Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Filing Fees and Waivers

Applies to

Legal paper

A filing lacking sufficient funds or authorization for credit card, debit card, or other payment cannot be cured under the electronic-filing rejection procedure.

(C) Submitting a legal paper for filing without (1) sufficient funds to pay the fees and costs of the filing, or (2) authorizing payment of the fees by credit card, debit card or other means is not curable under (f)(7)(A).

Applies to

Request for issuance of subpoena based on foreign subpoena

The filing fee set by the Department of Court Records must be submitted when requesting an Allegheny County subpoena based on a foreign subpoena.

(b) The filing fee as set by the Department of Court Records, and

Applies to

Petition for name change

A filing fee applies to a petition for a name change.

The filing fee applicable to a Petition for a name change.

Applies to

Petition for appointment of conservator

A conservatorship action begins by filing a conservator appointment petition with the Department of Court Records and paying the applicable filing fee, which assigns the action a CS docket number.

A conservatorship action is commenced and assigned a CS docket number by the filing of a Petition for the Appointment of a Conservator (''Petition'') with the Department of Court Records and payment of the applicable filing fee.

Applies to

Appeal

A party appealing an arbitration award must pay the Department of Court Records the fee required to file the appeal.

(1) In addition to satisfying the requirements of Pa.R.C.P. 1308(a), a party appealing an award shall also pay to the Department of Court Records any fee required for filing the appeal.

Applies to

Education and mediation orientation programs

Moving parties required to participate in the education and mediation orientation programs must pay all program fees.

All moving parties who are required to participate in the education and mediation orientation shall pay all fees required for those Programs.

Applies to

Education and mediation orientation programs

The moving party must pay all education and mediation orientation fees before receiving the Scheduling Order.

The moving party shall pay all of his or her fees for the education and mediation orientation programs prior to receiving a Scheduling Order.

Applies to

Education and mediation orientation programs

The responding party must pay the program fees seven days before the scheduled session.

Upon receipt of the Scheduling Order, the responding party shall pay fees seven days prior to the scheduled session.

Fee

$40

Applies to

Adult and children education

Adult education costs $40 per party and children’s education costs $30 per child, with each party paying half of each child’s fee; payment must be by certified check or money order to the Allegheny County Treasurer.

The fee for adult education is $40 for each party. The fee for children’s education is $30 for each child. Each party shall pay one-half of each child’s total fee. The fees for education shall be payable to the Allegheny County Treasurer by certified check or money order. No cash or personal checks will be accepted.

Fee

$100

Applies to

Mediation orientation

Mediation orientation costs $100 per party, payable to the Allegheny County Treasurer by cashier’s check or money order; cash and personal checks are not accepted.

The fee for mediation orientation shall be $100 for each party. The fee for mediation orientation shall be made payable to the Allegheny County Treasurer by cashiers’ check or money order. No cash or personal checks will be accepted.

Applies to

Education and mediation orientation programs

No party or child may participate in the programs without timely payment of the required fees.

Under no circumstances will any party or child be permitted to participate in any of the Programs absent timely payment of fees.

Applies to

Custody complaint and related documents

Filing fees for the custody complaint and related documents must be paid unless the party obtains a fee waiver through the established in forma pauperis procedure.

Filing fees charged by the Department of Court Records for the Complaint for Custody and any other document in reference therein, must be paid unless the party has sought waiver of the fees through the court’s established procedure to secure an in forma pauperis status.

Applies to

Divorce or annulment complaint

All divorce and annulment complaints must be filed with the filing fee paid at the Department of Court Records.

(1) All divorce and annulment complaints shall be filed, and the filing fee paid in the Department of Court Records(City-County Building, 1st Floor) where they will be assigned a docket number.

Fee

$43

Applies to

Uncontested divorce or annulment hearing

An uncontested divorce or annulment requires a hearing praecipe and a $43 deposit allocated to a $25 master’s fee, $15 court reporter’s fee, and $3 for poundage and mailing, unless Rule 1920.62 provides otherwise; the deposit is taxed as costs.

Actions for divorce or annulment which are uncontested shall be listed for hearing upon filing a praecipe for hearing and, except as otherwise provided by Bule 1920.62, depositing with the Department of Court Records the sum of $43 to be applied as follows: Master’s Fee- $25; Court Reporter’s Fee- $15; Poundage and Mailing Expense- $3. The amount deposited shall be taxed as costs.

