What should I expect in Montgomery County family court for divorce, custody or support?

Last updated October 25, 2026.

Montgomery County family cases are heard by the Court of Common Pleas in Norristown, and most of the family filing offices sit in One Montgomery Plaza at 425 Swede Street. Divorce, custody and PFA papers are filed with the Prothonotary, while child support, spousal support and APL go to Domestic Relations in Suite 204 of the same building. Custody cases add two required steps before you meet a conciliator: a mediation orientation and a parenting seminar.

Our office is in Media, in Delaware County. For an overview of the family matters we handle, see our family law page.

How does a Montgomery County family case move, step by step?

The pattern is similar for every kind of case: file, meet a court officer who tries to settle it, then ask a judge to decide only what is still in dispute.

1. Prepare the papers. Divorce papers go straight to the Prothonotary. Custody and PFA papers start in the Family Court Division of Court Administration, on the first floor of One Montgomery Plaza.
2. File. The Prothonotary takes filings in person, by mail, electronically or in the dropbox in the Norristown Courthouse lobby. Support complaints go to Domestic Relations online through GOVLINK, by mail or in person.
3. First meeting. Support starts with a video conference, custody with a mediation orientation, a parenting seminar and a conciliation conference, and property division with an equitable distribution hearing officer.
4. Recommendation. Without agreement, the officer's recommendation becomes a temporary order.
5. Judge. A party who disagrees asks for a judge, in support and divorce cases usually within 20 days.

Criminal and DUI cases in the same county follow a different path, explained in our guide to criminal and DUI cases in Montgomery County. For a criminal case that starts in the borough itself, see our Norristown page.

Which office handles what, and when is it open?

The Prothonotary accepts money orders, attorney checks, cash and, for most civil filings, debit or credit cards, but not personal checks.

What are the filing fees?

These are government fees from the Prothonotary's schedule effective January 1, 2026. They exclude lawyer's fees and seminar or mediator costs, and they can change.

A party who cannot afford the fees can ask to proceed in forma pauperis.

How do divorce cases run in Montgomery County?

A divorce starts with a complaint filed at the Prothonotary. The county's divorce instructions warn that claims for alimony, property division, or lawyer's fees and expenses left out of the complaint may be lost once the decree is entered. Each claim is a separate count with its own fee.

A mutual consent divorce needs a consent affidavit from each spouse (23 Pa.C.S. 3301(c)), signed 90 days or more after the complaint is served and filed within 30 days of signing (Pa.R.C.P. 1920.42). Without consent, the spouses must have lived separate and apart for at least one year (23 Pa.C.S. 3301(d)). The county's page notes that separations that began before December 5, 2016 still need two years. If your spouse refuses to sign, read what happens when a spouse will not consent.

Property division has a set local track. Under Local Rule 1920.51(f), either side can file a Motion to Commence Equitable Distribution Scheduling, which must list the claims still at issue and certify that a completed inventory has been filed and served. Once the fee is paid, the Prothonotary forwards it to the Equitable Distribution Hearing Officer's Unit. Local Rule 1920.54(d) then sets the sequence:

• Initial conference. No stenographic record is made, and if you have a lawyer, only the lawyer takes part. Ten days before it, each side files an Initial Conference Memorandum with basic information, an inventory and any discovery requests.
• Discovery and settlement conference. The hearing officer sets discovery deadlines and schedules a settlement conference. All parties and lawyers must attend, and each side files a settlement statement 10 days before, including a proposed percentage split of all property.
• Grounds and hearing. If the case does not settle and grounds are established, a party files a Praecipe to Transmit and Motion for Grounds Order. Pre-trial statements are due 20 days before the record hearing and expert reports 30 days before.
• Report and exceptions. The hearing officer files a report and recommendation. Under Pa.R.C.P. 1920.55-2(b), either party has 20 days to file exceptions; if no one does, the court reviews the report and enters a final decree.

A dispute over the date of separation goes to the assigned Family Court judge, and if grounds are not established six months after filing, the judge schedules a case management conference. Why that date matters is explained in why the date of separation matters. The factors a hearing officer weighs are in how property is divided in a Pennsylvania divorce.

