Family Law & Court Reform

Our Work

Family Law: Impact on Public Policy

Legislative Action

Written testimony was submitted in 2010 by the WLP to the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Family Law covering legislation involving changes to the state's child custody laws. The two pieces of legislation in question are: HB463 sponsored by Rep. Belfanti (D-Northumberland/Montour/Columbia) and HB1639 Sponsored by Rep. Manderino (D-Philadelphia). See testimony on HB463 and
testimony on HB1639.
Advocacy by the WLP and Community Legal Services lead to legislation signed by Governor Rendell in October of 2008 that more than doubled the Child Support Pass-Through, payments for families on welfare. Prior to this legislation, a family receiving welfare benefits was required to assign their right to child support to the state welfare department. Only a small amount--a maximum of $50 per month--was actually paid to the family (called the Child Support Pass-Through). In October 2008, families on welfare began receiving the first $100/month of support that is paid for a family with 1 child, and the first $200/month of support that is paid for a family with 2 or more children.
2004 Name Change Legislation (Act 214 of 2004). Having learned about a new danger for victims of violence through our Telephone Counseling Service, the WLP quickly obtained a legislative solution for women who needed to conceal their whereabouts by changing their name without complying with publication requirements.
Testifying that joint custody is appropriate only when it’s in the best interest of the child, the WLP helped to defeat legislation seeking presumptive joint custody in all cases.

Reports and Publications

Justice in the Domestic Relations Division of Philadelphia Family Court: A Report to the Community. As a bold response to the powerlessness expressed by thousands of women using Philadelphia’s Family Court system, the Women’s Law Project embarked on an in-depth analysis of the court’s Domestic Relations Division, culminating in the publication, Justice in the Domestic Relations Division of Philadelphia Family Court: A Report to the Community, revealing that the Division performed far below criteria set by the Commission on Trial Court Performance Standards and made justice elusive for many of its users.
Consumer Brochures and Forms. As part of the Family Law Section Consumer Education Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association, the WLP developed:
- Brochures for litigants without legal representation (pro se) on paternity, custody, child support, divorce, emergency Protection from Abuse filing procedures, domestic violence and the impact of domestic violence on TANF requirements.
- Model forms with step-by-step instructions to assist Philadelphia pro se litigants filing for Protection from Abuse Orders, child custody and child support.
Philadelphia Self-Help No-Fault Divorce Manual. With family law attorney Leslie Engel and significant support from Jenkins Law Library, the WLP published a manual for pro se litigants seeking simple, uncontested divorces.
Deciding Child Custody When There Is Domestic Violence. The WLP and Support Center for Child Advocates published the judicial bench book to assist judges in making custody determinations when domestic violence is present.