Scope. This guide describes family-case procedure in the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas. The official sources were checked on September 5, 2026. The custody sequence below follows Administrative Order 2023-14; arrival instructions and staffing descriptions are identified separately as published court information. Local practice evolves, and current rules, court instructions, and scheduling orders control a particular case. For the criminal side, see our Northampton County criminal-procedure guide.
The short version
Custody, divorce, support, and Protection From Abuse matters follow different tracks. Ordinary custody matters begin with Custody Office review and a conciliation conference. If an agreement is not reached, the local procedure provides for interim arrangements, a Judicial Settlement Conference, and trial when a judge authorizes that step. Divorce economic disputes have their own hearing-officer process. Support ordinarily begins with a Domestic Relations conference, with a strict deadline to demand a hearing after an interim order. Identify the proceeding, the office handling it, and the deadline on the actual notice.
Custody: filing, conciliation, and judicial proceedings
The local rule. Administrative Order 2023-14, effective September 5, 2023, sets out the custody process and replaces inconsistent earlier local procedures. It is more specific than the court's undated overview describing a simple Motions Court–conference–mediation sequence.
- Start with the Custody Office. Except for relocation, custody pleadings first go to the Custody Office for administrative tracking. For ordinary filings, staff obtain the Administrative Judge's signature on the scheduling order, then the papers go to the Prothonotary for filing and a conference date. The local order allows attorney submissions by mail; self-represented parties must file in person. Filing and required service are separate tasks. Use the current packet and scheduling order for the documents and service required in your case.
- Attend the conciliation conference. The initial proceeding is a non-record conference focused on possible agreement. The court's organizational chart, revised January 14, 2026, lists two custody conciliators. The officer facilitates discussion and can suggest possible arrangements to the parties, but cannot impose a contested custody ruling. No child interviews occur at this conference under the local order. If the parties fully agree, the officer prepares their agreed order for review and the Administrative Judge's signature. The local order also requires the officer to provide the court and parties a conference summary without recommendations.
- Resolve interim arrangements and preparation. A partial agreement can become an agreed interim order. If the parties cannot agree on an interim custody schedule or necessary preparation, the local procedure sends those issues to a judge on the Miscellaneous Hearing List. Required evaluations, counseling, or other preparation may need to be completed before the case proceeds.
- Proceed to a Judicial Settlement Conference when directed. The local order provides for a Judicial Settlement Conference after the interim and preparation steps. A judge may address remaining issues, enter interim orders or preparation requirements, and authorize trial if settlement does not resolve the case. This judicial proceeding should not be confused with a separate mediation program. A party cannot simply place the case on the trial list without judicial approval.
- Try unresolved custody issues before a judge. Contested custody generally proceeds to a non-jury trial. The judge applies the current best-interest factors in 23 Pa.C.S. § 5328. The four specified safety factors receive “substantial weighted consideration,” but all relevant factors and the totality of the circumstances matter. No single factor decides custody by itself. One Year Under Pennsylvania's Rewritten Custody Factors explains the current framework and how Act 11 revised it.
Emergency and other special requests. Emergency or time-sensitive petitions still go through Custody Office tracking before presentation to the Motions Judge for a decision on immediate or expedited consideration. Non-emergency special-relief petitions ordinarily go through conciliation first. Relocation has a separate procedure. The ordinary conference sequence is not a substitute for seeking appropriate urgent relief. See Administrative Order 2023-14, §§ III–VII.
Arrival time and electronic filing: check the posted instructions
The court's new-complaint and modification self-help instructions direct filers to the Custody Office/Mediation Room and require sign-in by 8:45 a.m.; they say no pleadings are accepted after 9:30 a.m. These are the posted instructions checked on September 5, 2026. Confirm the current calendar, office location, and filing arrangements before traveling.
The county has a civil e-filing portal, but its May 9, 2024 launch notice expressly excludes custody and PFA actions. The existence of that portal does not establish that a custody or PFA filing can be submitted there. Confirm any later change with the filing office rather than assuming an online upload replaces the required process.
COPE is a requirement, with its own deadlines
Administrative Order 2023-14, § III.A.4, requires the parties to participate in the Co-Parenting Education Program (COPE). The moving party must register within 30 days after filing the applicable action; the responding party must register within 30 days after service. Both must complete the program within 60 days after filing. The order addresses prior timely completion supported by a certificate and allows extension requests through the Custody Office. Follow the specific order in your case and provide the required proof; do not assume previous attendance automatically resolves the requirement.
