Legal Question in Family Law in Pennsylvania

Re: Pregnant mom unwed

You asked about child custody.

Moms have very little to fear when it comes to custody. Unless the mother is unfit courts are very unwilling to separate a child and its mother. This is particularly so during the first few years.

Depending on who the father is and how he is situated he has little to no chance of gaining custody, while still being required to provide support.

Whether you move out of state or not has little to do with retaining custody. I guess the real question is why are you so concerned about this? What issues are not stated that need to be considered?

You should see an attorney during the pregnancy to plan for any eventuality. This would include planning for custody agreements and child support arrangements. It MUST also include preparing a will that not only takes care of your assets (even if they are minimal) but more importantly that plans to execute your wishes for your child should the unthinkable happen. More importantly, taking care of these matters will remove some stress that you are obviously experiencing and allow you to concentrate on the health of you and your baby.

These arrangements should not be terribly expensive and depending on your circumstances may be covered through a local legal clinic.

Congratulations, mazeltov, and best withes,

Roger