Pennsylvania
Divorce, lawyers, and free legal help in Pennsylvania — verified against official sources.
How divorce filing works in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's court system runs a self-help page covering divorce proceedings: grounds for divorce, forms for no-fault divorces, service rules, and fee-waiver information. Start there before anything else.
PA Courts — Divorce Proceedings
The official starting point: divorce grounds, forms, service rules, and fee-waiver (IFP) information.
pacourts.us — divorce proceedings →Find a divorce lawyer
PA Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service
Operating in 47 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, with online referrals 24/7. Participating attorneys offer up to 30 minutes for no more than $30.
pabar.org — lawyer referral →New to hiring a lawyer? Read Start Here first — it covers what to ask and what to bring.
Free or low-cost legal help
PALawHELP.org
Statewide guide to free civil legal information and legal services, covering all 67 counties.
palawhelp.org →Report Child Abuse or Neglect
Call Pennsylvania ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313. Mandated reporters can also report online.
Child Welfare Information Solution →PHFA — Foreclosure Prevention
Pennsylvania's Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP): repayable loans to bring delinquent mortgages current, plus free counseling. Call 1-855-827-3466.
phfa.org — foreclosure prevention →Call 211
Free, confidential referrals to local help. Dial 211 from any phone.
211.org →Unpaid wages in Pennsylvania
Your boss owes you pay and won't hand it over? Here's where to file and how long you have in Pennsylvania.
Where to go
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Bureau of Labor Law Compliance
Time limit to file
3 years
What the floor is
federal $7.25 applies
Changing your name in Pennsylvania
Whether it's marriage, divorce, or just time for a fresh start — here's the process in Pennsylvania.
How it works
petition the Court of Common Pleas in your county
Typical court fee
varies by county — check your local court
Newspaper notice required?
yes (in newspapers of general circulation)
Small claims court in Pennsylvania
Suing someone without a lawyer, for smaller amounts, in a simpler court. Here's how it works in Pennsylvania.
Maximum claim
$12,000
Filing fee
unverified — varies by county and claim size
Can you bring one?
yes — allowed, not required
Clearing your criminal record in Pennsylvania
Expungement or sealing can hide eligible arrests and convictions from background checks. Here's where Pennsylvania stands.
Can records be cleared?
yes — expungement for non-convictions; Clean Slate automatic sealing
What qualifies
non-convictions expunged; summary offenses and most misdemeanors sealed
Waiting period
5–10 years depending on offense (many records sealed automatically)
Learn more about clearing your criminal record in Pennsylvania →
Child support in Pennsylvania
How child support gets calculated — and when it ends — in Pennsylvania.
How it's figured
income shares (both parents' net incomes combined) guidelines at Pa.R.C.P. 1910.16-3; online calculator available
When it ends
age 18, or 19/high school graduation if still in high school
Lemon law in Pennsylvania
Bought a new car that's constantly in the shop? Pennsylvania's lemon law may get you a refund or a replacement.
Which vehicles qualify
new purchased and leased vehicles only (no used-car lemon law)
When it's legally a lemon
3+ repair attempts or 30+ days out of service; defect first occurs within 12 months/12,000 miles
What you get
refund or replacement vehicle
Tenant rights in Pennsylvania
Renting comes with rights most people never hear about until something goes wrong. Here are the key ones in Pennsylvania.
Notice before eviction
10-day notice for nonpayment; 15 days to end month-to-month
Deposit limits & return
Max 2 months' rent first year, 1 month thereafter; return within 30 days with written itemized list
When the landlord won't fix things
Limited right to withhold rent or repair and deduct under court doctrine (Pugh v. Holmes); risky without legal advice
DUI / DWI in Pennsylvania
Driving under the influence carries some of the stiffest penalties in everyday law. Here's how Pennsylvania handles it.
Blood alcohol (BAC) limit
0.08; tiered penalties at 0.10 and 0.16
Typical penalties
General impairment: up to 6 months probation, $300 fine, no jail; high BAC: 48 hours-6 months jail, $500-$5,000 fine, 12-month license suspension
How far back DUIs count
10 years
Gun laws in Pennsylvania
Gun laws vary a lot from state to state — what's perfectly legal in one state can be a crime in another. Here's the big picture for this state. Laws change often, so double-check anything before you act.
Carrying a concealed handgun
License to Carry Firearms required; shall-issue; minimum age 21
Carrying openly
Generally allowed; restricted in Philadelphia (license required there)
Background checks & waiting periods
Private sales: Required for handguns only (long guns not required) No waiting period.
Extreme risk protection
No red flag law on the books here.
Reciprocity
Recognizes resident permits from about 30 states under AG reciprocity agreements.
Filming the police: your rights in Pennsylvania
Federal appeals courts across the country have recognized a First Amendment right to photograph and record police officers performing their official duties in public. The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled on it directly. The right does not protect interfering with officers, trespassing, or breaking other laws while you record.
All-party consent
State law generally requires everyone recorded to consent — but on-duty officers in public have no reasonable expectation of privacy, so courts have held that recording them is protected. (18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5703)
No buffer-zone law
Pennsylvania has no law setting a minimum distance for filming police. You still must not interfere with officers doing their jobs.
Courts have narrowed the wiretap law for police recording: officers performing duties in public have no reasonable expectation of privacy, so recording them is not a wiretap violation (Kelly v. Borough of Carlisle, 3d Cir. 2010). The 3rd Circuit (Fields v. City of Philadelphia, 2017) recognized a First Amendment right to record on-duty police in public.
Drug & alcohol addiction help in Pennsylvania
Addiction is a health issue, and help is out there — including court programs that can send people to treatment instead of jail. No insurance needed to call.
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential referrals to treatment — call 1-800-662-4357 (English & Spanish).
Human trafficking victims in Pennsylvania
If you or someone you know is being forced to work or forced into sex against their will, you are a victim of a crime and help is available — immigration status does not matter.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733 — free, confidential, for victims and anyone who suspects trafficking.
Bullying in Pennsylvania
Every state has an anti-bullying law, and every school must have a plan. If your child is being bullied, document what happens and report it in writing to the school — and know what your state’s law requires.
Homelessness help in Pennsylvania
If you are homeless or at risk of losing your housing, help is close by. Shelters, food, health care, and long-term housing programs exist in every community.
211 homeless services
Dial 211 and press 6 for homeless services in your area.
VA homeless veterans
Homeless veterans: call the VA National Call Center at 1-877-424-3838 (877-4AID-VET), 24/7.
Deed fraud & squatters in Pennsylvania
Thieves can forge a deed to steal your home’s title — many counties offer free recording alerts that notify you if anything is filed against your property. And if someone is living in your property without permission, your state has specific rules for removing them: you generally cannot just change the locks.
FBI: protect your property from deed fraud
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center alert on parcel-owner impersonation →