Family Law Attorneys Serving Cumberland County, PA  

JSDC Law Offices has a West Shore office in Mechanicsburg, which keeps our family law attorneys close to the Cumberland County clients we serve. We represent spouses, parents, and grandparents from Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, New Cumberland, Carlisle, and surrounding communities in divorce, custody, and support matters before the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas.

Our West Shore Office in Mechanicsburg

Our office at 555 Gettysburg Pike in Mechanicsburg gives Cumberland County clients a convenient place to meet with their attorney and prepare for each stage of their case. Cumberland County family cases are heard at the courthouse at 1 Courthouse Square in Carlisle, the county seat and home of Pennsylvania’s Ninth Judicial District.

Handling Both Custody and Divorce Cases

In Pennsylvania, custody and divorce are separate matters with separate procedures, even when they involve the same family.

Cumberland County’s local rules reflect this. A parent can raise a custody claim in a divorce complaint. If either party wants that claim heard, though, they must file a separate motion, and the custody issue is assigned to a custody conference officer, just like a standalone custody case. Meanwhile, the divorce and its financial issues move forward on their own timeline.

Keeping the two apart matters. Decide parenting time based on what works for your children, not as a trade-off for concessions on property or support.

How Custody Conciliation Works in Cumberland County

The Court Administrator’s Office schedules a conciliation when a parent files a custody complaint, a petition to modify custody, or a contempt petition. Under the county’s local rules, the conference is held within 45 days after the case is assigned to a custody conference officer, with limited room to reschedule.

Conciliation gives parents a chance to reach their own agreement before a judge becomes involved. According to the county’s custody conciliation guidelines, the conference is not a record hearing, and no witnesses are sworn in. Children attend only with the conciliator’s permission.

What Happens After Conciliation

When parents agree, the conciliator sends a report and proposed order to the court for entry as a consent order. When they do not, the conciliator recommends an interim order and schedules a hearing. The court usually adopts that interim order, and it stays in place until a judge decides the case, so preparation matters. Our child custody attorneys help clients prepare to discuss school-year and summer schedules, holidays, and decision-making in the children’s best interests.

Divorce Cases in Cumberland County

Many Cumberland County divorces are resolved by agreement. When spouses disagree on financial issues, those claims go before the county’s divorce hearing officer. Our divorce lawyers help Cumberland County clients with issues such as:

• Division of marital property through equitable distribution
• Alimony and alimony pendente lite
• Business interests and complex assets in a high-net-worth divorce
• Same-sex divorce

We handle these financial issues on their own footing, separate from any custody case that may be running at the same time.

Support Through the Cumberland County Domestic Relations Office

In Cumberland County, the Domestic Relations Office on North Hanover Street in Carlisle establishes and enforces child support, spousal support, and alimony pendente lite orders. Pennsylvania’s child support guidelines are based on both parents’ incomes, and parents can pursue child support whether or not they were ever married. We represent clients at support conferences and help them seek changes to spousal support or child support orders when circumstances change.

Help for Unmarried Parents and Relocating Families

Many Cumberland County parents who need custody help were never married. They may need a first custody order, a modification, or a support order without a divorce. We also represent parents who want to move with their children, or who object to a proposed move, through Pennsylvania’s custody relocation process. Pennsylvania’s relocation procedures may apply when a proposed change in a child’s residence would significantly impair another party’s ability to exercise custodial rights.

Contact Our Cumberland County Family Law Attorneys

Your case may involve custody, divorce, support, or more than one of these. JSDC can help you understand each process and plan for what comes next. Contact us online or call 717-520-4400 to schedule a consultation.