David J. Steerman

David is Chair of the firm’s Family Law Practice Group. He is a seasoned litigator singularly focused on helping his clients and their children get to the other side of a difficult time intact, both emotionally and financially. He believes that preservation of the family unit is important and strives to prevent estrangement for the sake of both children and families.

Dealing with family law issues such as divorce, child custody, support, same sex dissolution and pre-/post-nuptial agreements is complex and challenging. David has always been motivated by high-conflict, complicated cases because they are interesting to resolve and demand creative thinking and solutions.

David is a strong advocate for his clients inside and outside the courtroom while remaining sensitive to the consequences of the decisions that must be made. To quote a former client:

“He is aggressive enough to get you what you need and calm enough to hold your hand.”

Because of his depth and breadth of experience, David is regarded as the “go-to” on family law matters. His scope of representation includes individuals and families of every background, ranging from working families to high-net-worth individuals, including, but not limited to, individuals in the business, medical, legal, accounting and educational communities, as well as high-profile athletes, celebrities and politicians. His clients also include dependent spouses and/or individuals with limited to no work experience.

David writes and speaks frequently on divorce and other family law-related topics. He is a Fellow of the esteemed American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). He has assumed leadership positions in the Philadelphia Divorce Bar, including chair of the Bar Association’s Family Law Section and has served as a council member of The Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Family Law Section. David has been a featured speaker and course planner on family law topics for AAML, both locally and at the national level, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, The Family Law Sections of the Pennsylvania, Montgomery and Philadelphia County Bar Associations, the National Business Institute, Widener University Paralegal Institute, Temple University L.L.M. Program, Pennsylvania Psychological Association, and the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs (PICPA), among others.

An active member of the community, David donates his time and energy to various local charities and non-profit organizations such as Philadelphia VIP, Homeless Advocacy Project and The Support Center for Child Advocates, and he serves as an attorney mentor in Family Law.

Matters include the following:

• Divorce – negotiation and litigation
• Child Custody
• Equitable Distribution
• Support Issues – child, spousal, alimony
• Same Sex Dissolution
• Consensual Adoptions
• Restraining Orders/Protection from Abuse
• Domestic Partnership Agreements
• Prenuptial/Postnuptial Agreements
• Separation Agreements

David regularly appears in Montgomery, Chester, Bucks, Delaware and Philadelphia counties and is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers for Family Law since 2013, is annually selected to Super Lawyers and has long been featured in Ten Leaders as one of the leading matrimonial lawyers in the five-county Philadelphia area.

Quoted, “Pennsylvania Legislation Passed In 2024: A Midyear Report,” Law360, August 7, 2024

Author, “The Impact of Gender Identity Issues on Custody Proceedings,” Reuters Legal News and Westlaw Today, May 29, 2024

Author, “The Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Family Law: Evolution or Revolution?” The Legal Intelligencer, May 6, 2024

Profiled, “Family Law Attorney Brings Both a Steady Demeanor and Steadfast Advocacy to His Clients’ Matters,” Of Counsel Magazine, Vol. 43,  No. 4, April 2024.

Author, “The Impact of Addiction in Family Law Cases,” Reuters Legal News and Westlaw Today, March 11, 2024

Profiled, “Best Divorce Lawyers Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Of 2024,” Forbes Advisor, February 20, 2024

Author, “Navigating Love and Legalities: The Significance of Prenuptial Agreements,” The Legal Intelligencer, February 15, 2024

Author, “The Legal Considerations of Familial Estrangement,” Reuters Legal News and Westlaw Today, February 14, 2024

Author, “Un(conditional) Love: Who Gets the Engagement Ring After the Break-Up?” New Jersey Law Journal, December 22, 2023

Author, “Family Estrangement: How to Navigate Toxic Relationships Around the Holidays,” Philadelphia Magazine, December 5, 2023

Moderator, “Prenuptial Agreements,” American Academy Of Matrimonial Lawyers CLE program, The Pennsylvania Bar Association Summer Meeting, July 14, 2022 

Profiled, “Philadelphia’s Legal Eagles,” Philadelphia Style, December 2021

Profiled, “Pandemic-proof Family Lawyers,” Suburban Life Magazine, December 2020

Author, “Holidays 2020: Custody, COVID-19 and Holiday Travel Do’s and Don’ts,” December 17, 2020