How do support cases run in Montgomery County?

You may file for support here if you and the child live in the county, or the other party lives or works regularly here, and Domestic Relations needs a valid address for the other parent. After you file, an intake coordinator holds an hour-long virtual interview on Microsoft Teams and asks for documents through GOVLINK within five business days. The county says the support conference is typically scheduled four to six weeks after that interview.

The conference is held by video. Documents are due at least seven days before it, including photo ID, your latest federal tax return with W-2s, six months of pay stubs, child care costs and proof of medical coverage. If you do not take part, the conference proceeds without you and an order may be entered or your complaint dismissed. The conference officer applies the statewide guidelines, which are covered in how child support is calculated in Pennsylvania.

Montgomery County uses the hearing officer track of Pa.R.C.P. 1910.12 (Local Rule 1910.10). If the conference ends without agreement, an interim order is entered and the case goes to a record hearing before a hearing officer who is a lawyer. The county holds these hearings on Zoom in 30-minute slots, and treats them as your final chance to present evidence: everything must reach Domestic Relations seven days before and be exchanged with the other side ten days before.

Either party then has 20 days to file exceptions, and the recommendation stays in effect as a temporary order while they are pending (Pa.R.C.P. 1910.12(f) and (h)). If the hearing was recorded, the party filing exceptions pays for the transcript, then the judge sets a briefing schedule and hears argument, in person or by Zoom. If no exceptions are filed within 20 days, the recommendation becomes a final order. For which payment applies while a divorce is pending, see spousal support, APL or alimony.

How do custody cases run in Montgomery County?

Under the county's custody packet, staff at the Family Court Division assign a mediator and a parenting program date, and only then are the papers filed with the Prothonotary. The filer serves everything, including a blank criminal record and abuse history affidavit, by regular mail, certified mail or in person, then files a Certificate of Service. The other party must file a verification about criminal record and abuse history on or before the first court date, and no later than 30 days after service.

• Mediation orientation. Every party must contact the assigned mediator within 7 days of filing, and the session must take place within 20 days of filing. Lawyers may not attend, and the cost is split between the parties unless the court orders otherwise (Local Rule 1940.8).
• Parenting seminar. Both parents must attend an approved seminar for separated and divorced parents (Local Rule 1915.3). It is not required on a petition to modify if both attended within two years, and skipping it can lead to sanctions, including contempt.
• Custody Conciliation Conference. A court-appointed attorney acts as conciliator. There is no record or transcript, and children do not attend the first conference. An agreement becomes an agreed order signed by a judge.
• Short list hearing, then a full hearing. Cases not resolved by the conciliator go to a short list hearing before a judge and, if still unresolved, to a protracted hearing.

Statewide, the first in-person contact with the court in a custody case must be scheduled within 45 days of filing (Pa.R.C.P. 1915.4(a)). The factors the judge applies are explained in how judges decide custody after Kayden's Law. Our child custody and child support page describes the custody matters we handle.

How do protection from abuse cases run in Montgomery County?

A PFA petitioner gets the packet from Court Administration on the first floor of One Montgomery Plaza, or starts it online and collects the printed packet there within four days. The county asks petitioners to arrive between 8:30 a.m. and noon on a weekday, so there is time to see a judge the same day, and stresses that filling out the packet online does not by itself create an order. There must be a family or intimate relationship with the other person. After hours, the county directs people to 1-800-773-2424 to request a temporary emergency PFA.

A final hearing must be held within ten business days of the petition, and the petitioner must prove abuse by a preponderance of the evidence (23 Pa.C.S. 6107(a)). A defendant whose hearing falls within three business days of service can ask for a continuance (23 Pa.C.S. 6107(c)). Our protection from abuse page covers both sides. Gun owners should read whether a PFA means giving up firearms. Parents should also read how a PFA affects custody.

What changes the answer?

