Child Custody Lawyer Serving Central Pennsylvania

Looking for Legal Help for Your Child Custody Dispute?

At Jacobson, Julius & Harshberger, you can work with a child custody lawyer in Harrisburg, versed in Pennsylvania family law and prepared to counsel you on complex custody matters. Equally important, we collaborate and apply decades of experience to situations we recognize may be tremendously emotionally and financially challenging — working toward solutions that truly serve the best interests of you and your children.

Understanding the Basics of Child Custody in PA

In Pennsylvania, child custody can be physical or legal in nature. It’s crucial to understand the difference, as a parent may have rights to one type but not the other.

What Is Legal Custody?

This custody version grants parents the right to make significant decisions on behalf of their child, including critical choices regarding the child’s education, medical care (including mental health), and religious upbringing. In most situations, parents share legal custody, meaning they must collaborate on these significant decisions.

What Is Physical Custody?

Physical custody refers to where the child lives. Residency determines which parent has the right to have the child in their care at any given time. Like legal custody, parents can divide the duties in various ways, or they can be granted solely to one parent.

The 7 Versions of Custody Awarded in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania law provides judges with several ways to structure physical and legal custody. A child custody attorney in Harrisburg, PA, can help you understand these options, which is a crucial first step toward determining the best arrangement for your family:

• Primary physical: One parent has the child living with them the majority of the time, while the second parent has partial physical custody rights.
• Shared physical: Each parent has significant, ongoing periods of physical custody, creating a more evenly divided schedule.
• Partial physical: The right to take the child from the primary custodial parent for a specific, defined period, such as alternating weekends.
• Sole physical: One parent has exclusive physical custody of the child, while the other parent has limited, supervised visits or, in extreme cases, no contact at all.
• Supervised physical: A parent only has contact with their child in the presence of another adult or a professional agency.
• Shared legal: Both parents have mutual rights and decision-making responsibilities.
• Sole legal: One parent has the exclusive right to make key decisions on behalf of the child.

Custody Lawyers Can Help Create a Custody Agreement and Parenting Plan

Whenever possible, it is highly beneficial for parents to collaborate on a custody agreement outside of court, with the help of knowledgeable child custody lawyers in PA. This process gives you more control over the outcome, reduces conflict, and is generally less expensive. 

The cornerstone of this agreement is a detailed parenting plan. This document should clearly outline schedules, responsibilities, and communication protocols to help prevent future disputes and issues, such as parental alienation.

Skilled Child Custody Lawyers in South-Central Pennsylvania

Our lawyers are prepared to help you through all legal aspects of divorce and child custody, dealing carefully yet assertively with difficult issues that will affect your future in vital ways. To discuss your personal situation and legal needs in a consultation, please call or e-mail our office today.

Targeting Positive Resolutions Through Negotiation or Other Means

Our collaborative team of attorneys and staff has substantial experience helping men and women:

• Negotiate amicable settlements resolving issues of physical and legal custody

• Deal effectively with the challenges associated with custody evaluations when divorcing spouses cannot arrive at a mutually acceptable custody arrangement

• Fight for parental rights and their children’s best interests in court when necessary

We supplement our legal knowledge and judgment with access to a network of psychologists and other professionals as needed to support your cause. Our experience also extends to issues of guardianship and emancipation.

Count on Personalized Counsel When It Comes to Critical Family Law Issues

You can trust our attorneys to ask the right questions about your goals involving joint, sole or shared custody — and to truly focus on your personal goals, offering realistic and trustworthy counsel. In addition, our family law clients appreciate our dedication to keeping them informed about the likely costs of different decisions.

We take pride in offering outstanding value and affordability for parents with difficult issues to resolve — as well as those who are prepared for a relatively straightforward divorce based on prior agreements about child custody and other critical issues. For a consultation with a caring, assertive family law attorney, please contact us today or call 717-256-4969.