Divorce hearing officers and the older masters terminology
The court's published Family Law Masters overview describes a conciliation stage before a divorce master. The organizational chart revised January 14, 2026 uses the title Divorce Hearing Officer and lists two positions. For divorce economic disputes assigned to that process, conciliation provides a structured opportunity to resolve the financial issues before further contested proceedings. Appointment and scheduling orders determine the next step in the particular case; the hearing-officer track is not an automatic additional stage in every agreed divorce.
The same chart separately identifies two dependency hearing officers. A family involved with Children & Youth Services may therefore encounter a different proceeding alongside a custody dispute. That process should not be treated as another step in an ordinary custody case. See our CYS defense page. This guide does not assign a single objection or appeal deadline to all hearing-officer proceedings: the type of proceeding and the actual order or report matter.
Support: conference first, and a 20-day clock
Child and spousal support proceed through the Domestic Relations Section's conference-first track. If the parties do not reach an agreement, the court enters an interim support order. Under Pa. R. Civ. P. 1910.11(f), a party seeking a hearing before the court must file a written demand with Domestic Relations within 20 days after receipt or mailing of the interim order, whichever occurs first.
A timely demand leads to a de novo hearing. It does not automatically stay the interim order. If no party makes a timely demand, the interim order becomes final. Review the order and attached notice immediately, including the mailing date; counting only from the day you happen to open the envelope can miss the rule's earlier trigger. Our Pennsylvania Support Conferences & De Novo Hearings guide explains conference preparation and the demand process.
Protection From Abuse
A petitioner alleging immediate and present danger may seek an ex parte temporary order under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6107(b). Section 6107(a) requires the final hearing within ten business days after the petition is filed. Service, an authorized continuance, and case-specific orders can affect what occurs on the scheduled date.
The petitioner and defense considerations, firearms consequences, and custody interactions are covered on the PFA practice page and the PFA–custody–firearms interactions guide. Use the actual hearing notice and any later court order to determine when and where to appear.
Practical preparation
- Check the office and location on your notice. Custody proceedings and filings involve the courthouse and its offices, while the court's support instructions identify Domestic Relations conferences at 126 South Union Street in Easton. Do not assume every family appointment is in the courthouse. Confirm the filing office and current instructions before traveling.
- Use current forms. Our Northampton County court forms page links to the official listings. Obtain the current packet, read its instructions, and check any applicable filing requirements with the Prothonotary or the office named in the instructions.
- Bring the papers that define the dispute. For a consultation, bring existing orders, the other side's filings, your dated timeline, and the scheduling notices. For support, include recent pay and financial records. For custody, prepare a workable proposed schedule and the relevant safety documentation; our guide to preparing a custody case explains organizing that material.
Talk to a Northampton County family lawyer
Madsen Law Offices is next to the Northampton County Courthouse and handles custody, divorce, support, and PFA matters. We can review the orders and notices, identify the next procedural step, and help prepare the case.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to appear in Motions Court to start a custody case?
Routine custody filings follow the Custody Office review and scheduling process before filing with the Prothonotary. The published local order permits attorneys to submit papers by mail but requires self-represented parties to file in person. The court's self-help instructions say to sign in at the Custody Office/Mediation Room by 8:45 a.m.; no pleadings are accepted after 9:30 a.m. Emergency and time-sensitive requests follow a separate route to the Motions Judge after Custody Office tracking. Confirm the current instructions before traveling.
Will a judge decide my custody case?
A judge signs a custody agreement reached at conference. If the parties cannot agree, a judge may need to establish interim arrangements, conduct a Judicial Settlement Conference, and ultimately decide the case at a non-jury trial. The conference officer cannot impose a contested custody ruling. At trial the court considers all relevant custody factors, giving substantial weighted consideration to the four specified safety factors; no single factor decides custody by itself.
What happens if I miss the 20-day support deadline?
If no party files a timely demand for a hearing, the interim order becomes final under Pa. R. Civ. P. 1910.11(h). The deadline runs from receipt or mailing of the interim order, whichever occurs first. Review the order and attached notice immediately, including the mailing date. A timely hearing demand does not automatically stay the interim order.
Is the custody conference on the record?
The initial custody conference is a non-record, settlement-focused proceeding, not a formal evidentiary hearing. The officer cannot impose a contested ruling. Under the local order, the officer provides the court and parties a summary of the conference without recommendations. Prepare your proposed arrangements, concerns, and supporting information carefully.
Is co-parenting education required in Northampton County?
The local custody order requires COPE participation by the parties. The moving party must register within 30 days of filing the applicable action, and the responding party within 30 days of service; both must complete the program within 60 days of filing. The order addresses prior timely completion and proof, as well as requests for more time through the Custody Office. Check the specific order in your case.
This guide provides general information, not advice for a particular case. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship or preserve a court deadline.