• Which county the case belongs in. A divorce may be brought where either spouse lives (Pa.R.C.P. 1920.2), after at least one spouse has lived in Pennsylvania for six months (23 Pa.C.S. 3104(b)). Custody generally belongs in the child's home county (Pa.R.C.P. 1915.2). Families near the county line can compare Chester County family court.
• Whether a support case is already open. The Prothonotary says that if you have an open Domestic Relations case, child support, spousal support and APL filings go to Domestic Relations; alimony after a final divorce goes to the Prothonotary.
• Whether abuse is part of the history. The mediation orientation is not mandated after abuse during the case or within the 24 months before it was filed (Local Rule 1940.3(c)).
• Whether the support case is complex. A party may ask for a separate listing when there are complex questions or the hearing will be protracted (Pa.R.C.P. 1910.12(c)).
• Whether you can pay the costs. The county's divorce instructions note that no filing fee is due once in forma pauperis status is granted, and the court may waive the parenting seminar and mediation orientation costs for a party who qualifies (Local Rules 1915.3(b) and 1940.8).

For example: a King of Prussia couple dividing a house and a retirement account

Here is a hypothetical. Two spouses in Upper Merion separate after 15 years of marriage. One files a divorce complaint with counts for equitable distribution and alimony. The lower-earning spouse files for spousal support through GOVLINK and has a video conference about five weeks after intake. The other spouse disagrees with the guideline figure, so the case goes to a Zoom hearing, with documents uploaded seven days ahead and exchanged ten days ahead.

Meanwhile, after the inventories are served, one spouse files the Motion to Commence Equitable Distribution Scheduling. Only the lawyers attend the initial conference, the hearing officer sets discovery deadlines, and the spouses trade settlement statements proposing how to split the house and a 401(k). They settle before the record hearing. How a retirement plan is divided is covered in how pensions and retirement accounts are divided. This is an illustration only; real cases vary.

What mistakes do people make in Montgomery County family court?

• Leaving claims out of the divorce complaint. The county warns that unraised claims for property, alimony or fees may be lost when the decree is entered.
• Filing custody papers before Court Administration schedules them. A mediator and seminar date must be assigned before the papers go to the Prothonotary.
• Holding evidence back for exceptions. Late support evidence need not be considered, and you cannot present it later on exceptions.
• Missing a 20-day window. Support recommendations and equitable distribution reports become final if no one files exceptions in time.
• Bringing the wrong people. Lawyers may not attend the mediation orientation, children do not attend the first conciliation conference, and only parties and their attorneys may appear in Domestic Relations matters.
• Calling the judge or hearing officer. Domestic Relations asks parties not to phone or write to any judge or hearing officer about a case.

What should I do this week?

1. Find the office that runs your case in the table above.
2. For a divorce, list every claim you may need (property, alimony, fees) so each is in the complaint.
3. For support, gather tax returns, W-2s and six months of pay stubs, and set up a GOVLINK account.
4. For custody, contact the assigned mediator within 7 days and register for the parenting seminar.
5. Calendar every deadline on your notices, especially any 20-day exceptions window.
6. Bring your papers to a consultation; our list of what to bring to a divorce consultation helps.

Frequently asked questions

Where is family court in Montgomery County?

Family matters are part of the Court of Common Pleas in Norristown. Filings go to the Prothonotary at 425 Swede Street, support to Domestic Relations in Suite 204 of One Montgomery Plaza, and custody and PFA paperwork starts in Court Administration on the first floor of the same building.

Are Montgomery County support conferences held in person?

No. The county holds support conferences and hearings by video. If you do not join by Zoom, the officer calls the phone number on record.

Is custody mediation required in Montgomery County?

An orientation session with a mediator is required before the Custody Conciliation Conference, unless abuse in the last 24 months excuses it. Continuing to full mediation after the orientation is a choice the parents make.

How much does it cost to file for divorce in Montgomery County?

The Prothonotary's 2026 schedule lists $314.50 for a divorce complaint and $70.50 for each extra count, such as equitable distribution or alimony. Starting the property division track with a Motion to Commence Equitable Distribution Scheduling costs $395.50.

How is Montgomery County different from Delaware County?

The statewide rules are the same, but Montgomery County adds the mediation orientation and holds support conferences by video. Compare what to expect in Delaware County family court.

Call Giribaldi Law at (610) 891-8303 or contact us online for a free consultation about a Montgomery County family case.