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

CRITICAL

Applies to

Transcript

Transcript payments must be made by cash, cashier's check, money order, or law firm check payable to Lackawanna County at the designated Clerk of Judicial Records office; personal checks are not accepted.

(2) The party requesting a transcript shall make payment by cash, cashier's check, money order, or law firm check made payable to Lackawanna County at the designated office of the Clerk of Judicial Records. No personal checks are accepted.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Ordinary transcript

Costs for qualifying ordinary transcripts must be waived for a litigant who is permitted to proceed in forma pauperis or whose income is below 125 percent of the current HHS poverty line.

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

Applies to

Transcript

The requesting party or party required to file a transcript is responsible for its cost, but court-initiated transcript costs cannot be assessed against a party.

(1) Assignment of Costs. 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.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Notice of appeal

When an appellate filing fee is required in addition to the Common Pleas fee, it must be paid by separate check or money order payable to the appellate court’s prothonotary, and the Clerk must forward it.

When an appeal is brought by filing a notice of appeal in the office of the Clerk of Judicial Records and for which a filing fee is required by the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County and an additional filing fee is required by the appellate court to be collected by the Clerk of Judicial Records of Lackawanna County, such appellate court filing fee shall be paid a separate check or money order made payable to the prothonotary of the appellate court involved. It shall be the obligation of the Clerk of Judicial Records to forward said filing fee to the appellate court, consistent with the Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Stenographic record request

A party requesting a stenographic record must pay the court-set stenographer's appearance fee when submitting the request.

and shall at the time of submission of such request pay a fee in the amount set by the court, which fee shall be considered the stenographer's appearance fee.

CRITICAL

(D) Applicable filing fees shall be paid electronically through procedures established by the Clerk of Court and at the same time and in the same amount as required by statute, court rule or order, or established by a published fee schedule.

(D) Applicable filing fees shall be paid electronically through procedures established by the Clerk of Court and at the same time and in the same amount as required by statute, court rule or order, or established by a published fee schedule.

CRITICAL

Applicable filing fees shall be paid electronically through procedures established by the Clerk of Court and at the same time and in the same amount as required by statute, court rule, or order, or established by a published fee schedule.

Applicable filing fees shall be paid electronically through procedures established by the Clerk of Court and at the same time and in the same amount as required by statute, court rule, or order, or established by a published fee schedule.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Transcript

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

(2) Allocation of Costs. 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.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Status report

A party who misses the Status Report deadline after written notice of delinquency must pay the Clerk a fee under the Court’s published fee schedule.

Any party who fails to file a Status Report within ten (10) days after written notice of delinquency shall pay a fee for delinquency to the Clerk in conformity with the fee schedule published by the Court.

CRITICAL

Applies to

In forma pauperis application

(d) The right to apply for leave to proceed in forma pauperis shall likewise be available to parties in any civil action commenced before the minor judiciary. Applications in such cases shall be brought to the presiding District Justice for disposition in the manner set forth in subparagraph (a) above.

(d) The right to apply for leave to proceed in forma pauperis shall likewise be available to parties in any civil action commenced before the minor judiciary. Applications in such cases shall be brought to the presiding District Justice for disposition in the manner set forth in subparagraph (a) above.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Transcript

A transcript requester must pay a non-refundable deposit equal to 100% of the estimated transcript cost.

(1) The party requesting a transcript shall obtain from the court reporter the estimated total cost of the transcript and make a non-refundable deposit payment in the amount of 100% of the estimated total cost of the transcript. The court reporter shall also notify the Clerk of Judicial Records of the estimated total cost of the transcript.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Transcript

The stenographer provides an estimate for the original transcript and one copy; transcription begins after at least half the fee is received, but the original cannot be filed and a copy cannot be delivered until full payment.

The court stenographer will then provide counsel for the moving party with an estimate of the transcript fee for an original and one copy. Upon receipt of at least one half of said transcript fee, transcription will commence. However, filing of the original transcript deliver of a copy to counsel shall not be made until full payment is made.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Arbitration transcript

Parties requesting an arbitration transcript must compensate the stenographer at the court-prescribed rate.

All parties requesting a transcript of the record shall compensate the stenographer at the rate prescribed by the court.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Ordinary transcript

Costs for qualifying ordinary transcripts must be reduced by half for a litigant whose income is below 200 percent of the current HHS 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.

WARNING

Fee

$3.75

Applies to

Expedited transcript paper

The maximum cost for an expedited transcript is $3.75 per page in paper format or $3.50 per page in electronic format, except for the Commonwealth and its subdivisions.

The costs payable by a requesting party, other than the Commonwealth or a subdivision thereof, for a transcript shall not exceed: (b) For an expedited transcript in paper format, $3.75 per page, or $3.50 for an electronic format;

WARNING

Applies to

Transcript copy

Even when counsel is permitted to photocopy a transcript in an emergency, counsel must pay the court reporter's copy rate.

