Our Attorneys

Susan is a shareholder of Blakinger Thomas and the Chair of the Family Law and Adoption group.  She advises clients in a broad range of family law issues including complex property division, support and custody matters. As a former Special Divorce Master for the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County, Susan presided over divorce master hearings and issued master’s decisions. She brings to the representation of her clients a unique perspective by combining her experiences as a divorce master with her decades of experience as an attorney to help navigate her clients through extremely difficult and challenging times.

Education

• Marshall Wythe School of Law, College of William & Mary, J.D.
• Fordham University, B.A., summa cum laude
• Mediation Training
• Collaborative Law Training

Bar Admissions

• Pennsylvania, 1982
• Supreme Court of the United States of America, 1995
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1983
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1983

Awards

• 2016 Distinguished Parent Award, presented by Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education
• 2015 Athena Leadership Award, presented by the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Athena International

Professional Memberships

• Pennsylvania Bar Association (Family Law Section and Collaborative Law Committee)
• Lancaster Bar Association (Family Law Section Member and Past Chair)

Community Involvement

• Penn Square Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (Member, Past President, Past Co-Secretary, and Past Vice President
• Lancaster Chamber of Commerce Professional Women’s Forum Advisory Group (Champion 2015, 2016, 2017) now Women in Business Advisory Group (Member 2021 – present)
• Donegal Foundation (Board Member)

Appointments

• Prior Special Divorce Master for the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County
• 1999 Family Court Task Force of the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County, Member
• 2010 Family Court Task Force of the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County, Member

Seminars

• “Custody Law Update,” Lancaster Bar Association, 2011
• “Finding the Balance,” Penn Square American Business Women’s Association Chapter Meeting, 2011
• “When the Long Arm of the Law Comes Knocking on Your Door…Legal Issues Facing Employers Due to Employees’ Personal Legal Matters,” Professional Women’s Forum of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2011
• “‘Til Death Do Us Part…or Perhaps Longer,” Lancaster Bar Association, 2011
• “Pennsylvania Family Law Review,” Pennsylvania Public Accountants Meeting, 2010
• “Recent Changes in PA Support Guidelines,” Lancaster Bar Association, 2010
• “When the Pieces Fall Apart … A Successful Businesswoman’s Legal Strategy for Personal and Professional Well-Being,” Professional Women’s Forum of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2009
• “The Ramifications of Divorce,” Pennsylvania Public Accountants Meeting, 2008