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Harrisburg
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 Harrisburg families through exactly those moments, and the courthouse where your case is decided sits downtown, in the heart of the city you already know.
We represent Harrisburg clients in the county seat and state capital, working primarily by video conference and phone, with in-person consultations available at our office in Lancaster, a straightforward drive southeast. The Dauphin 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 Harrisburg
If your matter is heard at the Dauphin County Courthouse downtown, our attorneys are prepared to represent you. The family law matters we handle for Harrisburg residents:
- Divorce. Contested and uncontested divorce, including equitable distribution of marital property.
- Child Custody. Legal and physical custody, parenting plans, and modification petitions through Dauphin County conciliation.
- Child Support. Support calculations, enforcement, and modifications through the Dauphin County Domestic Relations Section.
- Spousal Support. Alimony pendente lite during proceedings and post-divorce alimony determinations.
- Property Division. Equitable distribution of marital property under Pennsylvania’s statutory factors, not an automatic 50/50 split.
- Paternity. Establishing legal paternity for custody rights and support obligations.
Harrisburg Communities We Serve
Harrisburg is Pennsylvania’s capital and the seat of Dauphin County, organized into distinct neighborhoods along the Susquehanna River and up toward Allison Hill. Areas we serve include:
- Areas and nearby communities: Downtown, Midtown, Uptown, Allison Hill, Shipoke, Riverside, and the neighborhoods along the Capital Area Greenbelt
We represent clients in and around Harrisburg. 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 Harrisburg are filed and heard at the Dauphin County Courthouse. 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 | Dauphin County | Dauphin County Courthouse 101 Market Street Harrisburg, PA 17101 12th Judicial District of Pennsylvania |
Harrisburg is the county seat, so city residents file and appear at a courthouse in their own downtown, on Market Street. Divorce and custody filings go to the Prothonotary at the courthouse; child support matters are handled through the Dauphin County Domestic Relations Section at the same location.
The same court hears every Dauphin County family law matter we take. Dauphin 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 Harrisburg Residents Choose Lancaster Law Group
City 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 Dauphin 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. You should never have to wonder what is happening in your own case. We keep you current on what each phase demands, where things realistically stand, and what choices are coming, so the only uncertainty you are managing is the case itself, not your lawyer.
We understand the financial picture Harrisburg-area cases often involve. A significant share of households here include a state employee, teacher, or government worker with a SERS or PSERS pension. Dividing a defined-benefit pension in a divorce takes an Approved Domestic Relations Order, careful valuation of the marital portion, and an attorney who knows the process. We handle that 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 Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg?
Yes. Harrisburg cases are heard at the Dauphin County Courthouse, 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 Harrisburg family law case?
Your case is heard at the Dauphin County Courthouse, 101 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, in the 12th Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Support runs through the county Domestic Relations Section at the same courthouse.
I work for the Commonwealth. How is my state pension handled in a divorce?
SERS and PSERS pensions are marital property subject to equitable distribution. Dividing them requires an Approved Domestic Relations Order and a valuation of the marital portion, coordinated with the retirement system. In a capital city where many households include a state employee, this is a routine but exacting part of the work.
Does Pennsylvania divide property 50/50 in Dauphin County?
No. Pennsylvania is an equitable distribution state. Dauphin 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 Harrisburg Family Law Attorney
We represent Harrisburg clients with full preparation at the Dauphin County Courthouse. We will tell you plainly how we can help and what your case requires before anything is filed. We know Pennsylvania family law and what it takes to move a case through the Dauphin County Courthouse. From our Lancaster office, Lancaster Law Group represents Harrisburg clients with preparation and steady advocacy, and tells you what to expect instead of leaving you guessing.
Call (717) 358-0600 or schedule a consultation online. We will confirm whether we can take your Harrisburg matter and get you on the calendar.