Court of Common Pleas of Bedford County, Pennsylvania Filing Fees and Waivers

CRITICAL

Applies to

Divorce complaint

A filing fee must be paid unless the filer has been granted In Forma Pauperis status.

You must pay the Prothonotary’s Office a filing fee (unless you have been granted the right to proceed In Forma Pauperis, and this request would be filed with your Complaint).

CRITICAL

Applies to

Transcript request

A litigant ordering a transcript must pay a 50% deposit to Bedford County through the district court administrator; private parties must pay by money order, and the administrator’s office will not accept cash.

(1) the litigant ordering a transcript shall make partial payment of 50% of the estimated transcript cost. Deposit payments are to be made payable to Bedford County and shall be delivered to the district court administrator. Payment by private parties shall be made by money order. Cash shall NOT be accepted by the district court administrator's office.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Divorce complaint

A filing fee is required unless the court has granted In Forma Pauperis status, which is requested with the Complaint.

You must pay the Prothonotary’s Office a filing fee (unless you have been granted the right to proceed In Forma Pauperis, and this request would be filed with your Complaint).

CRITICAL

The order provides that the petitioner may be required to pay a percentage of court costs and fees.

Petitioner shall proceed by paying percent of the Court costs and fees.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Final transcript balance

The final transcript balance must be paid to Bedford County through the district court administrator before the original is filed and copies are made available.

(4) upon payment of any balance owed, the court reporter or transcriptionist shall deliver the original transcript to the district court administrator for filing with copies for distribution to the requesting party and any other parties who may have requested copies. Payment for the final balance shall be made payable to Bedford County and shall be delivered to the district court administrator who will forward it to the Finance Department. Copies of the transcript and filing of the original will be made upon payment in full.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Transcript

For a litigant who establishes economic hardship, transcript costs must be waived or adjusted when the matter is on appeal or the transcript is necessary to advance litigation; otherwise, reasonable need must be shown.

In cases of economic hardship, where the matter is under appeal or a transcript is necessary to advance the litigation, the costs of procuring the transcript shall be waived or otherwise adjusted by the court. In cases of economic hardship where there is no appeal pending or there exists no obvious need for the transcript to advance the litigation, the requesting party must demonstrate reasonable need before the court shall waive or adjust the cost of obtaining the transcript.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Transcript

For a litigant claiming economic hardship, transcript costs must be waived or adjusted when the matter is on appeal or the transcript is necessary to advance litigation; otherwise, the requesting party must demonstrate reasonable need.

When a litigant requests a transcript, but cannot pay for the transcript because of alleged economic hardship, the court shall determine economic hardship pursuant to the procedure set forth in Rule 4008(B). In cases of economic hardship, where the matter is under appeal or a transcript is necessary to advance the litigation, the costs of procuring the transcript shall be waived or otherwise adjusted by the court. In cases of economic hardship where there is no appeal pending or there exists no obvious need for the transcript to advance the litigation, the requesting party must demonstrate reasonable need before the court shall waive or adjust the cost of obtaining the transcript.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Transcript request

A transcript requester must pay 50% of the estimated cost in advance, payable to Bedford County and delivered to the district court administrator; payment must be by certified funds or from counsel’s office, and cash is not accepted.

(1) the litigant ordering a transcript shall make partial payment of 50% of the estimated transcript cost. Deposit payments are to be made payable to Bedford County and shall be delivered to the district court administrator. All payments shall be in the form of certified funds or directly from the office of counsel. Cash shall NOT be accepted by the district court administrator’s office.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Transcript

The final transcript balance must be paid to Bedford County through the district court administrator, and the transcript will be filed and copies distributed only after full payment.

(4) upon payment of any balance owed, the court reporter or transcriptionist shall deliver the original transcript to the district court administrator for filing with copies for distribution to the requesting party and any other parties who may have requested copies. Payment for the final balance shall be made payable to Bedford County and shall be delivered to the district court administrator who will forward it to the Finance Department. Copies of the transcript and filing of the original will be made upon payment in full.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Ordinary transcript

Ordinary transcript costs must be reduced by one-half for qualifying litigants whose income is below 200 percent of the poverty line.

Transcript costs for ordinary transcripts in matters under appeal or where the transcript is necessary to advance the litigation shall be reduced by one-half for a litigant whose income is less than 200 percent of the poverty line as defined by the HHS poverty guidelines for the current year.

CRITICAL

Court costs and fees shall be waived.

Court costs and fees shall be waived.

CRITICAL

Fee

2.5

Applies to

Ordinary electronic transcript

A requesting party other than the Commonwealth or its subdivision must pay $2.50 per page for an ordinary transcript in electronic format.

