Todd Spivak
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Family Law Attorney in Pittsburgh, PA
- Free Consultation
Todd Spivak is an attorney and founding partner at Spivak Law Firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who provides strong, compassionate, cost-effective representation in all areas of family law and criminal defense. His family-law practice includes divorce, child support and child custody, with a special focus on high-conflict cases involving allegations of parental alienation, mental illness, drug addiction and domestic abuse. He routinely represents plaintiffs and defendants at Protection From Abuse (PFA) hearings. His criminal-defense practice focuses on PFA violations, domestic violence and criminal-record expungements.
Mr. Spivak represents clients in Pittsburgh and all surrounding clients, including: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Washington, and Westmoreland. He is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Mr. Spivak earned a Juris Doctor degree from University of Colorado Law School; while in law school, he represented clients at the State Public Defender's and United States Attorney's offices.
A former investigative reporter, his work won numerous national awards and was twice-nominated for The Pulitzer Prize. He continues to write on legal issues for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, as well as the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County bar associations. Mr. Spivak volunteers as an advocate for victims of domestic violence and as a coach for youth sports. He has been selected every year since 2016 as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.
- 70%Family Law
- 30%Criminal Defense
Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Custody & Visitation, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Juvenile Law, Name Change, Paternity, Marital Property, Mediation & Collaborative Law, Father's Rights, Assault & Battery, Criminal Law, Drug & Alcohol Violations, Expungement, False Accusations, Felony, Juvenile Delinquency, Misdemeanor, Motor Vehicle Offenses, Probation, Sex Offenses, Theft, Traffic Violations, Criminal Domestic Violence
Selections
- Rising Stars: 2016 - 2021
Additional Sources of Information About Todd Spivak
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About Todd Spivak
Admitted: 2011, Pennsylvania
Professional Webpage: http://spivaklawfirm.com/about-us
Pro bono/Community Service
- Volunteer Attorney, Wills for Heroes Program
- Volunteer Attorney, Neighborhood Legal Services Association
Educational Background
- Albert A. List College, New York, NY, B.A.
Bar/Professional Activity
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Member, Allegheny County Bar Association
Scholarly Lectures/Writings
- Lawsuits uncover abusive practices in unregulated rare-coin industry. , Author, Heads You Lose, Tails You Lose, Houston Press, 2007
- Family law and criminal defense attorneys are often targeted by clients with threats and intimidation., Author, Attorneys Need More Protection, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2019
- New law-school dean clerked for Supreme Court among other achievements., Author, New Pitt Law Dean Brings Collaborative Spirit, Lawyers Journal, 2018
- Courtroom skills are critical for new attorneys to advance., Author, Civil Litigation For Newer Attorneys, Lawyers Journal, 2018
- Criminal records may be sealed from public view in Pennsylvania under new law., Author, New Law Seals Misdemeanor Convictions, Lawyers Journal (ACBA), 2017
- Pennsylvania should offer relief for people to shed the stigma of a criminal record that denies them access to employment, housing and government benefits., Author, Clean The Slate In Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2016
- Guardianship laws may entrap people against their will., Author, Whose Best Interests, Houston Press, 2007
- Investigation uncovers transit system's deadly practices., Author, Run Over by Metro, Houston Press, 2006
- Domestic-violence fatalities may be reduced by increased judicial involvement at PFA hearings., Author, How the Court Failed Maureen Karr, Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2015
- PFA judges should have advanced training in domestic violence., Author, Crack Down On Domestic Violence, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2015
- PFA law must strike the right balance between protecting victims while also limiting false claims of abuse., Author, Improve Pennsylvania’s PFA Law, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2013
- People abuse the PFA system to gain leverage in child custody and divorce., Author, Curbing False PFAs, Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2013
- Child-custody rights for parents are supreme under the law., Author, Child Custody Rights In Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2012
- Sex offenders may use family court to harass their victims., Author, Child Custody for Rapists?, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2012
- Domestic-violence victims gain legal protections., Author, My First PFA Client, Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2012
- Possible cancer clusters divide small town., Author, Toxic Town, Houston Press, 2008
Honors/Awards
- Society of Professional Journalists, First Amendment Award, Society of Professional Journalists, 2008
- Super Lawyers, Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2019
- The Pulitzer Prize Board, The Pulitzer Prize (Nominee), The Pulitzer Prize Board, 2006
- Avvo, Client's Choice Award, Avvo, 2016
- American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, Client Satisfaction Award, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, 2016
- Super Lawyers, Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2018
- Investigative Reporters and Editors, Investigative Reporters and Editors Certificate, Investigative Reporters and Editors, 2006
- Expertise, Best Divorce Lawyers in Pittsburgh, Expertise, 2016
- Super Lawyers, Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2017
- The Pulitzer Prize Board, The Pulitzer Prize (Nominee), The Pulitzer Prize Board, 2008
- National Association of Distinguished Counsel, Nation's Top One Percent, National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2015
- Super Lawyers, Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2016
- New post: Children Who Witness Domestic Abuse https://t.co/YKumt0NrM7
- New post: Child Custody: Parenting During COVID-19 https://t.co/yRp7R8BIXU
- New post: Plea Deals in Criminal Cases https://t.co/66OlB5q6UT
- New post: Automatic Expungements In Pennsylvania https://t.co/HjPSzDqYy7
- New post: PFA Orders May Affect Divorce https://t.co/A33vEDzf4E
Last Updated: 2/19/2021