schedule a time for all parties involved to meet at the Courthouse to place the agreement on the record for entry of an Order.
2. If there is NO Custody Agreement: You must complete various documents that need to be filed at the Prothonotary’s Office. After the Court receives all of your properly filed documents, a custody presentation will be scheduled by Court Order. You must then pick up the Court Order that schedules the custody presentation from the Prothonotary, as well as your Complaint for Custody, completed Plaintiff’s Criminal Record / Abuse History Verification and blank Defendant’s Criminal Record / Abuse History Verification, and properly serve or provide a copy of those documents to the other side. You must prove, by filling out and filing an appropriate document, that you served the other side. If necessary, a custody trial will be scheduled at the time of the custody conference.
3. What is a Custody Presentation? In Adams County, the first time that you come to Court in a custody case will not be a trial, unless a Judge has signed an Order that says otherwise. Normally, the first time that you come to Court will be for a Custody Presentation. DO NOT BRING CHILDREN TO THE CUSTODY PRESENTATION UNLESS THE JUDGE'S ORDER DIRECTS YOU TO DO SO.
A Custody Presentation is held for the following reasons:
To make the Judge familiar with your custody case.
To have you and the other party meet with the Judge and tell the Judge what the case will be about if there is a trial.
To find out whether it is possible for everyone in the case to agree to a custody schedule without having a trial.
To have the Judge establish a custody schedule between the time of the presentation and the time of the custody trial if the parties are unable to resolve their differences by agreement.
You will need to attend the custody presentation at the date, time, and place set forth in the Court Order. The Court will determine whether the parties can agree on an appropriate custody schedule. If no agreement is reached, the Court will order a temporary custody arrangement and set a date and time for a conciliation conference.
4. What is a Custody Conciliation Conference?
After the custody presentation, you will receive a Court Order to attend a Custody Conciliation Conference. DO NOT BRING CHILDREN TO THE CUSTODY CONCILIATION CONFERENCE.
A Custody Conciliation Conference is where both parties, and their attorneys meet with a Court appointed Conciliator to attempt to resolve the case. The Conciliator is an attorney that is familiar with family law.
If you and your co-parent agree to a custody schedule, then the Conciliator can document your agreement and submit it to the Court to be entered as an Order of Court.
If you are unable to agree to a custody schedule, then you will proceed to a custody trial before a Judge.
General Information