Top Columbia, PA Child Custody Lawyers Near You
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39 North Lime Street, Lancaster, PA 17602
8 N. Queen Street, Suite 1102, Lancaster, PA 17603
53 N Duke Street Suite 203, Lancaster, PA 17602
28 Penn Square, Lancaster, PA 17603
616 Paxton Place, Suite 101, Lititz, PA 17543
128 North Lime Street, PO Box 1597, Lancaster, PA 17608
101 N Pointe Blvd, Suite 202, Lancaster, PA 17601
120 N. Shippen Street, Lancaster, PA 17602
327 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512
53 North Duke St, Suite 1, Lancaster, PA 17602
570 Lausch Lane, Suite 200, Lancaster, PA 17601
126 East King Street, Lancaster, PA 17602
342 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA 17603
45 East Orange St., Lancaster, PA 17602
280 Granite Run Drive, Suite 300, Lancaster, PA 17601
222 S Market Street Suite 201, PO Box 267, Elizabethtown, PA 17022
1347 Fruitville Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601
135B East Grant Street, Lancaster, PA 17602
Columbia Child Custody Information
Lead Counsel Verified Attorneys in Columbia
Lead Counsel independently verifies Child Custody attorneys in Columbia and checks their standing with Pennsylvania bar associations.
Our Verification Process and Criteria
Ample Experience
Attorneys must meet stringent qualifications and prove they practice in the area of law they’re verified in.
Good Standing
Be in good standing with their bar associations and maintain a clean disciplinary record.
Annual Review
Submit to an annual review to retain their Lead Counsel Verified status.
Client Commitment
Pledge to follow the highest quality client service and ethical standards.
What Do Judges Look for in Custody Cases?
In every state, family court judges must consider what is in the child’s best interests when determining custody. In most cases, judges emphasize making sure the child will spend ample time with both parents. To make this happen, a judge will likely want to know what each parent’s home environment is like, whether each parent will be able to give a child the proper attention, and which situation the child will be most likely to thrive in.
Who Has Legal Custody of the Child When the Parents Aren’t Married?
If the parents are not married, the child’s biological parents both have parental rights unless the law says otherwise. An exception to this could be if no father is listed on the child’s birth certificate. In that case, the father would have to go through the legal process of establishing paternity to be able to assert his parental rights for visitation.
How Can a Mother Lose Custody of Her Child?
A mother can lose custody of her child in much the same way a father could. This could include abusing the child, abusing drugs or alcohol, providing an unsafe home environment for the child, or abandoning the child.
How Can You Change a Child Custody Order?
If you or your ex are unhappy with the current custody arrangement, you can negotiate a change to your agreement. If a judge feels that the changes are still in the child’s best interests, then they may approve the order. If one of you is pressing ahead with seeking a change and the other parent is contesting it, you will need to prove a “substantial” change in circumstances. This could include one of the parents moving out of state, suffering from a disability or illness that affects their parenting ability, exposing the child to an unsafe environment, or having a change in work circumstances that requires rescheduling of visitation.