family is rarely easy, even when there aren't court cases to consider. No one, luckily, has to let the pressure of working in family issues get to them while seeking justice. Clients working with our Family Law Team and LLF Law Firm can often circumvent the most stressful parts of a family court case entirely. The team with LLF Law Firm ensures that its clients have the information they need to understand what's going on in a case as well as the representation to fight for the best possible outcome.
Families looking to discuss representation in a family court case can reach out to LLF Law Firm for a case consultation at 888-535-3686 or via the firm's online form.
