Scope: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania—local court structure and procedure. Statewide substantive law is addressed on the linked practice pages. Current rules, court notices, and case-specific orders control. The official sources below were checked on August 13, 2026.
Five recurring procedural points in Lehigh County
The Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas sits at 455 West Hamilton Street in Allentown. Five local mechanics repeatedly affect how a case moves: covered Civil and Family filings are electronic; original process still requires separate lawful service; many contested motions run on a local brief-and-response procedure; qualifying civil claims of $50,000 or less enter compulsory arbitration; and PFA petitions use dedicated intake and emergency routes. The details matter because the filing system, service method, deadline, and courthouse office depend on the type and posture of the case.
The local machinery at a glance
Who this is for—and what it does not cover
This guide is for people and businesses with—or preparing for—a civil, family, PFA, or magisterial-district-court matter in Lehigh County. It explains selected county procedure, not what proves or defeats a legal claim. For the merits, start at the practice-areas hub, the custody page, or the PFA page. A dedicated Lehigh criminal-procedure guide is planned; until it is published, use our criminal-defense overview.
The court system at a glance
Pennsylvania law and county structure. Lehigh County's magisterial district judges handle civil claims up to $12,000, landlord-tenant matters, traffic and summary cases, preliminary hearings, and emergency protection orders. The Court of Common Pleas is the court of general jurisdiction and maintains Civil, Criminal, Family, Juvenile, and Orphans' Court divisions. Filing offices, rules, and systems vary by case type.
Bethlehem note. Bethlehem spans Lehigh and Northampton Counties. Before relying on a county procedure, confirm which county contains the relevant address or case. Our Bethlehem county-and-court guide shows how to check.
The e-filing map: mandates and separate routes
Leh.R.C.P. 205.4 and related county rules. Odyssey File & Serve is mandatory for covered Civil filings and for custody and divorce cases. Other divisions or case types use distinct systems or procedures:
| Case type | Current filing treatment |
|---|---|
| Civil | Mandatory electronic filing under Leh.R.C.P. 205.4 since March 19, 2018. |
| Custody and divorce | Mandatory electronic filing since January 1, 2020, except where the court specifically grants an exemption. |
| PFA and Domestic Relations | Excluded from the ordinary Family-case mandate in Leh.R.C.P. 205.4; follow the dedicated program's instructions. |
| Orphans' Court | Mandatory electronic filing under its own local rule, with limited alternatives for specified guardianship inventory and annual-report filings. |
| Register of Wills | The county reports mandatory e-filing beginning February 15, 2023; original wills and codicils still must be delivered as original paper documents. |
| Juvenile | Local juvenile rules permit PACFile electronic filing; the applicable juvenile rule and current portal instructions control. |
Self-represented parties. The covered mandates apply to people without attorneys unless the court specifically grants an exemption. The county provides courthouse e-filing assistance for people without suitable scanning or filing equipment; confirm current assistance and any requested exemption with the relevant filing office.
County contrast. Lehigh and Northampton use different filing systems and local rules. Do not carry a portal assumption from one county into the other. See the Northampton County civil-procedure guide for that county's workflow.
E-filing does not serve original process
Lehigh County procedure. Filing a complaint or other original process through Odyssey starts the court filing, but it does not complete original service. After acceptance, the filing party remains responsible for arranging service under the applicable statewide rule. If the Lehigh County Sheriff is used, Leh.R.C.P. 205.4(g)(i) requires the filing party to provide the proper service fee and documents for original service or a writ. Confirm the Sheriff's current form, copies, address, payment, and return instructions before delivery.
Later filings are different. For accepted Civil and Family documents other than original process, the county says Odyssey defaults to “e-file and serve,” which constitutes service on participating parties at their record email addresses. Attorneys and parties must keep both email and mailing addresses current with the Clerk of Judicial Records.
Checklist. E-file and confirm acceptance → arrange original service under the governing rule → confirm the proof or return of service → calculate the next deadline from the event identified in the controlling rule or order.
Motion practice: identify the controlling local track
Lehigh County procedure. Motions governed by Leh.R.C.P. 208.3(b) must be filed with a supporting brief. The movant must serve the motion immediately and file a certificate of service within five days after filing. An opposing party must file a response and supporting brief within 20 days after service. The court may treat a motion as uncontested if no response is filed and may treat the requested relief as abandoned if the movant omits the supporting brief.
Discovery motions also must state that counsel conferred in good faith, or made a good-faith effort to confer, before filing. Leh.R.C.P. 208.2(e). Motions listed in Leh.R.C.P. 208.3(a) follow a different procedure. The court's current Motions' Court page identifies 30 days for summary-judgment responses and 10 days for responses to petitions to withdraw as counsel. Emergency motions, continuances, uncontested matters, and case-specific orders may follow different directions.
Civil claims of $50,000 or less: compulsory arbitration
Lehigh County procedure and Pennsylvania law. Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 7361 and Leh.R.C.P. 1301, qualifying civil actions are subject to compulsory arbitration when the amount in controversy—measured by the largest amount claimed in any single count—is $50,000 or less, exclusive of interest and costs. Actions involving title to real property are excluded. The local-rule comment states that ejectment actions may be arbitrated unless title is involved.
Two timing tracks. For an appeal from a magisterial district judge, pleadings and discovery must be completed within 60 days after the appeal, and the court may schedule arbitration 60 days after the appeal. For other arbitration cases, Leh.R.C.P. 1303.2 generally requires pleadings and discovery within six months after commencement unless the court extends discovery. The county's current Arbitration page also describes a notice-to-praecipe procedure: a party seeking more discovery responds within 20 days, completes that discovery within 120 days, and then the case may be praeciped for arbitration.