Applies to

Objection to adequacy of price

Before filing an objection to the adequacy of the offered real-estate price, the objector must deposit a certified or cashier’s check equal to ten percent of the original offer or at least $100, with possible forfeiture if the offer is not raised in open court.

Before objection to the adequacy of the price offered for real estate pursuant to Section 14 of Act of July 5, 1947, P.L. 1258, 53 P.S. § 26114, is filed, the objector shall deposit a certified or cashier's check with the solicitor for petitioner for ten (10) percent of the original offer, or a minimum of one hundred dollars ($100.00), subject to forfeiture to all interested taxing authorities in the event the original offer is not raised in said amount in open Court.

A party may proceed without paying DCR filing-related fees by filing the required in forma pauperis praecipe or obtaining a court-granted petition, with potential sanctions for noncompliance.

A Party may proceed without paying DCR’s filing related fees if an attorney files a Praecipe to Proceed In Forma Pauperis, or the Party files, and the court grants, a Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis pursuant to Pa.R.Civ.P. 240, et seq. Failure to comply with Pa.R.Civ.P. 240, et seq, may result in the Party’s appeal being stricken or a Judgment of Non-Pros entered against them.

Applies to

Education and mediation orientation fees

In exigent circumstances, the court may waive, reduce, or assess program fees, but the request must be presented through Motions Court with a verified affidavit of indigence or other proof of economic hardship.

Under exigent circumstances, the court will consider waiver, reduction or assessment of fees to the other party for those unable to pay. Any such request must be presented through Motions Court and must be accompanied by a verified affidavit of indigence or other proof of economic hardship in accordance with Pa.R.C.P. 240 and 1920.62.

Applies to

Education and mediation orientation programs

Education and mediation program fees are non-refundable except after a domestic-violence waiver, timely filing and service of a custody consent order, withdrawal of the pleadings seven days before the program, or when the petitioner fails to appear and the respondent’s fees are refunded.

fees for the education/mediation program are non-refundable with the following exceptions: (a). The parties are excused from participation in mediation orientation because a Domestic Violence Waiver has been filed by either or both parties. (b). A signed Custody Consent Order is filed and served on the Generations Center seven days before the scheduled education program or the scheduled mediation orientation. (c). Petitioner withdraws the pleadings seven days prior to the scheduled education or mediation orientation. (d). Respondent’s fees are refunded when Petitioner fails to appear for education and/or mediation.

Applies to

Indigent divorce party

A person seeking to commence or participate in a divorce action in Allegheny County who claims indigent status must be referred to the Allegheny County Bar Association to apply under oath.

Any person claiming to be an indigent party and who either desires to commence an action in divorce or is a party to a pending action in divorce in Allegheny County shall be referred to the Allegheny County Bar Association to make application under oath.

Applies to

Indigent divorce party

An order allowing a party to proceed without paying costs may include provisions.

An order permitting a party to proceed without payment of costs may provide:

Court records, sheriff, and master functions may proceed without prepayment of costs, although costs and reasonable counsel fees may later be ordered against a person determined to be financially able to pay.

That the Department of Court Records shall accept, file, docket and process all pleadings, orders and decrees without prepayment of costs; That the Sheriff shall make service and return of service without prepayment of costs; That the master shall hear the testimony and make and file a report without prepayment of costs. (d) In the event it is determined that the applicant or any other person who is legally responsible to the applicants is or has become financially able to pay the costs, an order may be entered against that person for the payment of all or any part of costs including reasonable counsel fees.

Applies to

Writ of execution

If the plaintiff files the affidavit, the Sheriff calculates poundage based on the consideration stated in it.

If an affidavit is filed, the Sheriff's poundage will be calculated based on the consideration set forth in the affidavit.

Applies to

Sheriff sale costs and expenses

A money deposit for costs and expenses is required for the sheriff's sale process.

A deposit of money for costs and expenses is required.

DCR filing-related fees may be paid by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express cards, advance deposit, or electronic checking/ACH.

The following credit and debit cards may be used on the DCR's electronic filing website to pay filing-related fees: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Such fees may ===== PAGE 18 ===== also be paid by depositing in advance sufficient funds with the DCR. The DCR may also accept payments by electronic checking/ACH (Automatic Clearing House). See the DCR website for additional information.

Applies to

In forma pauperis praecipe or application

The Department of Court Records must accept a party's in forma pauperis praecipe or application without charging the party.

The Department of Court Records shall accept for filing by a party, a praecipe as provided by Pa.R.C.P. 240, or an application under this rule, without charge to the party.