The court clerk will give you an index number, which will be your case ID. How to File for Sole or Joint Custody of Your Child, Ⓒ 2021 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved, Verywell Family uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. You can get a copy of a divorce decree if it was issued in Philadelphia in 1885 or later. Where to Get Child Custody and Support Forms You can get child custody documents from your child's local county court's website or from the prothonotary office. Don't forget important documents such as birth certificates for each child, your identification, your contact information, and the contact information for the children's other parent. The Family Court Help Center is a room in the Philadelphia Family Court where people with family court cases can receive free legal information from knowledgable volunteers. PALawHelp.org offers self-help forms and information on a variety of family law topics, including document assembly interviews that allow you to create legal documents on-line. 1930.4 states the options for service of original process, the custody or divorce complaint. To establish a custody and visitation agreement with your child’s other parent or guardian, you must complete the filing process in your state to obtain a court order. She is teaching a civil litigation clinic at Villanova Law School. Someone interested in filing for custody can get general information from the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Citizens Guide to Child Custody. Be prepared to spend a substantial amount of time at the courthouse, as you'll need to fill out several forms. Payable to the Prothonotary’s Office, fees can be paid using cash, money orders, and credit cards - no personal checks. Free profiles of 116 top rated Philadelphia, Pennsylvania custody & visitation attorneys on Super Lawyers. Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. She has co-authored two books for the popular Dummies Series (as Shereen Jegtvig). When a parent decides to file, it may be difficult to determine where to go and with whom to speak. Explain to the clerk that you're interested in initiating a child custody suit. A clerk can explain rules and procedures to you. If you've gone through a divorce or breakup that involves minor children, you need to know how to file for child custody. Filing for Emergency Custody Petitions During COVID19: Update for 07/15/2020. Determine the rules and procedures of your specific state court. If you petition for emergency custody, it will cost an extra $30. The court may award legal custody to someone who is not a parent, such as a grandparent. Please note that the law librarian, staff of the Beaver County Law Library, staff of the Juvenile Services. Filing for Custody . As a parent involved with the suit, you will not be able to serve your ex. You will need to contact someone who knows the other parent and ask them to serve the parent with the child custody papers. This 20-minute video discusses the factors that Family Court considers when making decisions in custody cases. If you cannot pay the filing fee, you can file a Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis, or IFP, to be excused from payment. The Women's Law Project offers a variety of self-help materials in the area of Family Law. The following departments at PLA provide legal assistance with Child Custody: Call the Family Law Intake Line at 215.981.3838 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday between the hours of 09:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.  Callers are not able to leave a message. If you would like to request support services online, click the button below. You should refer to this case ID anytime you need to obtain a status update on your child custody case. If you live in Pennsylvania, you can apply even if the noncustodial parent, the parent who does not have primary care, custody, or control of the child(ren), lives in another state. Effective January 1, 2021, the filing fee will increase to $179.75. File the completed complaint and information sheet with the filing fee by mailing or hand-delivering them in person to: Clerk of Court 1133 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, Pa. 19107 5. The more you understand the process for filing divorce in Philadelphia, the more in control you will feel. Consult your specific state child custody guidelines for more specific rules and procedures relating to child custody, as this information was only meant to provide a general overview of the child custody filing process. Be nice to the clerk. Pa. R.C.P. A custody order is a written order signed by a judge. The Philadelphia paternity lawyers at The Sadek and Cooper Law Offices may be able to help you with your custody claims, paternity claims, or other fathers’ rights issues in Pennsylvania. The filing fee for custody is different in each county. Complete all of the court documents and bring them to the courthouse. If you cannot afford the filing fee, ask the court for an affidavit to request a waiver; “Affidavit in Support of Application for Proceeding in Custody or Visitation Cases without Payment of Filing Fees.” This also is called “Form DC-606.” In most cases, we help clients represent themselves in custody cases, but in special cases we will go to court for a custody client. As of July 2018, the fee for filing a custody complaint in Philadelphia Family Court is $107.13. For a free consultation with our family law attorneys, call 215-814-0395 today. If … For more information, see: Instructions to obtain certified copies of divorce decrees (pdf) This guide is intended to give basic information under Pennsylvania law about custody of children and how to plan for and or deal with a change in circumstances due to a parent’s sudden or expected absence or inability to care for her/his children. If you prepare your own petition, file it with the Clerk of Family Court on the 11thfloor of the courthouse at 1501 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA. All custody forms with instructions are on