Child Custody Lawyer in Huntingdon County, PA

Child custody arrangements determine decision-making authority, known as legal custody, and visitation, known as physical custody. This makes child custody cases important, as they are legally challenging and emotionally difficult. If you’re facing a child custody case, our experienced Huntingdon County, PA, child custody lawyers at Topinka Law are standing by to help.

Where Child Custody Cases Are Heard in Huntingdon County

Often, child custody is addressed in divorce, but child custody cases can also be separate matters between parents who were never married. Child custody modifications are also common. Most parents prefer to determine the terms that will guide their ongoing relationships with their children, which means they settle their cases out of court.

In Huntingdon County, child custody cases are generally filed at the Prothonotary’s Office at the Huntingdon County Courthouse. And those cases that go to court are heard in the Huntingdon County Court of Common Pleas at the same courthouse.

Legal Custody and Physical Custody

Pennsylvania law addresses child custody in both legal and physical terms.

Legal Custody

Legal custody determines how you and your ex will make important parenting decisions about key topics like the following:

• Healthcare
• Education
• Religious upbringing
• Participation in extracurricular activities and travel

Physical Custody

Physical custody establishes what many people refer to as visitation or parenting time. Five potential scenarios include the following:

• One parent takes on the primary custodial role while the other has a visitation schedule.
• The parents share parenting time with the children more equally.
• Partial physical custody allows the noncustodial parent an unsupervised visitation schedule.
• When necessary to protect the children’s safety, the noncustodial parent may receive supervised visitation.
• There are also rare cases when one parent loses all physical custody, and the other parent is awarded sole custody.

Protect your rights as a parent by consulting with a seasoned child custody attorney early on.

Determining What’s Best for Your Children

In Pennsylvania, child custody rulings are based on the best interests of the involved children. This means that each case must be considered in the light of the unique circumstances that apply, and best interest factors like the following determine outcomes:

• The depth of each child’s relationship with each parent
• The children’s needs and each parent’s ability and willingness to effectively address them
• The stability of the home that each parent can provide for the children
• Each parent’s commitment to effective co-parenting and to supporting their children’s relationships with their other parent
• The preferences of those children who are old enough and mature enough to share their reasoned choices
• Any concerns regarding domestic violence, child neglect, or child abuse on either parent’s part

Our Experienced Huntingdon County Child Custody Attorneys Can Help

Our knowledgeable Huntingdon County child custody lawyers at Topinka Law are dedicated to fierce advocacy on behalf of all our valued clients, and we’re on your side. Learn more by contacting us online or by calling our firm at 814-954-7280 today.