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West Chester
Family Law & Divorce Attorneys
A divorce or custody case puts the most personal parts of your life in front of a court: your children, your finances, your footing for the years ahead. Lancaster Law Group represents West Chester families through exactly those moments, and the courthouse where your case is decided sits downtown, in the heart of the borough you already know.
We represent West Chester clients in the county seat, working primarily by video conference and phone, with in-person consultations available at our office in Lancaster, a straightforward drive east. The Chester County courthouse hears your case; we handle the representation.
Schedule a consultation: call (717) 358-0600 or book a time online. We will review your situation and tell you, in plain terms, what your options are.
Family Law We Handle in West Chester
If your case is heard at the Chester County Court of Common Pleas, our attorneys are prepared to represent you. The family law matters we handle for West Chester clients:
- Divorce. Contested and uncontested divorce, including the equitable distribution of marital property.
- Child Custody. Legal and physical custody, parenting plans, and modifications, handled through Chester County’s custody conciliation process.
- Child Support. Guideline calculations, enforcement, and modification through the county Domestic Relations Section.
- Spousal Support. Spousal support and alimony pendente lite during the case, and alimony afterward.
- Property Division. Dividing marital property under Pennsylvania’s equitable-distribution factors, which is not an automatic 50/50 split.
- Paternity. Establishing paternity to secure custody rights and support obligations.
West Chester Communities We Serve
West Chester is the county seat and home to West Chester University, a walkable borough of historic streets around the courthouse and Gay Street. Areas we serve include:
- Areas and nearby communities: Downtown and the Gay Street corridor, the West Chester University area, the East and West Miner Street neighborhoods, and the residential blocks bordering West Goshen and East Bradford Townships
We represent clients in and around West Chester. Call us and we will confirm coverage based on your court location and the nature of your case, and match you to the right attorney.
Where You Are, Where Your Case Is Heard
Family law cases for West Chester are filed and heard at the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. The table below maps our office to that court.
| Our Office | County Served | Primary Courthouse |
|---|---|---|
| Lancaster Law Group
110 East King Street Lancaster, PA 17602 (717) 358-0600 | Chester County | Chester County Court of Common Pleas 201 West Market Street West Chester, PA 19380 15th Judicial District of Pennsylvania |
West Chester is the county seat, so borough residents file and appear at a courthouse in their own downtown, at the Justice Center on West Market Street. Divorce and custody filings go to the Prothonotary at the courthouse; child support matters are handled through the Chester County Domestic Relations Section at the same location.
The same court hears every Chester County family law matter we take. Chester County also operates Magisterial District Judge offices for citations, summary offenses, and smaller civil claims; if you received a hearing notice, the assigned MDJ office is listed on your paperwork. For the family law matters we handle, we represent clients largely by video and phone, with in-person meetings at our Lancaster office.
Why West Chester Residents Choose Lancaster Law Group
Borough residents have their pick of family law firms. Here is what sets ours apart. It comes back to the line the firm is built on: a firm commitment to trust.
The first call is a conversation, not a commitment. You describe what is happening, and we tell you honestly whether we can take your Chester County matter and whether a consultation makes sense. There is no pressure and no obligation. That candid first read is often the most useful step.
We build cases the way you would want yours built. Family law problems are tangled by nature. A custody schedule changes a support number; a divorce forces decisions about property and retirement at the same time. We map how the pieces of your case fit together, build a strategy that accounts for all of them, and stand ready to litigate when that is what the situation calls for.
You will always know where your case stands. We tell you what each stage of your case requires, what the realistic range of outcomes looks like, and what decisions are coming. The uncertainty of a divorce or custody matter is real, and our job is to reduce it with clear, plainspoken guidance.
We understand the financial picture West Chester-area cases often involve. West Chester households often mix professional income, a home with real equity, and retirement or investment accounts, and some include a business or professional practice tied to the county seat’s legal and medical community. Those assets have to be identified, valued, and divided correctly, and dividing a pension tax-free takes a separate court order, a Qualified Domestic Relations Order for most private plans or an Approved Domestic Relations Order for a state SERS or PSERS pension. We handle that exacting work directly.
We are staffed for cases that do not fit a template. Our partner Shawnee S. Burton is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a national credential earned by demonstrated, peer-recognized experience in complex family law, and founder Joseph P. McMahon, known for being thorough, knowledgeable, and aggressive, tried cases as an assistant district attorney before advising clients. You can meet the attorneys who would handle your case, and for West Chester clients facing high-asset divorce, contested custody, or a case headed to trial, that depth means an attorney who has handled situations like yours and is ready to fight for the outcome that protects you.
No outcome guarantees. Only preparation. We will not promise you a result, because no honest lawyer can. What we commit to is the work: building your case, knowing the court, and being ready to argue it if a hearing is where your matter ends up. When a family law matter requires litigation, we are not adjusting to it. We are already prepared for it.
Ready to talk? call (717) 358-0600 or book a time online. A member of our team will confirm the right attorney for your case and get you on the calendar.
What to Expect When You Call
There is nothing to prepare for the first call. For West Chester clients, the process works like this:
- We start by listening. Tell us what is going on. A rough version is fine, and we will draw out the details that count.
- We make the law make sense. You get a plain-English read on how Pennsylvania treats your situation, with no pressure and no theatrics.
- We leave you with direction. When the call ends you will know your next step, be it filing, responding, gathering paperwork, or thinking it through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lancaster Law Group handle family law cases in West Chester?
Yes. West Chester cases are heard at the Chester County Court of Common Pleas, and we represent clients there. Call (717) 358-0600 to discuss your specific case and confirm our team is the right fit.
Which courthouse hears my West Chester family law case?
Your case is heard at the Chester County Court of Common Pleas at the Justice Center, 201 West Market Street, West Chester, PA 19380, in the 15th Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Support runs through the county Domestic Relations Section at the same complex.
I am a student or work at West Chester University. Does that affect where my case is heard?
No. If you and your children live in Chester County, your case is heard at the Chester County Justice Center regardless of where you work or study. Residency questions can come up for students, and we will walk through them on the first call.
Does Pennsylvania divide property 50/50 in Chester County?
No. Pennsylvania is an equitable distribution state. Chester County judges divide marital property using the statutory factors in 23 Pa.C.S. 3502, which weigh the length of the marriage, each spouse’s income and earning capacity, and separate property, among others, rather than applying a 50/50 split.
Do you charge for the first conversation?
The first call is a conversation. If you move forward to representation, we prepare a fee agreement covering scope and costs before anything is filed, so there are no surprises.
Talk to a West Chester Family Law Attorney
We represent West Chester clients with full preparation at the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. For West Chester clients, the courthouse is a few blocks away, but the work of a divorce or custody case is the same wherever you file it: preparation, knowledge of the court, and steady advocacy. That is what we bring, and we tell you what to expect rather than leaving you to guess. From our Lancaster office, Lancaster Law Group stands ready to help with your West Chester matter.
Call (717) 358-0600 or schedule a consultation online. We will confirm whether we can take your West Chester matter and get you on the calendar.