What happens at a support conference in Delaware County?

Last updated October 4, 2026.

A Delaware County support conference is a meeting at Domestic Relations in the Curran Building in Media, where a conference officer reviews both incomes and calculates support under the state guidelines. If the parties agree, the officer writes an order for both to sign. If not, an interim order for the guideline amount is entered and the case goes to a hearing officer, with 20 days to ask for a judge (Pa.R.C.P. 1910.11; Delaware County Domestic Relations).

No judge is present at the conference, and both parties are expected to attend. For our custody and support work, see our child custody and child support page.

What happens before and at the conference, step by step?

1. Filing. The person seeking support applies at Domestic Relations, in person by appointment or online through the state child support website, according to the county. A Domestic Relations employee helps unrepresented parties complete the petition, and the office serves the other party by mail.
2. Order to appear. Both parties receive an order of court with the conference date and time and instructions on what to bring.
3. Check in early. The county asks parties to report to Domestic Relations at least fifteen minutes before the scheduled time; the conference officer sees the parties once both have checked in with the receptionist.
4. The conference. The officer examines the income documents and calculates a monthly guideline amount based mainly on both parties' net monthly incomes (Pa.R.C.P. 1910.11(d)(1)).
5. Agreement. If the parties agree, the officer prepares a written order that both sign and submits it to the court, which may enter it without a hearing (1910.11(d)(2)).
6. No agreement. The officer enters an interim (temporary) order for the guideline amount, and the case is scheduled before a Domestic Relations hearing officer, which the county says happens within sixty days; sometimes the hearing officer hears the case the same day.
7. Request for a judge. A party who disagrees with the hearing officer's recommendation may ask in writing at Domestic Relations for a de novo hearing before a judge within 20 days. Otherwise the recommendation becomes a final order.

How the guideline number itself is calculated is explained in how child support is calculated in Pennsylvania.

Who can ask for a support conference in Delaware County?

The county lists who may apply for support services: a custodial parent or other person who has primary care, custody or control of a dependent child, which can include Children and Youth Services or Juvenile Court, and a putative father who wants to establish legal paternity. Spouses can also seek spousal support through Domestic Relations, and married persons are liable to support each other according to their abilities (23 Pa.C.S. 4321(1)).

Support can be requested whether or not a divorce has been filed. If you are separating and plan to divorce, the divorce itself is filed at a different office; see how to file for divorce in Delaware County. If a protection order already directs temporary support, the support complaint must be filed within two weeks of that order to continue it (23 Pa.C.S. 6108(a)(5)); see how a PFA affects custody and support.

At the conference, the officer prepares a conference summary within 10 days that lists the facts the parties agree on, the facts in dispute and the recommendation, including the amount, who pays and the effective date (Rule 1910.11(e)). Keep it; it frames the hearing that follows.

What should I bring to Domestic Relations?

The county asks parties not to bring children unless told to. If paternity is disputed, the conference cannot go further until it is established; the county says Domestic Relations arranges cheek-swab DNA testing, sometimes the same day.

What happens after the conference?

If an order is entered, both parties receive a copy with payment and legal information at the end of the conference, according to the county. The paying party receives payment coupons and other ways to pay, and the receiving party can choose direct deposit or a state debit card. Support orders are calculated on a monthly basis.

A request for a hearing before a judge does not pause the interim order unless the court says so (Rule 1910.11(g)), so payments are due while the appeal is pending. The county handbook says support appeal hearings are held on Tuesdays in Courtroom 15 of the Fronefield Building, and that a party who asks for a hearing but does not appear risks having the appeal dismissed. The building layout is on our page about Delaware County family court.

The two county sources describe the 20-day window slightly differently: the Domestic Relations page counts from the hearing, while the county handbook counts from the date the notice of the recommended order was mailed. Treat the earlier date as your deadline.

What changes the answer?

• Whether a party shows up. If a party does not appear, the conference may go ahead and a default order may be entered (Rule 1910.11(b)); the county adds that failing to appear can lead to a bench warrant or dismissal of the petition.
• Whether income is clear. When income cannot be determined from the documents, Delaware County Local Rule 1910.9(c) allows discovery by written motion filed with the Office of Judicial Support, with a hearing set at least seven days after service.
• Whether both sides have lawyers. If both are represented and agree on the amount, the parties need not provide income information for a guideline calculation (Rule 1910.11(d)(4)).
• Whether spousal support or alimony pendente lite is involved. A divorcing spouse can seek alimony pendente lite through the Office of Judicial Support under Local Rule 1920.31(f), with a ten-day window to demand a judge.
• A later change. Under Local Rule 1910.19(b), a modification petition goes directly to a hearing before a hearing officer unless the petition asks for a conference; the end of an order is covered in when child support ends.
• Whether you need a continuance. Support continuance forms are available only at Domestic Relations, and you must be approved to miss a listing.

For example: a conference that ends in an interim order

Here is a hypothetical. A father in Chester files for child support for two children. Both parents receive an order to appear at the Curran Building on a weekday morning. The father brings six months of pay stubs, his tax return and day care receipts; the mother, who is self-employed, brings her personal return but not her business return.

The conference officer calculates a guideline amount from the father's pay and the mother's reported income, but the mother disagrees with how her business income was counted. With no agreement, the officer enters an interim order for the guideline amount and the case is set before a hearing officer. The mother must start paying under the interim order now. At the hearing she brings her business return; if either parent disagrees with the hearing officer's recommendation, they have 20 days to ask for a judge. This example only illustrates the process; it does not predict any amount.

What mistakes do people make at support conferences?

• Arriving without documents. The officer works from paper; missing returns or stubs can lead to an order based on incomplete or imputed income.
• Arriving late. The conference may proceed without you.
• Bringing the children. The county asks parents not to unless told to.
• Stopping payment after appealing. The interim order stays in force (Rule 1910.11(g)).
• Missing the 20-day deadline. The recommendation then becomes final.
• Calling or emailing for a continuance. Support continuances use the paper form at Domestic Relations.

What should I do this week?

1. Read the order to appear and calendar the date, time and place.
2. Gather your tax return, W-2s and 1099s, and six months of pay stubs.
3. Complete the Income Statement, and the Expense Statement if it applies.
4. Collect receipts for child care and proof of health coverage.
5. Get a Physician Verification Form completed if a medical condition limits your work.
6. Book a consultation if income is disputed or you are self-employed.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to go to the conference if I agree with the amount?

Both parties are expected to attend, and the county handbook says a party may join by phone or video in some circumstances. An agreed order still has to be prepared and signed.

Can I bring a lawyer?

Yes. Support is a civil matter, so there is no right to an appointed lawyer, but you may hire one, and the notice the county attaches to the complaint says so.

How is spousal support handled at the same conference?

Spousal support is calculated under the same guidelines, before child support; the differences between spousal support, alimony pendente lite and alimony are explained in spousal support, APL and alimony compared.

What if the other parent's income is hidden?

Ask for discovery under Local Rule 1910.9(c), and at the hearing the court can assess an earning capacity if a parent is not working as they could.

What if the other parent stops paying?

Domestic Relations runs a contempt process that starts with a conference; sanctions can include wage attachment, seizure of accounts or tax refunds and, at worst, jail, according to the county handbook.

Does custody change support?

Yes. The number of overnights matters, and the schedule is set in the custody case; see the steps in a Delaware County custody case. The custody terms themselves are defined in the difference between legal and physical custody.

Call Giribaldi Law at (610) 891-8303 or contact us online for a free consultation before your support conference. Our office is across the street from the Courthouse complex, and evening and weekend appointments are available.