Rule 4008.1 Transcript Costs Payable by a Requesting Party Other Than the Commonwealth or a Subdivision Thereof ## (A) Costs (1) The costs payable by a requesting party, other than the Commonwealth or a subdivision thereof, for a transcript in an electronic format shall be: (a) for an ordinary transcript, $2.50 per page;

CRITICAL

Applies to

Ordinary transcript

Ordinary transcript costs must be waived for qualifying litigants whose income is below 125 percent of the poverty line or who are permitted to proceed in forma pauperis.

Transcript costs for ordinary transcripts in matters under appeal or where the transcript is necessary to advance the litigation shall be waived for a litigant who has been permitted by the court to proceed in forma pauperis or whose income is less than 125 percent of the poverty line as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines for the current year.

CRITICAL

Fee

6.5 $

Applies to

Same day electronic transcript

Same-day delivery of an electronic transcript costs $6.50 per page if the court reporter is able to accommodate the request, for a requesting party other than the Commonwealth or its subdivisions.

(d) for same day delivery, $6.50 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate.

CRITICAL

Fee

2.5 $

Applies to

Ordinary electronic transcript

An ordinary transcript in electronic format costs $2.50 per page for a requesting party other than the Commonwealth or its subdivisions.

(a) for an ordinary transcript, $2.50 per page;

CRITICAL

Fee

3.5 $

Applies to

Expedited electronic transcript

An expedited transcript in electronic format costs $3.50 per page if the court reporter is able to accommodate the request, for a requesting party other than the Commonwealth or its subdivisions.

(b) for an expedited transcript, $3.50 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate;

CRITICAL

Fee

4.5 $

Applies to

Daily electronic transcript

A daily transcript in electronic format costs $4.50 per page if the court reporter is able to accommodate the request, for a requesting party other than the Commonwealth or its subdivisions.

(c) for a daily transcript, $4.50 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate; and

CRITICAL

Fee

0.25 $

Applies to

Bound paper transcript surcharge

A transcript prepared in bound paper format incurs a $0.25-per-page surcharge in addition to the applicable electronic-format rate.

(2) When the transcript is prepared in bound paper format, the costs shall be in accordance with paragraph (1) relating to electronic format plus a surcharge of $0.25 per page.

CRITICAL

Fee

3.5

Applies to

Expedited electronic transcript

A requesting party other than the Commonwealth or its subdivision must pay $3.50 per page for an expedited transcript in electronic format if the court reporter can accommodate the request.

Rule 4008.1 Transcript Costs Payable by a Requesting Party Other Than the Commonwealth or a Subdivision Thereof ## (A) Costs (1) The costs payable by a requesting party, other than the Commonwealth or a subdivision thereof, for a transcript in an electronic format shall be: (b) for an expedited transcript, $3.50 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate;

WARNING

Applies to

Transcript

The requesting party or party required to file the transcript is responsible for its cost, but no party is assessed costs for a court-initiated transcript.

The requesting party, or party required by general rule to file a transcript, shall be responsible for the cost of the transcript. Costs shall not be assessed against any party for transcripts prepared at the initiation of the court.

WARNING

Fee

0.75

Applies to

Transcript copy

A bound paper copy of a previously ordered, transcribed, and filed transcript costs $0.75 per page.

$0.75 per page bound, paper format; and,

WARNING

Fee

0.5

Applies to

Transcript copy

An electronic copy of a previously ordered, transcribed, and filed transcript costs $0.50 per page.

$0.50 per page electronic copy.

WARNING

Applies to

Notice of intention to resume prior surname

An additional fee is associated with filing the Notice of Intention to Resume Prior Surname.

There is a small additional fee associated with filing this form.

WARNING

Applies to

Notice of intention to resume prior surname

Filing the Notice of Intention to Resume Prior Surname requires an additional fee.

There is a small additional fee associated with filing this form.

WARNING

Applies to

Transcript

The court may waive specified transcript costs for parties who meet the economic-hardship criteria and show good cause.

Transcript costs for ordinary transcripts in matters that are not subject to an appeal, where the transcript is not necessary to advance the litigation, or for expedited, daily, rough draft or same day transcripts may be waived at the court’s discretion for parties who qualify for economic hardship under subdivision (B)(1) or (B)(2) and upon good cause shown.

WARNING

Applies to

Transcript

A trial judge may, at their discretion, impose a reasonable surcharge in specified or similarly complex cases when court reporters must significantly expand their dictionary.

A trial judge may impose a reasonable surcharge in cases such as mass tort, medical malpractice or other unusually complex litigation, where there is a need for court reporters to significantly expand their dictionary. Such surcharges are at the discretion of the trial judge.

WARNING

Applies to

Transcript

When multiple parties request or are required to file a transcript, its cost must be divided equally among them.

When more than one party requests the transcript, or are required by general rule to file the transcript, the cost shall be divided equally among the parties.