Chelsey Annette Christiansen

A family lawyer, Chelsey A. Christiansen focuses on litigation, family and juvenile law, child custody, divorce, child support, and child advocacy. Ms. Christiansen has experience representing clients in family law matters at the mediation, arbitration, trial, and appellate level. She also has experience providing litigation support to commercial clients, including drafting pleadings and representing the interests of commercial clients in small claims court.

Chelsey is often court-appointed by Montgomery County F amily Court judges to represent parents in need. She works directly with Montco Children & Youth Services and juvenile dependency court to prepare cases and treatment plans for those parents who may have lost custody.

Chelsey appeared before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in April of 2021. After three months, she received the decision she and her client had advocated for throughout the nearly two-year appellate process. Representing "father," the appellee, she was able to obtain a consistent result – the vacating of a decree terminating the father's parental rights. View Chelsey's video below where she gives more insight into the appellate process.

Ms. Christiansen appreciates that the nature of litigation, particularly within the context of the family unit, can be overwhelming. So she approaches all clients with compassion and empathy, motivated to achieve a satisfactory resolution expeditiously and cost-effectively.

Before joining High Swartz, Chelsey completed a judicial clerkship for the Honorable David R. Workman of the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Ms. Christiansen also has experience working for a local public interest organization and a local public defender's office.

Ms. Christiansen's dedication to family and child welfare is longstanding and fortified by her educational experiences. A graduate of the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University, Ms. Christiansen was honored with the Eve Biskind Klothen Law Student Pro Bono Distinction Award. During her time at Penn State, Ms. Christiansen co-founded Boulevard, a community service organization committed to donating time and funds to THON.

Some of Chelsey's considerable skills and accomplishments as a family lawyer include:

Navigating juvenile clients and their families through the intake and adjudication processes
Successfully litigating a child support action and obtaining retroactive child support after proving the opposing party shielded income
Negotiating comprehensive divorce settlements, including settlement of all economic and alimony claims
Representing parents throughout all levels of the custody litigation process and negotiating favorable custody arrangements on behalf of clients

Ms. Christiansen enjoys traveling and exploring the local community when not practicing law. A Montgomery County native, she spends many of her weekends rooting for the home teams, particularly the Nittany Lions.