Child Support

Information from Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network on rights relating to custody and visitation of children.

If you’re a domestic violence survivor with children and don’t have a lawyer, this guide from Philadelphia Legal Assistance can help you decide whether a divorce or custody case can help you. If so, it can help you follow the court rules and meet legal requirements, so you have the best chance at an outcome that is safe for you and your children. The guide contains general legal information applicable throughout Pennsylvania and specific information on procedures in Philadelphia.

This video from North Penn Legal Services, presented by Ellen Kramer of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, provides updated information for issues related to custody relocation and the factors a court needs to consider in any custody case.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) helps low- to moderate-income workers and families get a tax break. If you qualify, you can use the credit to reduce the taxes you owe – and maybe increase your refund. You may claim the EITC if your income is low to moderate. The amount of your credit may change if you have children, dependents, are disabled or meet other criteria.

If you’re applying for a job or a promotion, an employer might run a background check. Federal law and some state laws give you rights when this happens. Employers must get your written permission before running a background check from a background reporting company. You have the right to say no, but if you do, you may not get the job.

Employment discrimination is when a company treats an employee differently than other employees because of his or her race, color, age, sex, pregnancy, ancestry, religion, disability, national origin, retaliation, or sexual orientation. Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association on discrimination in the workplace.

Information on the process for filing an individual tax return, including ways to file your tax return for free and other ways to file.

Help centers across the state provide free, confidential counseling, shelter, legal, and economic services for domestic violence victims and their children. Locate a center near you using your city or zip code; or your current location identified by your mobile device or computer.

The Free File Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of industry-leading tax software companies partnered with the IRS to help millions of Americans prepare and e-file their federal tax returns for free. Free File is the fast, safe and free way to do your federal tax return online. Free File Alliance member companies provide brand name tax software options at no cost.

Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association about legal issues related to being fired from your job and about quitting your job.

This video from Neighborhood Legal Services Association discusses the federal housing rights of victims of domestic violence under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). August 2, 2011.

Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association on what your rights are in the workplace and how to assert those rights.

In Pennsylvania, over 580,000 workers are misclassified each year. This recorded webinar provides an overview of the types of worker classification, tax consequences for each, and remedies available to a person misclassified by their employer. June 8, 2021

Fact sheet from MidPenn Legal Services outlining the basic rights all employees have at their workplace. [PDF] (February 2014)

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has developed the “Know Your Rights” video series in English and Spanish to provide workers with useful basic information in different scenarios that workers encounter in the workplace.

Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITC) assist low income individuals who have a tax dispute with the IRS, and provide education and outreach to individuals who speak English as a second language (ESL). LITCs represent individuals whose income is below a certain level and who need to resolve tax problems with the IRS. LITCs can represent taxpayers in audits, appeals, and tax collection disputes before the IRS and in court. LITCs can also help taxpayers respond to IRS notices and correct account probl

Pennsylvania's Megan's Law requires the State Police to create and maintain a registry of persons who reside, or is transient, work/carry on a vocation, or attend school in the Commonwealth and who have either been convicted of, entered a plea of guilty to, or have been adjudicated delinquent of Certain Sexual Offenses in Pennsylvania or another jurisdiction.

myPATH, which stands for ‘my Pennsylvania Tax Hub’, provides many self-service options such as registering a new tax account, accurately and securely filing returns, making payments, managing your accounts, and interacting with the department.

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) Sexual Violence Legal Assistance Project provides free and confidential trauma informed legal advice and short-term legal representation to victims of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment. The project is designed to fill existing gaps where local community legal services are unavailable. Priority is given to victims of non-intimate partner sexual assault.

Information on the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry including links to the full text of the law. The workers' compensation system protects employees and employers. Employees receive medical treatment and are compensated for lost wages associated with work-related injuries and disease, and employers provide for the cost of such coverage while being protected from direct lawsuits by employees.

Pregnant people have rights in the workplace. Laws prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and require employers to provide accommodations to allow workers to work while pregnant. Breastfeeding workers also have rights to express breastmilk in the workplace so that they can maintain their milk supply and continue to nurse their babies after returning to work. The Women's Law Project provides information their rights for pregnant workers and workers who have recently had a bab

Information from Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc. on the protection available to you under the Pennsylvania Protection From Abuse Act.

Domestic Violence/PFA Chapter of Family Law Handbook published by North Penn Legal Services. (2021)

This resource from the Pennsylvania Courts includes several videos including "How to file for a protection order in Pennsylvania"; "Recognizing the Signs of Abuse" and "Safety Planning". it also answers many frequently asked questions about Protection Orders in Pennsylvania.

Information from Neighborhood Legal Services on sexual harassment in on the job. Sexual harassment is any unwanted conduct directed at a person because of their gender. There are two types of sexual harassment, “Quid Pro Quo Harassment”, which is when an employer makes job decisions based on the employee's interpersonal or sexual conduct and “Hostile Work Environment Harassment”, which is when an employee is forced to work in an offensive and abusive environment.