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

CRITICALCivil cases

The Clerk cannot confirm a master's or auditor's report until all expenses and fees are paid to the Clerk; upon confirmation, the Clerk pays the expenses and remaining fee to the auditor or master after deducting 10% for the Mercer County Bar Association treasurer.

No master’s or auditor’s repo0rt shall be confirmed by the Clerk until all expenses and auditor’s or master’s fees have been paid to the Clerk Upon confirmation, the Clerk shall pay all expenses and the balance of the auditor’s or master’s fee to the auditor or master, after deducting ten percent (10%) of the auditor’s or master’s fee to be paid to the treasurer of the Mercer County Bar Association.

CRITICALCivil cases

An auditor's or master's report cannot be confirmed or otherwise approved until the Court orders approval of the expenses and fees to be reimbursed or awarded to the auditor or master.

No auditor’s or master’s reports shall be confirmed or otherwise approved until such time as the Court shall have entered an order approving the amount of expenses to be reimbursed until and the amount of fees to be awarded until the auditor or master.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Transcript deposit

If a requested waiver is denied or only partially granted, the requester must pay a deposit of 75% of the estimated transcript cost within three business days after the hearing.

If the waiver is not granted or a partial waiver is granted, then the requesting party shall pay a deposit equal to 75% of the estimated cost of the transcript within three (3) business days of said hearing.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Conciliator hearing

Each party must pay the court-ordered fee for a Conciliator hearing in a partial physical custody action, but the fee is waived for a party determined indigent.

(f) A fee in an amount to be determined by court order shall be assessed against each party for a Conciliator hearing in an action involving partial physical custody. The fee shall be waived for any party determined to be indigent.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Transcript deposit

Unless a waiver is requested, a transcript requester must pay a deposit equal to 75% of the estimated cost by check payable to the court reporter.

A party requesting a transcript, unless a waiver is requested, shall pay a deposit in the amount of 75% of the requested estimated cost of the transcript. The check shall be made payable to the court reporter.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Fee

150

Persons found guilty of, pleading guilty to, or accepted into A.R.D. in a driving-under-the-influence case must pay a $150 administration fee through the Office of the Clerk of Courts, in addition to other costs.

All persons who are found guilty of driving while under the influence, plead guilty to driving while under the influence or are accepted into A.R.D. must pay through the Office of the Clerk of Courts, in addition to all other costs, $150.00 for administration of such cases.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Appointment of master

A party seeking appointment of a master must file the motion with the Prothonotary and pay the court-ordered appointment fee, unless granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis or the court permits otherwise.

All actions or claims described in Section (a) hereof will not be referred to a master until one of the parties files a motion for the appointment of a master to hear the action(s) and/or claims(s) at issue and pays an amount to be determined by court order, in addition to all other costs provided by law, for the appointment of a master. The motion shall be filed with the Prothonotary together with the proper fee. Unless the moving party is granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis, no master will be appointed until the proper fee for the appointment of the master is paid, or the court permits otherwise.

WARNING

Fee

2 $

Applies to

Court order

The County must pay the court reporter $2.00 per page for all court orders.

The County shall pay a Court Reporter $2.00 per page for all court orders.

WARNING

Fee

1 $

Applies to

Uncertified transcript rough draft

A requesting party must pay $1.00 per page for an uncertified rough transcript draft, and this fee cannot be waived.

A requesting party shall pay a fee of $1.00 per page for a rough draft of a transcript with no certification. There will be no waiver of this fee.

WARNINGCivil cases

The Court may assess the auditor's or master's expenses and fees against any party in interest as it sees fit.

The Court may assess said expenses and fees upon any party in interest, as it deems fit.

WARNING

Fee

2.5 $

Applies to

Ordinary transcript electronic

Unless waived, ordinary electronic transcripts cost $2.50 per page for requesters and the Commonwealth.