Only in an emergency situation may counsel be permitted to photocopy a transcript, but the court reporter still must be paid the copy rate since counsel is not entitled to a free transcript indirectly off the court reporter's services and since counsel cannot receive a free transcript directly from the reporter.

WARNING

Fee

$6.75

Applies to

Same day transcript paper

The maximum cost for a transcript with same-day delivery is $6.75 per page in paper format or $6.50 per page in electronic format, except for the Commonwealth and its subdivisions.

The costs payable by a requesting party, other than the Commonwealth or a subdivision thereof, for a transcript shall not exceed: (d) For same day delivery in paper format, $6.75 per page, or $6.50 for an electronic format.

WARNING

Fee

0.5 $

Applies to

Transcript copy

An electronic copy of a previously filed transcript costs $0.50 per page.

(b) $0.50 per page electronic copy.

WARNING

Applies to

Transcript

The court may waive specified transcript costs for parties who qualify based on economic hardship and show good cause.

(3) 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

Fee

2.35 $

Applies to

Transcript

The cost payable by the Commonwealth or its subdivision for an expedited paper transcript cannot exceed $2.35 per page.

(b) For an expedited transcript in paper format, $2.35 per page.

WARNING

Fee

0.75 $

Applies to

Transcript copy

A bound paper copy of a previously filed transcript costs $0.75 per page.

(a) $0.75 per page bound, paper format;

WARNING

A party represented by counsel who certifies the plaintiff's indigence, court-appointed counsel, or qualifying nonprofit legal-services counsel may apply to proceed in forma pauperis.

(a) Any party who is represented by counsel who certifies on the application or by separate document that the plaintiff is indigent, or any party who is represented by court-appointed counsel or by counsel furnished from the non-profit legal services organizations providing free legal services to the indigent, may apply to the court for leave to proceed in forma pauperis.

WARNING

Fee

3 $

Applies to

Transcript

The cost payable by the Commonwealth or its subdivision for a Central Court/Grand Jury paper transcript cannot exceed $3.00 per page.

(e) For a Central Court/Grand Jury transcript in paper format, $3.00 per page.

WARNING

Fee

$2.75

Applies to

Ordinary transcript paper

The maximum cost for an ordinary transcript is $2.75 per page in paper format or $2.50 per page in electronic format, except for the Commonwealth and its subdivisions.

The costs payable by a requesting party, other than the Commonwealth or a subdivision thereof, for a transcript shall not exceed: (a) For an ordinary transcript in paper format, $2.75 per page, or $2.50 for an electronic format;

WARNING

Fee

1.75 $

Applies to

Transcript

The cost payable by the Commonwealth or its subdivision for an ordinary paper transcript cannot exceed $1.75 per page.

(a) For an ordinary transcript in paper format, $1.75 per page.

WARNING

Parties eligible to seek in forma pauperis status may also apply for relief from special or unusual expenses, but not costs related to filing or service of process.

(c) Parties eligible to apply for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, as set forth in subsection (a) above, may also apply to the court for relief from payment of special or unusual expenses, i.e., those costs not related to filing and service of process.

WARNING

Fee

0.5 $

Applies to

Transcript

The presiding judge may impose a reasonable transcript surcharge of up to $0.50 per page in specified complex cases when court reporters must significantly expand their dictionary.

(1) The presiding judge may impose a reasonable surcharge not to exceed $0.50 per page in cases such as mass tort, asbestos, medical malpractice, or other unusually complex litigation, where there is a need for court reporters to significantly expand their dictionary.

WARNING

Fee

5 $

Applies to

Transcript

The cost payable by the Commonwealth or its subdivision for same-day delivery of a paper transcript cannot exceed $5.00 per page.

(d) For same day delivery in paper format, $5.00 per page.

WARNING

Fee

$4.75

Applies to

Daily transcript paper

The maximum cost for a daily transcript is $4.75 per page in paper format or $4.50 per page in electronic format, except for the Commonwealth and its subdivisions.

The costs payable by a requesting party, other than the Commonwealth or a subdivision thereof, for a transcript shall not exceed: (c) For a daily transcript in paper format, $4.75 per page, or $4.50 for an electronic format;

WARNING

Fee

3.25 $

Applies to

Transcript

The cost payable by the Commonwealth or its subdivision for a daily paper transcript cannot exceed $3.25 per page.

(c) For a daily transcript in paper format, $3.25 per page.

WARNING

When the court or county is responsible for transcript costs, the transcript must be prepared without requiring a deposit.

When a transcript is requested for which the court or county is responsible for the cost, the court reporter, court recorder or transcriptionist shall prepare the transcript without the necessity of a deposit.

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