Family Law Information
Information about Philadelphia Legal Assistance's Free Family Law Services
Philadelphia Legal Assistance is pleased to announce our new Electronic Family Law Helpline
New Information About Paternity! If you have a baby on the way, or if the baby
has already arrived but you have lingering questions, then one of these
brochures is for you. Find out your legal rights and responsibilities BEFORE
you take action!
"The "Legal" Baby's Daddy: What Women
Need to Know" (8/3/2005)
“The “Legal” Baby’s Daddy: What Women Need to
Know” (8/21/06) (Spanish)
"The "Legal" Baby's Daddy: What Men Need
to Know" (8/3/2005)
Free Legal Assistance and Representing
Yourself at Philadelphia Family Court: This flier will provide you with
information about all of the agencies who provide free legal assistance in
Philadelphia in Family Law Cases. If you do not qualify for free legal help,
there are also some tips about representing yourself and finding an attorney.
Paternity Forms:
Paternity is a challenging topic for many individuals today. We hear about
paternity cases on television and radio shows all around us. However, the
paternity of a child is a very serious matter which can affect not only the
child for the rest of his or her life, but also the adults in the child's life.
For this reason, PLA has prepared brochures with information about paternity
law.
If you wish to determine paternity and need the Court's help to do that, below
are the forms and filing instructions which you will need to ask for the
Court's help.
"Petition to Determine Paternity for Men to
File - Forms"
"Petition to Determine Paternity for
Women to File - Forms"
"Petition to Determine Paternity - Filing Instructions for both Men and Women"
If there is already a Court order of paternity or if a man already signed an
Acknowledgment of Paternity but now you wish to question who is the father of
the child, you can also receive the Court's assistance in some cases by filing
the following forms:
"Petition to Contest Paternity"
"Petition to Contest
Paternity - Filing Instructions"
Domestic Violence Information
Philadelphia Legal Assistance has several brochures available regarding domestic violence and obtaining a protection order in Philadelphia. In Pennsylvania, protection orders are available for battered women, other adults and children who are being abused by a family or household member. These include "How to prepare for a PFA Hearing", "Enforcing Your Protection Order" (available in Spanish and English) and "Protection From Abuse for Gay and Lesbian Couples". These brochures are available to domestic violence advocates or clients who contact our office. Due to the sensitive nature of the brochure contents they are not available on this web site. Domestic violence advocates who are interested in this brochure may send a request in writing on your agency letterhead to Susan Pearlstein, Esq., Family Law Unit Supervising Attorney, Philadelphia Legal Assistance, 42 South 15th Street Suite 500, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Clients who are interested in the brochures or advice about domestic violence should feel free to contact our office during the intake hours listed in the Family Law Services information section of this web site. Remember...no one should live in violence!
Disclaimer: The information available at this site is presented as a public service for informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE. Transmission of this information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship between the sender and receiver. The law changes frequently and we may not be able to incorporate all recent changes into this web site. We can make no warranties, guarantees or other representations concerning the accuracy of the information presented here.