the Philadelphia Family Court’s website under Court of Common Pleas-Domestic Relations at https://www.courts.phila.gov/forms/ Division, staff of the Court Administrator’s Office and the Judge’s Law Clerk are neither qualified nor. 4. WHAT IS A CUSTODY ORDER? Sponsored by the Family Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association Page 1, September 2019 . If you file in person, you may pay the filing fee by money order, cash, or credit card. Arly Smith-Pearson is the supervisor of the Drexel Civil Litigation Field Clinic. Monday - Thursday, 9:30 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. Standardized court forms for child custody proceedings may be obtained on this page of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania’s website. previous custody orders, protection from abuse orders, the opposing party’s address and social security numbers for all parties. We recommend calling at least three weeks before your court date before a Master and at least six weeks before your hearing before a Judge. Some of the document assembly interviews were developed by PLA. Use the guide below to explore a step-by-step process for filing for child custody. Step 3 Fill out and file all the necessary custody petitions. Produced by the University of Pennsylvania Law School with assistance from attorneys at PLA. Call our Family Law Hotline at 215-981-3838 for help. Visit the court clerk's office, as they can offer you the best assistance with a child custody case. Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Susan Pearlstein is the Senior Attorney, Violence Prevention and Policy Strategist at PLA. Be nice to … To prepare yourself for the amount of documents needed, visit your state court's website in advance and look for appropriate child custody court forms. Please note that hearings will not be scheduled immediately upon the filing of the motion. Sole custody means the child’s physical and legal … To ease the process of filing out and understanding all divorce forms in Pennsylvania, you can use an online divorce service like 3stepdivorce.com to have your paperwork completed in a few hours for $299. Pay the filing fee. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. It defines the amount of time each party will spend with the child (physical custody) and how major decisions are made about the child (legal custody). If you have signed a voluntary Declaration of Paternity, you can file a Petition for Custody and Support of Minor Children. Ultimately, the clerk might become your best resource in navigating the custody system. This guide contains a list of the types of criminal convictions that the court must consider when making a decision about child custody. To file for full custody, complete the court-required forms, including what’s called a request for order form. Contact your county’s prothonotary (see PA Courthouse Locations), a domestic violence organization, or a legal services provider in your area (see PA Places that Help for a list of resources) for more information. The court will set a hearing date and you will need to attend the hearing and explain to the judge (with evidence, including documentation) how the other parent has violated the custody order. HELPFUL TIPS! Click for instructions for filing a Petition for Custody and Support of Minor Children. PLA assists clients with custody cases in Philadelphia Family Court. Some courts may offer a hotline for you to call and ask questions. However, there are general court procedures that every state has in common. A child custody order is legally binding. Browse comprehensive profiles including education, … The fee for filing a Petition for Custody is $172.50. Assistance for immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault is available from PLA's Immigrant Women's Legal Assistance Hotline, which assists callers with legal problems including divorce, custody, child/spousal support, protection from abuse, and immigration. Consider seeking the assistance of a qualified family court attorney who can help you navigate the court system and may even be able to have your case heard at an earlier time. Visit the court clerk's office, as they can offer you the best assistance with a child custody case. Look here for updates from the Family Law Unit regarding updates on coronvirus (COVID-19) : philalegal.org/familylawcovid19, Philadelphia Legal Assistance | 718 Arch Street, Suite 300N, Philadelphia, PA 19106 | Phone: 215.981.3800 | Fax: 215.981.3860 | Intranet | Log In, Providing free civil legal services to low-income residents of Philadelphia since 1996, As a non-profit, we rely on grants and gifts to fund our work. After the other parent is served and responds to the court case, the clerk will place the case on the court calendar to be heard before the judge. Gabriela Rodriguez is a Supervising Attorney of the Family Law Unit. Free online information is available from the Pennsylvania Courts website to assist the growing number of Pennsylvanians who want to file their own family law cases in courts across the state. There are, 2021 Philadelphia Legal Assistance- This is a Free Drupal Theme, Custody and Support Assistance Clinic (CASAC), Child Custody Exchanges and Filings During Coronavirus (COVID-19), Planning for Custody and Care of Children: an Informational Guide for Immigrant Families, Resources at the Philadelphia Family Court Help Center, Representing Yourself in Custody Court: One Parent’s Experiences, Court Forms Available From the First Judicial District, First Judicial District's court forms page, Custody Mediation Program, Philadelphia Family Court, Family law self-help resources from Women's Law Project. You can find out exactly how much you'll have to pay in advance by speaking with the court clerk. Leslie Allen is a Supervising Attorney of the Family Law Unit. Produced by the University of Pennsylvania Law School with assistance from attorneys at PLA. Case ID does not accept applications for assistance with Family Law Intake Line does not applications! 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