Scope: Pennsylvania law and procedure, with Northampton and Lehigh County practice notes. The statewide rules and official county materials cited below were checked on August 22, 2026. Current rules and any case-specific court order govern; read the notice and order in the individual case immediately.
The short version — and where the 20-day rule applies
De novo means “anew.” In a true de novo hearing, the court hears the support case fresh instead of reviewing the conference officer’s recommendation for error. But Pennsylvania counties use two different post-conference procedures: a 20-day deadline can apply to different documents and require different filings.
| County and track | What happens next | When the 20-day filing arises | Further proceeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northampton Rule 1910.11 | An interim guideline order enters. | A written demand is due within 20 days after receipt or mailing of the interim order, whichever occurs first. | A de novo hearing before the court. |
| Lehigh Rule 1910.12 | An interim order enters and a record hearing is ordinarily scheduled automatically. | After the record hearing, written exceptions are due within 20 days under the receipt-or-mailing provisions governing the hearing officer’s report and the court’s interim order, whichever occurs first. Follow the instructions in each notice; do not assume the date printed on one document controls. | Argument before the court on the specified exceptions. |
A separate rule applies when a properly served party misses a Rule 1910.12 conference: an interim default order may become final unless a hearing before a hearing officer is timely demanded within 20 days after receipt or mailing, whichever occurs first. Read and follow the notice immediately; the current rule and any case-specific court order govern.
Who this guide is for — and what it does not cover
This guide is for anyone with a support conference scheduled, a conference-stage interim order in hand, or a hearing officer’s report they believe is wrong — whether paying or receiving, and whether the claim is for child support, spousal support, or alimony pendente lite. It explains procedure: how a support matter moves from conference to an interim order and then to a hearing or exceptions. Appeals from final support orders follow different rules and deadlines and are outside this page’s scope.
The substantive rules governing the amount and type of support are separate. The statewide guideline framework is covered on the child-support page. The differences among spousal support, APL, and post-divorce alimony are covered on the spousal-support and alimony page. Divorce economic claims beyond support are addressed on the divorce page.
What actually happens at the conference
Pennsylvania procedure. Most Pennsylvania cases to establish or modify support begin with a mandatory office conference at the county Domestic Relations Section. A conference officer reviews the parties’ income information, applies the statewide support guidelines, identifies disputed facts, and explores whether the parties can agree. If the parties agree, the officer prepares an agreed order for submission to the court for approval. Rule 1910.10 allows each judicial district to select one of the two procedures described below and recognizes limited local exceptions to the conference-first route.
Preparation matters because the interim order can be based on what the conference officer can verify. Lehigh County expressly warns that a conference officer may disregard an unsupported argument or contested expense and that documentation may not be submitted after the conference ends. The full Lehigh bring-list appears in the support section of our Lehigh County family-court guide. In every county, follow the document list in the actual conference notice rather than assuming another county’s list is identical.
A conference officer calculates and recommends support but does not conduct the later evidentiary proceeding. Disputed testimony and contested legal issues may require the de novo court hearing in Northampton County or the record hearing before an attorney hearing officer in Lehigh County. Northampton County specifically says the conference officer completes the financial conference but does not decide liability when entitlement to spousal support is contested on fault grounds.
No agreement? The interim order and the two statewide tracks
The county-procedure list linked by the statewide rule identifies Northampton County as using Rule 1910.11 and Lehigh County as using Rule 1910.12. Their current published workflows remain consistent with those designations.
Track one — interim order, then a demanded de novo hearing (Rule 1910.11)
When no agreement is reached, Rule 1910.11(f) requires the court, without hearing the parties,
to enter an interim guideline order. The order must be accompanied by notice that a party may file a written demand with Domestic Relations for a hearing before the court within 20 days after receipt or mailing, whichever occurs first.
Filing a demand does not automatically stay the interim order. If nobody makes a timely demand, Rule 1910.11(h) states that the interim order shall constitute a final order.
If a demand is filed, Rule 1910.11(i) requires a hearing de novo before the court.
This is the track used in Northampton County.
Track two — interim order, record hearing, report, and exceptions (Rule 1910.12)
Under Rule 1910.12, a failed conference proceeds to a record hearing before a hearing officer who must be a lawyer. If the hearing occurs later, the court enters an interim guideline order and gives the parties notice of the hearing date. For parties who appeared at the conference, the hearing is ordinarily scheduled without a 20-day demand. A separate default provision gives a party who missed the conference a 20-day period to demand a hearing from an interim default order.
