Paul is Chair of the Family Law Practice Group at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC. He has been practicing Domestic and Family Law since his admission to the Bar in 1988. Paul is a past Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Family Law Section. He has chaired the Legislative, Membership and Program Committees of the PBA Family Law Section and has testified before the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee regarding pending family law legislation. Paul is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Central Pennsylvania Collaborative Professionals. Paul has been included in the Woodward/White, Inc. publication, The Best Lawyers in America®, Family Law Section, each year since 2007, has been included in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list each year since 2008. Paul was named as the Central Pennsylvania Family Lawyer of the Year for 2013, 2016 and again for 2020 in The Best Lawyers of America® publication. Mr. Helvy has also been selected by his peers for recognition as a Local Legal Leader by Harrisburg Magazine and has been recognized as one of the Select Lawyers by Susquehanna Style Magazine. Paul also serves on the Board of PA Family Support Alliance, an organization dedicated to eradicating child abuse in Pennsylvania.
Paul is a frequent speaker on behalf of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Institute and County Bar Associations on the topics of divorce, custody and support. Some of the seminars in which he has been involved include a presentation to the State’s Trial Judges regarding Business Valuation, Family Law Practice in Central Pennsylvania, Preparing Marital Settlement Agreements, Determining Net Income for Support Calculations, the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act and Updates on Recent Developments in the Areas of Distribution of Marital Property, Support, and Custody. Paul is also a course planner of the Family Law Institute, an annual program designed to assist family law attorneys stay abreast of the latest developments and trends in the law, held in Philadelphia and simulcasted throughout the state.
Mr. Helvy has considerable experience representing clients with significant assets and income. He has taught multiple continuing legal education courses to other lawyers on the topics of determining the value of a business in the context of divorce and ascertaining an individual’s actual income (as opposed to what appears on their tax returns) for purpose of calculating support and alimony.
Mr. Helvy is a past chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Family Law Section and continues to be actively involved in the leadership of the Section.
The Best Lawyers in America®, Family Law, 2007-present
Lawyer of the Year®, Best Lawyers, Family Law, 2020
Pennsylvania Super Lawyers®, 2008 – present
Best Family Law Firm, Central Penn Business Journal’s Reading Rankings, 2018
Select Lawyers, 2014, 2016
Local Legal Leaders, 2015-present
Dauphin County Bar Association, Chair, Young Lawyers, 1995-1996
Pennsylvania Bar Association – PBA Family Law Section Chair (2014-15), Executive Committee member, Council member, past chair of the Programming Committee, Legislative Committee, Membership Committee and Specialization Committee member
PA Family Support Alliance, Board of Directors
Central Pennsylvania Collaborative Professionals, Certified Collaborative Lawyer
Dauphin County Bar Association, Social Committee
PA Bar Foundation, Director
Cumberland County Bar Association
Lancaster Bar Association, Member
U.S. District Court – Middle District of Pennsylvania
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
May 22, 2018 - Valuing a Closely Held Business in Divorce: Pitfalls and Best Practices
November 7, 2016 - PA Supreme Court rules against grandparents in landmark custody rights case
October 17, 2016 - New state law will cut divorce wait time in half
November 23, 2015 - Untying the Knot: It’s Time for Pennsylvania to Cut the Divorce Waiting Period
May 21, 2014 - Family Law Update
Whitewood v. Wolf Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage in Pennsylvania
February 27, 2020 - Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements
April 23, 2019 - A New Norm: Third Parties in Custody
December 4, 2018 - McNees Attorneys to Present on Tax and Family Law at PBI Seminar
April 17, 2018 - Family Law Institute
January 14, 2017 - Dissecting Custody Evaluations
July 15, 2016 - Beyond the W-2
May 13, 2015 - Hot Tips in Family Law
January 27, 2015 - Hot Topics in Civil Litigation
January 16, 2015 - PBA Family Law Section Winter Meeting
October 14, 2014 - Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements