Responsive Representation When You Need It Most
John M. Schaffranek
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Contact Me:
Practice Areas:
- Family Law
- Estate Administration
Biography
After spending many years at Pittsburgh area law firms, I decided to open my own firm in 2021. In this capacity, I am free to give each client the time and attention they deserve by being highly selective in the cases I take on.
I have worked in the family law field in a variety of roles since 2004. First as a paralegal in Columbus, Ohio, then as a clinic student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law's Family Law Clinic, then as a law clerk and attorney at some of Pittsburgh's most widely known family law firms. My family law experience ranges from uncontested divorce cases with agreed upon distribution of assets, to highly contested matters with large estates and complex issues. My practice includes custody and support cases, as well as any and all matters in the area of family law.
I handle conciliation and settlement conferences and negotiation, and trial work as the case may dictate, with equal passion and attention to detail. In many instances, litigation in family cases is one of the most traumatic experiences a client has faced; I do my best to limit that trauma.
I am particularly proud to work with the LGBTQIA+ community in matters that are common among them: name changes, surrogacy agreements, open adoptions, and the like. Since same-sex marriage was made the law nationwide, I have also started taking on clients in same-sex marriages as those unions dissolve, helping them get to their new normal following a divorce.
I also have considerable experience in estate planning, drafting wills, trusts, Powers of Attorney, and Healthcare Directives/Living Wills for clients. When a loved one passes, I am also prepared to guide an executor through the process of administering the estate through to completion.
Some cases necessitate appealing to Pennsylvania's higher courts. I am well-versed in appellate practice, having successfully argued many cases before the Superior and Commonwealth Courts of Pennsylvania. If your case requires an appeal, I can see that process through from beginning to end.
I also enjoy general practice, having successfully represented clients in criminal, traffic, business, civil and orphan’s court matters. I have represented media clients in disputes with government bodies, and also government bodies in drafting municipal ordinances and otherwise counseling municipalities in their legal responsibilities.
I have lived in Pittsburgh since 2009, when I moved here for law school. Prior to that, I lived in Columbus, Ohio, where I attended undergraduate school at Denison University with a dual degree in Political Science and Philosophy.
Currently I live near downtown Pittsburgh with my husband and our two dogs.
Education
- University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Denison University
- Major: Philosophy
- Denison University
- Major: Political Science
Current Employment Position
- Attorney