Unless waived, the party requesting an ordinary transcript shall pay $2.50 per page for ordinary transcripts in electronic format and pay $2.75 per page for paperbound transcripts. Commonwealth shall likewise pay $2.50 per page for ordinary transcripts in electronic format and pay $2.75 per page for paperbound transcripts.

WARNING

Fee

4.5 $

Applies to

Daily transcript electronic

Unless waived, daily electronic transcripts cost $4.50 per page for requesters and the Commonwealth.

Unless waived, the party requesting a daily transcript shall pay $4.50 per page for daily transcripts in electronic format and pay $4.75 per page for daily transcripts in paperbound format. The Commonwealth shall likewise pay $4.50 per page and $4.75 per page, respectively, for daily.

WARNING

Fee

0.5 $

Applies to

Transcript

If the presiding judge orders it and the transcript involves a mass tort, medical malpractice, or unusually complex litigation, the court reporter may add a $0.50-per-page surcharge.

Upon order of the presiding judge, in the event a transcript involves a mass tort, medical malpractice, or unusually complex litigation, a Court Reporter may add a surcharge of $0.50 per page to the above schedule of fees.

WARNING

Applies to

Transcript final payment

The final transcript payment is due when the transcript is picked up or delivered.

The final payment is due at the time that the transcript is picked up and/or delivered.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Consumer credit information request

The Domestic Relations Section will impose a fee on a consumer credit bureau or organization that requests information.

(b) A fee will be imposed by the Domestic Relations Section upon the Consumer Credit Bureau of organization requesting information.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Masters hearing

If the master believes the case will require more than four hours, the master may recommend an additional deposit before the hearing or assessment of costs; the master’s fee is taxed as costs and paid as directed in the final decree.

In the event the master believes the amount of time (s)he must devote to the case will exceed four (4) hours said time, or does exceed four (4) hours, (s)he may recommend to the court that additional monies be deposited by a party prior to the hearing or assessed against a party as costs. The master's fee shall be taxed as part of the costs and paid as directed in the final decree.

WARNINGCivil cases

Fee

100 dollars

Applies to

Masters hearing

The Court Reporter fee for Master’s Hearings will be one hundred ($100) dollars per party. If there are no continuances of the Master’s Hearing, the parties may request and will receive a refund of fifty ($50) per party once the Hearing has been completed.

The Court Reporter fee for Master’s Hearings will be one hundred ($100) dollars per party. If there are no continuances of the Master’s Hearing, the parties may request and will receive a refund of fifty ($50) per party once the Hearing has been completed.

WARNING

Fee

3.5 $

Applies to

Expedited transcript electronic

Unless waived, expedited electronic transcripts cost $3.50 per page for requesters and the Commonwealth.

Unless waived, the party requesting an expedited transcript shall pay $3.50 per page for expedited transcripts in electronic format and pay $3.75 per page for expedited paperbound transcripts. The Commonwealth shall likewise pay $3.50 per page and $3.75 per page, respectively, for expedited transcripts.

WARNING

Fee

6.5 $

Applies to

Same day transcript electronic

Unless waived, same-day electronic transcripts cost $6.50 per page for requesters and the Commonwealth.

Unless waived, the party requesting same day delivery of a transcript shall pay $6.50 per page for same day delivery in electronic format and $6.75 per page for same day delivery in paperbound format. The Commonwealth shall likewise pay $6.50 per page and $6.75 per page, respectively, for same day delivery of a daily transcript.

WARNING

Fee

0.75 $

Applies to

Transcript copy paperbound

Unless waived, paperbound copies of transcripts cost $0.75 per page for requesters and the Commonwealth.

Unless waived, the party requesting a copy of a transcript shall pay $0.75 per page in paperbound format and $0.50 per page in electronic format. The Commonwealth shall likewise pay $0.75 per page and $0.50 per page, respectively, for a copy of a transcript.

INFOCivil cases

Applies to

Conciliator conference

No fee is assessed for a Conciliator conference.

(c) No fee shall be assessed for a Conciliator conference.