Susan Pearlstein

June 18, 2021 | The Legal Intelligencer

What did we learn? What did we do differently, and would it make sense to continue some of our pandemic modifications? How can we improve on some of the inequities in and barriers to accessing the courts and legal services that may have been exposed during COVID?

By Susan Pearlstein

8 minute read

November 28, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

In Philadelphia, over 85 percent of custody litigants proceed pro se. The majority of these litigants cannot afford counsel, and rely on the court's Intake Unit to assist with filing pleadings. While this is sufficient in some instances many pleadings beyond the basics are not available and the volume is such that litigants often are given appointments to return to the Intake Unit months in the future. In an attempt to alleviate these problems and provide litigants with much needed information on the custody process, Administrative Judge Margaret T. Murphy, members of the family law section of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and attorneys at the public interest firms Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) and Women Against Abuse Legal Center (WAA) established the Family Court Help Center. The Family Court Help Center opened as a collaborative effort of the above on April 6, 2015, with a ­ribbon-cutting ­ceremony and has served approximately 2,544 litigants since its inception.

By Deeya Haldar 
and Susan Pearlstein

15 minute read

December 02, 2011 | The Legal Intelligencer

Consider the following scenario: A responsible, loving mother of three children prepares to attend a custody hearing where a judge will decide how she and her children's father will share custody of their children. The mother does not know the ins and outs of the law regarding custody, and does not have a lawyer to assist her because she cannot afford to hire one. (She is not alone in this regard, as the Domestic Relations Court of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas reports approximately 85 to 90 percent of litigants before the court appear pro se).

By Susan Pearlstein

8 minute read