Tim Colgan ‘96

By the time most people call Tim Colgan ’96, their lives have already been turned upside down. Divorce, custody disputes, and family conflict rarely arrive quietly. Colgan has spent nearly three decades helping people slow the chaos, make thoughtful decisions, and find a way forward that protects what matters most.

“I think you can feel like you’re really making an impact in people’s lives,” Colgan said.

“Most of the people we work with, this is one of their first interactions with a lawyer or the legal system. You can have a profound impact not only on how they get through it, but on how they view the system afterward.”

Colgan, founder of Colgan & Associates, serves families across central Pennsylvania in separation, divorce, custody, mediation, collaborative practice and estate planning. His work centers on helping clients reach fair agreements that minimize emotional and financial harm, especially when children are involved.

That focus on impact was not part of a carefully mapped plan.

Originally from Wisconsin and the youngest of seven children, Colgan grew up in northeastern New Jersey after his father’s job transferred the family east. He attended Penn State University, where a formative summer working for his older brother, a trial lawyer, gave him his first real look at the profession.

“It was invaluable,” Colgan said. “He gave me a lot of responsibility and exposed me to a ton of things. That’s really what sparked my interest.”

Law school did not come easily. After graduating from college, Colgan spent two years in sales before trying again. On his third round of applications, he was admitted to several schools, including what is now Widener University Commonwealth Law School. The decision to attend in Harrisburg was practical. His wife was teaching in Adams County, and staying in Pennsylvania made sense.

“It just worked out great,” he said.

At Widener Law Commonwealth, Colgan immersed himself in hands-on learning. He participated in the Civil Law Clinic and was active in the Trial Advocacy Honor Society, gaining early courtroom experience that shaped his confidence and approach. He later returned to coach trial teams in Philadelphia competitions, a role he held for years.

He remembers professors who made the material come alive, including Emeritus Professor Mike Cozzillio and Professor Mary Kate Kearney.

“There were a lot of great professors,” he said. “They were great at letting you find your own way, giving you guidance when you needed it, but also letting you make some mistakes and learn from them.”

Family law, however, was not on his radar.

After graduating in 1996, Colgan began his career with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s former Medical Professional Liability Catastrophe Loss Fund, known as the CAT Fund. The position felt more like insurance adjusting than practicing law. At the same time, he began taking on divorce cases through a small local firm.

“If you’re willing to do divorces, you can have every single one that comes through the door,” he recalled being told.
He jumped in.

By 1998, with a young family and a new mortgage, Colgan made the decision to leave his state job and build a family law practice of his own. It was a bold move, especially in a region where he was navigating multiple counties, each with its own courtroom culture and procedures.

The early years demanded adaptability and persistence. Without a formal mentor in family law, Colgan learned quickly, leaning on observation, preparation, and the occasional quiet word of advice from more seasoned attorneys who saw potential in the young lawyer finding his footing.

“You learn very quickly,” he said. “And you learn by doing.”

Those early lessons shaped the lawyer he would become. Today, Colgan leads a firm with four associates, including a Widener law clerk who will join after graduation. He makes a point of offering younger attorneys the kind of steady guidance he once appreciated.

Family law, he says, is deeply personal work. Clients are often at their lowest points. Emotions run high. Decisions can carry lifelong consequences.

“There’s a lot of untrained psychological work that we do,” Colgan said with a small laugh. “People trust you. They confide in you. Sometimes you have to remind them that’s not my expertise. I can help you legally, and I can point you toward support, but I can’t be everything.”

The work has shaped him as much as he has shaped it. Over time, it has deepened his empathy and reinforced the importance of patience and perspective, both inside and outside the courtroom.

“You can’t judge until you’ve walked a mile in someone’s shoes,” he said. “You don’t know what’s going on underneath the surface.”

Over time, his definition of success has shifted.

“I look at it more holistically now,” Colgan said. “Success isn’t just being a successful lawyer. It’s being a successful husband, a successful parent, a successful member of the community.”

Colgan and his wife, both Penn State graduates, raised three children, all of whom also attended Penn State. He coached youth sports, volunteered in his community and stayed involved in his children’s schools. Those choices may have meant passing on certain professional opportunities, he acknowledged, but he would not change them.

“For me, that’s been the right path,” he said.

Beyond his private practice, Colgan has served as president of the Collaborative Professionals of Central Pennsylvania, a court-appointed parenting coordinator in York County, and a Guardian ad Litem and Special Master in Dauphin County. He has taught continuing legal education courses across the state and served for nearly two decades on Widener’s Intensive Trial Advocacy Program faculty.

His advice to students considering family law is grounded and practical.

“Identify what resonates with you,” he said. “Do you want a big firm? A small firm? City or suburban practice? Family law firms tend to be smaller. For me, I wanted to run my own business. That was enticing.”

He also encourages students to understand the realities of the work.

“Yes, you’re helping people,” he said. “But there’s a lot of client management. A lot of handholding. Sometimes our best work is helping people avoid their own self-destructive instincts.”

Nearly 30 years after earning his law degree, Colgan still finds meaning in guiding families through painful transitions and toward more stable futures. The work is rarely easy, but it is human.

“When you help somebody get through something that’s very difficult and see them start rebuilding on the other side,” he said, “that’s rewarding.”

Interview conducted in Spring 2026.