Appeal from the award. A party may seek a trial de novo by timely perfecting an appeal under Pa.R.C.P. 1308. The currently operative rule generally allows 30 days from the docket notation that notice of entry of the award was provided. Because a published amendment takes effect November 1, 2026, the current rule must be checked again before relying on the deadline.
Landlord-tenant and other MDJ appeals
Pennsylvania rules applied in Lehigh County. A money judgment or a judgment affecting possession under a nonresidential lease generally may be appealed within 30 days after entry. A residential-possession judgment generally must be appealed within 10 days, but Pa.R.Civ.P.M.D.J. 1002(B)(2) provides a 30-day route for a tenant who files the prescribed domestic-violence affidavit.
An appeal alone may not stop an eviction. The magisterial district court must receive the notice of appeal, and a tenant appealing possession must satisfy Rule 1008's escrow or bond requirements—or, if eligible, its indigent-tenant affidavit and deposit procedure—and keep later deposits current. The appellant generally must serve the notice on the appellee and the MDJ and file proof of service within 10 days after filing. Pa.R.Civ.P.M.D.J. 1005.
The Common Pleas pleading depends on who appealed. A claimant-appellant must file a complaint within 20 days after filing the appeal. A defendant-appellant must file with the appeal a praecipe for a rule requiring the appellee to file a complaint within 20 days after service of that rule. Pa.R.Civ.P.M.D.J. 1004. Forms, deposit requirements, and any future rule amendments should be checked at filing.
PFA cases: dedicated intake and emergency routes
Lehigh County's current published instructions. Weekday filers are directed to the Family Court Office, Room 423, 455 West Hamilton Street, between 8:00 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Persons arriving after 12:15 p.m. should obtain the office's current instructions for temporary or emergency relief; the overview identifies the person's magisterial district judge as the route until close of business. After business hours and on weekends, contact local police or 911. The county says police can connect a petitioner with the on-duty magisterial district judge. The county's separate emergency page describes part of the cutoff differently, so the current office or emergency-dispatch instructions should control.
Do not serve PFA papers yourself. The county states that a Sheriff's deputy serves a granted temporary petition and order. More generally, 23 Pa.C.S. § 6106(f) assigns service to the sheriff or appropriate law-enforcement agency. For the ten-business-day hearing rule, firearm relinquishment, companion-animal relief, and other statewide law, see our PFA page. Our cross-practice guide explains how PFA, custody, criminal, and firearm issues can overlap.
Fees, forms, and schedules that change
The court currently posts a Civil schedule effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028 and a Criminal schedule effective January 1, 2026. This guide deliberately states no filing, Sheriff, escrow, or program amount. Check the current official schedule and form at the time of filing. Our Lehigh County court-forms page and Lehigh County court-statistics page provide related county resources.
Frequently asked questions
Is e-filing mandatory in Lehigh County civil and family cases?
Lehigh County mandates electronic filing in covered Civil cases and in custody and divorce cases, subject to court-granted exemptions. Protection From Abuse and Domestic Relations matters are excluded from that Family-case mandate and use their own procedures. The mandate applies to self-represented parties unless the court grants an exemption; courthouse filing assistance is available.
Does a Lehigh County e-filing serve the other party?
An accepted filing does not complete service of original process. The filing party must arrange original service under the applicable statewide rule and preserve proof. For later accepted Civil and Family filings, the county says Odyssey generally defaults to e-file and serve, which constitutes service on participating parties at their record email addresses.
How long does an opposing party have to answer a Lehigh County civil motion?
For motions governed by Leh.R.C.P. 208.3(b), the ordinary response-and-brief deadline is 20 days after service. Different procedures and deadlines apply to motions governed by Rule 208.3(a), summary-judgment responses, petitions to withdraw as counsel, emergencies, and case-specific orders.
Which Lehigh County civil cases go to compulsory arbitration?
Under the statute and local rule, qualifying civil actions with $50,000 or less in controversy, exclusive of interest and costs, are subject to compulsory arbitration. Actions involving title to real property are excluded, and the rules determine how the amount and case type are evaluated.
How quickly must a residential eviction judgment be appealed?
A residential-possession judgment generally has a 10-day appeal period. Rule 1002 provides a 30-day route for a tenant who files the prescribed domestic-violence affidavit. Filing an appeal alone does not create a supersedeas; Rule 1008's deposit, bond, or qualifying indigent-tenant procedure must also be satisfied and kept current.
Where are PFA petitions filed in Lehigh County?
The county's current page directs weekday filers to Family Court, Room 423, between 8:00 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. People arriving later should obtain the office's current instructions. After business hours and on weekends, contact local police or 911; the county says police can connect a petitioner with the on-duty magisterial district judge.
What to bring to a consultation
- Every filed, accepted, rejected, or served paper, including envelopes and electronic filing confirmations.
- The docket number, division, assigned judge if any, and every scheduled hearing or response date.
- For a new civil matter, the contract, deed, policy, photographs, correspondence, and a concise timeline.
- For service questions, the papers supplied to the Sheriff or process server and every return, affidavit, or notice received.
- For a PFA, the petition, every temporary or emergency order, proof of service, and final-hearing notice.
For comparison with the neighboring county, see our Northampton civil and Northampton criminal-procedure guides.
This page describes selected Lehigh County procedures as published in local rules and official court materials checked on the date shown. Procedures, schedules, forms, and fees can change; statutes, statewide and local rules, current court notices, and case-specific orders control. This is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.