Michael A. Raffaele, Esquire
Michael A. Raffaele is a founding partner of Raffaele Puppio and serves as the firm’s managing partner. He has dedicated his practice to family law, taking a problem solving approach to assist clients in avoiding the delay and expense of unnecessary litigation whenever possible.
In the course of his career, Michael has served the Delaware County Court System as a Juvenile Court Master and Custody Master. He also was appointed by the President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County to serve as a Judge Pro Tem in a program adopted to decrease the Court backlog in family law cases. Michael has served on the Board of Directors of the Delaware County Bar Association and as Chairman of the Delaware County Bar Association’s Fee Dispute Committee.
Michael was the first recipient of the Eric D. Turner Award. It was presented by the Family Law Section of the Delaware County Bar Association for “his dedication, professionalism, and integrity, along with his substantial contributions to improving the practice of family law, elevating the standards, and advancing the cause of matrimonial law.”
Michael is AV® rated by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell® a registered certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. He has been consistently named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters, published annually in Philadelphia magazine since 2004. In addition, he has been selected by his peers as one of Pennsylvania’s “Best Attorneys” and one of “America’s Outstanding Lawyers.” Michael has been named the 2017 Best Lawyers "Lawyer of the Year" for Family Law in the Philadelphia metro area.
Michael brings a wealth of courtroom experience and practical insight to all of Raffaele Puppio’s practice areas. His career path included tenures as Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor for the Borough of Sharon Hill and for Newtown Township. He was also appointed as Special Counsel to the Zoning Hearing Board of Tinicum Township and has served as Solicitor for the Borough of Ridley Park.
Michael is a life-long resident of Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
Education:
- Temple University School of Law, J.D. 1974
- Lehigh University, B.A. 1970
- St. Joseph’s Preparatory High School for Boys
Experience:
- Raffaele Puppio (2001 – Present)
- Sloane, Raffaele & Schuster, P.C. (1999-2001)
- Caine, DiPasqua, Sloane & Raffaele) (1984 – 1999)
- Law Office of Michael A. Raffaele, Esq. (1981 – 1984)
- ReDavid & Raffaele (1977 – 1981)
- Prodoehl & Wydrzynski (1974 – 1976)
Court Admissions:
- United States Supreme Court
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Professional Associations & Memberships:
- American Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Delaware County Bar Association, Family Law Section
Honors & Activities:
- America’s Outstanding Lawyers
- Best Lawyers in America (2008-Present)
- Best Attorneys Pennsylvania
- Eric D. Turner Award, Delaware County Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Martindale-Hubbell® AV® rated by LexisNexis
- Pennsylvania Super Lawyer (2004 – Present)
- Suburban Life Magazine 'Top Attorneys' (2017)
Tidbits:
In his spare time, Michael enjoys spending time with his grandchildren at the beach in New Jersey. He is also an avid Philadelphia 76ers basketball fan.
Practice Areas
Recent News
Raffaele Puppio Partners Recognized Among 2019 'Best Lawyers in America'
Delaware County full-service law firm Raffaele Puppio is pleased to announce that partners Michael A. Raffaele and J. Patrick Hickey have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, one of the legal profession’s oldest and most respected peer-review publications. Read More...
4 Raffaele Puppio Attorneys Named Among 2018 PA Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Delaware County full-service law firm Raffaele Puppio is pleased to announce that four of its attorneys have been named 2018 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. Read More...
Raffaele Puppio Partner Recognized Among 2018 'Best Lawyers in America'
Delaware County attorney Michael A. Raffaele named among best family lawyers 10 years in a row Read More...
Raffaele Puppio Lawyers Named 'Top Attorneys' for 2017 by Suburban Life Magazine
Experienced Delaware County divorce lawyers named among best in greater Philadelphia area Read More...
4 Raffaele Puppio Attorneys Named Among 2017 PA Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Delaware County full-service law firm Raffaele Puppio is pleased to announce that four of its attorneys have been named 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. Read More...
Raffaele Puppio Partner Recognized Among 2017 'Best Lawyers in America'
Michael A. Raffaele named Best Lawyers ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for Family Law in Philadelphia. Read More...
Raffaele Puppio Partners Named Among 2016 PA Super Lawyers
Delaware County full-service law firm Raffaele Puppio is pleased to announce that partners Michael A. Raffaele and Gabrielle Goham have been named 2016 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers. Read More...
Raffaele and Goham Named Super Lawyers for Multiple Consecutive Years
Michael A. Raffaele, Esq. and Gabrielle C. Goham, Esq. have again been selected as “Super Lawyers” as recognized by Philadelphia Magazine. Read More...
From The Blog
Understanding the Financial Ramifications of Divorce
September 15, 2016While money can be a significant source of stress in a marriage, that stress and discord can be multiplied exponentially during a divorce. Understanding – or at least asking the right questions about – the financial aspects of divorce is important even before divorce proceedings begin. Ensuring that your finances are stable and that the... Read More...
Share and Share Alike – The Many Ways to Co-Parent
September 1, 2016Once a couple has decided to divorce, one of most important challenges they face is deciding how to continue to parent together even though they will be living apart. But how, exactly, can they share parenting duties after a divorce? No single approach works best for all families, and reaching an arrangement that benefits the... Read More...
Talking to Kids About Divorce
August 18, 2016Getting divorced is hard on everyone involved, but perhaps the hardest blow affects the youngest members of a family. Although they may not understand all the particulars, most children are perceptive enough to know when something is askew in the home. Even if they sense that something is “off,” however, many still are stunned by the... Read More...
Social Security Benefits and Divorce in Delaware County
June 1, 2016As divorce becomes more prevalent among “baby boomers,” questions often arise on the treatment of Social Security benefits in divorce. Pennsylvania Courts do not consider Social Security benefits as an asset to be distributed between divorcing spouses. Each of the parties retains his or her benefits upon divorce. It doesn’t matter if the matrimonial action... Read More...