Divorce Lawyers Philadelphia - Clerk of the Family Court

CLERK OF THE FAMILY COURT
1133 Chestnut Street – First Floor

Mark Alleva
Deputized Prothonotary
Clerk of the Family Court
1133 Chestnut Street – First Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Telephone: (215) 686-3805
Fax: (215) 686-9308

All complaints or petitions for support, custody, partial custody or visitation, or other petitions under the jurisdiction of the Domestic Relations Division of Family Court, including petitions to modify, petitions for contempt, emergency petitions, interstate support petitions, all stipulations, and exceptions to Permanent Hearing Officers’ proposed Orders, are to be filedand docketed with the docketing clerks located in the Clerk of the Family Court.

The docketing clerks also maintain a Registry of Foreign Support Orders and Foreign Custody Orders.

Claims for support and/or custody in a divorce action will be docketed and assigned a Domestic Relations (DR) docket number (aka Case ID number), in addition to a Court, Term, and Number for the Divorce action.

Any attorney filing a petition for support or custody will be provided the Domestic Relations docket number and the unit to which the case is assigned

It is essential that all inquiries include clear identification of case names and the Domestic Relations docket number.

An original, plus five copies, of all filings (petitions or stipulations) AND a pre-addressed, stamped envelope for each opposing counsel and/or un-represented party, must be included at the time of filing.

Pursuant to Administrative Regulation 93-4, all original filings, including Divorce complaints and stipulations, must include the attached Form (A), with all information included. Case demographics must be provided to enable staff to establish case data on the Domestic Relations automated system.

Pursuant to Administrative Regulation 93-5, all Custody stipulations must be filed with the Clerk of the Family Court and must include the attached Praecipe to Transmit the Custody Stipulation. See Form (B).

Pursuant to Administrative Regulation 93-1, Philadelphia Family Court established a child Custody Mediation Program as an alternate means for resolving custody disputes. All requests to schedule Child Custody Mediation cases are to be made at (215) 686-9208.

For a description of the Family Court’s Custody Mediation Program, please see Administrative Regulation 93-1 (attached).

Pursuant to Administrative Regulation 92-4, all attorneys must file their entry and withdrawal of appearance on all support or custody cases, including those raised through counts in Divorce with the docketing clerks. See Form [C].

Only attorneys, who have entered their appearance on behalf of a party, or the party to a support, divorce, or custody action, will be permitted to review a record. Clients must have an I.DD. (Photo I.D., if possible).

Record reviews may be arranged by contacting (215) 686-3805.

A coin-operated copy machine is available to make copies at the cost of $.25 per page.

NOTE: Confidential reports, such as psychological studies, will not be available for copy without the approval of the Administrative Judge.

Individuals, other than parties and counsel of record, seeking to review Family Court records are referred to the following Family Court Administrative Regulation:

Click Here for Administrative Regulation 97-1, RE: Disclosure of Family Court Records.

A certified copy of a Divorce, support, custody, or Protection From Abuse (Domestic Violence) Order may be obtained at the Clerk of the Family Court, 1133 Chestnut Street, First Floor. The fee for support, divorce, or custody Orders is $30.00, payable by cash, certified check, or money order, drawn to the order of the Prothonotary. Personal checks are NOT accepted. There is no fee to certify Protection from Abuse Orders.

Effective July 1, 1996, all Motions filed in Family Court, Domestic Relations Division, must attach a completed Motion Cover Sheet. See copy attached. This shall apply to Divorce and Domestic Relations Motions. The Clerk of the Family Court will reject for filing any Motion that fails to comply with this notice.