Child Custody Lawyers for Fathers in Pennsylvania

In PA, a family law judge will consider 16 different factors in a child custody determination including the age of the age of the child, the cooperation of the primary parent, previous abuse, stability factors such as the primary parents job, the child school environment and many more.

It depends on a number of factors; the most weighted being whether the move is in the children’s best interests.

Paternity can be established if the mother agree you are the father and you both sign a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity. If the mother disputes the paternity, you will need to file a Complaint to Establish Paternity and For Genetic Testing. A certified lab will conduct the tests which normally result in 99% accuracy when positive, and you will then be considered to be the biological father by the Court.

**Don’t wait too long to establish your paternal rights. If the birth mother and child live in a positive home with a third party, and/or the birth mother marries, you will need a fathers rights attorney, as it will become harder to gain legal and physical custody rights to your child.**

It is the responsibility of the parents to agree upon custody. PA courts largely prefer a mutually agreed upon custody arrangement. If your spouse disagrees with your child’s wishes, then you may ask the court to determine custody. A judge will consider his age, maturity and reasons in weighing his desire.