Profiled, “A Balanced Approach,” Suburban Life Magazine, July 2020

Author, “Navigating Covid-19: Quarantine questions that every married couple may face,” Philadelphia Business Journal, May 6, 2020

Quoted, “Split families make pacts, duel over custody amid virus,” AP News, April 7, 2020

Moderator, “Parenting Coordination in Philadelphia: What Attorneys Should Know,” The Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the Family Law Section of Philadelphia Bar Association, April 1, 2019

Presenter, “Valuing Antiques and Collectibles,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute presentation, March 20, 2019

Co-course planner and moderator, “Parenting Coordination – Get Your Parenting Coordination and Domestic Violence Training Under The New Parenting Coordination Rule,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, February 11th and 12th, 2019

Co-author, “Valentine’s Day: Nothing says I love you like a pre-nup,” with Monica Mandell, Philadelphia Business Journal, February 9, 2018

Presenter, “21st Century Extended Family Law Issues: The Demographics and Fragility of Modern Families,” PBI Family Law Institute, April 2017

Presenter, “How We Make Decisions: Neuroscience and Heuristics, With a Focus on Dealing With These Complex Issues in Family Law Cases,” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, March 2017

Presenter, “Real Estate Assets and Liabilities in Support and Equitable Distribution Proceedings,” Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants Divorce Conference, October 2015

Presenter, Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania State Trial Judges Conference, July 24, 2015

Presenter, “Custody Law Updates,” Pennsylvania Bar Association Family Law Section’s Summer Meeting, July 11, 2015

Presenter, “Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements,” Pennsylvania Bar Family Law Institute, April 23, 2015

Presenter, “Custody Practice in Philadelphia County,” PBI’s Philadelphia County Domestic Relations Program, November 2013

Guest, “Interview on Halle Berry Custody Relocation Case,” Fox News, Mike Jerrick, April 2013

Author, “Get Divorced: What Family Lawyers Need to Know About Jewish Divorce,” Pennsylvania Family Lawyer, Volume 35, Issue No. 1, March 2013

Presenter, “Fault and No-Fault Divorces,” Drexel University’s Earle Macke School of Law, February 2013

Author, “I saw mommy kissing Lou from accounting; office parties and cheating,” Philadelphia Business Journal, December 11, 2012

Author, “Marital Miss: How to Protect Your Business Before You Tie the Knot,” Philadelphia Smart CEO, November 2012

Quoted, “Same marriage, Round 2,” Chicago Tribune, October 23, 2012

Author, “PreNup: Is It For You?,” prettypearbride.com, Fall 2012

Presenter, “Valuing Antiques and Collectibles,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute, April 10, 2014, March 27, 2012

Author, “10 Practical Tips for Finding the Right Family Lawyer,” Main Line Media News online and Main Line Suburban Life, November 30, 2011

Presenter, PBI/PBEC, Disasters—Planning Ahead, 2006

Presenter, “Family Law Updates,” Philadelphia Bench Bar Conference, October 23, 2003

Presenter, “Custody Law Update,” PBI/PBEC, June 25, 2003

Presenter, “Child Custody and Visitation Issues in Pennsylvania,” National Business Institute

Author, “Case Note on Gowdy v. Kesserling,” Pennsylvania Family Lawyer, Vol. 19, No. 2, June 1997

Presenter, “Custody Relocation Update, The Burdens of a Move,” Philadelphia Bar Association Family Law Section, Fall 1996

Presenter, “5 County Domestic Relations Practice,” Philadelphia Family Law Section CLE, October 16, 1996

Presenter, “Practical Tips on Family Law,” PBI/PBEC, June 15, 1995

Presenter, “Partial Custody—Grandparent and Third Party Rights,” PBI/PBEC

Presenter, Widener Law School Paralegal Institute and American Institute for Paralegal Studies, Inc., March 8, 1995

Quoted, TODAY Show’s NBC Website, LifeInc, regarding prenuptial agreements, by Geoff Williams, Reuters

Quoted, “Who Gets Custody of Your Child’s Education,” Little Rock Family, September 1994

Author, “Interviewer—Custody a View from the Bench,” Philadelphia Lawyer Magazine, Vol. 57, No. 2, Summer 1994

Author, “Family Law—The Right Moves,” Philadelphia Lawyer Magazine, Vol. 57, No. 2, Summer 1993

Quoted, “Prenups aren’t impossible to break, but…” TODAY Show’s NBC Website, LifeInc