At the record hearing, the hearing officer receives evidence and argument and then files, in the rule’s words, a report containing a recommendation
. The court enters an interim order consistent with that recommendation. Rule 1910.12(e) describes notice measured from receipt or mailing of the interim order, while subdivision (f) describes exceptions measured from receipt or mailing of the hearing officer’s report, in each instance whichever occurs first. Follow the receipt-and-mailing instructions in each notice; do not assume the date printed on one document controls. Each exception must identify a specific claimed error; issues not raised may be waived. If exceptions are filed, the interim order continues while the court hears argument and enters a final order. If no timely exceptions are filed, the rule states that the interim order shall constitute a final order.
The exceptions argument is review of the record, not a second opportunity to present the case from scratch. This is the track used in Lehigh County.
What a de novo hearing gets you — and what it does not
A de novo hearing is a fresh evidentiary hearing on the support issues raised by the complaint or petition. The parties can present admissible testimony and documents under the applicable evidentiary rules, disclosure requirements, and scheduling orders. The judge is not limited to deciding whether the conference officer made an error. This is different from exceptions, where the judge generally reviews the record made before the hearing officer and hears legal argument about claimed errors.
The interim order ordinarily remains enforceable while review is pending. A hearing demand under Rule 1910.11 does not stay the order unless the court directs otherwise, and a post-hearing interim order under Rule 1910.12 continues while exceptions are pending. The eventual final order may be higher, lower, or the same and may adjust the account. Until the court changes the order, the parties should comply with it unless the court has granted different relief.
A fresh hearing also cuts both ways. The final amount can go up or down even if only one side requested review. Whether to demand a hearing or file exceptions requires a prompt assessment of the disputed facts, available proof, preserved issues, cost, and risk.
Northampton County: the Rule 1910.11 de novo track
Northampton County procedure. Northampton’s published Domestic Relations page says that when no agreed order is reached at the initial conference, rights to a court hearing will attach
to the conference officer’s recommended order. Read with Rule 1910.11, the interim order and accompanying notice trigger the 20-day written-demand process described above.
The county directs parties to arrive prepared with full and complete financial information
required by the Order of Court for Mandatory Conference and requires strict and full compliance
with appointments, court appearances, and information requests. Northampton also requires a party who changes address to notify Domestic Relations and the other party within seven days. Statewide Rule 1910.17 likewise places a continuing seven-day reporting duty in support orders. Because the hearing-demand deadline runs from receipt or mailing, whichever occurs first, failing to update an address can cause the deadline to expire before the order is seen.
Our Northampton County court-forms page collects the county’s current Domestic Relations links and forms.
Lehigh County: the Rule 1910.12 record-hearing track
Lehigh County procedure. Lehigh’s current page says that if the parties do not agree at conference, an interim support order is entered and the case is scheduled for a hearing before an attorney hearing officer. That hearing is on the record. The hearing officer then issues a report and recommended order; Rule 1910.12 supplies the 20-day exceptions process if a party seeks judicial review.
Two local points are especially important. First, Lehigh says the effective date begins when the support complaint is filed, not when an online application is started. More precisely, Rule 1910.17(a) generally makes an order effective from the filing date of the complaint or modification petition unless the order specifies otherwise, subject to provisions for custody changes and limited grounds for earlier retroactivity. Second, Lehigh does not permit conference documentation to be submitted after the conference ends. Bring the records listed in the notice. The detailed workflow and bring-list are on our Lehigh County family-court procedure page.
Modifications: the same procedures, based on a new change
An existing support order can be modified when there is a material and substantial change in circumstances, such as a significant income change or a change in the custody arrangement. Rule 1910.19 requires the modification petition to state the change specifically and sends the petition through the same conference-and-hearing procedures used for an original support claim.
File promptly. A modified order generally takes effect from the filing date of the modification petition, not the date the change first occurred. Rule 1910.17 contains exceptions for certain custody changes and for a petitioner who was prevented from filing by a significant disability, another party’s misrepresentation, or another compelling reason and then filed promptly. Until the order is changed, continue complying with the existing order; unilateral underpayment can create arrears at the existing amount.
What to bring to a consultation
- The conference notice, interim order, report, and attached notice. Bring the envelope too if it is available; the receipt and mailing dates can matter.
- Financial proof. Bring the records requested by the county, including recent pay records and the most recent tax return. Lehigh’s published list asks for six months of pay statements.
- The existing order and payment history if the matter is a modification.
- Proof of the disputed item or changed circumstance, such as income records, childcare invoices, health-insurance cost records, or a custody order and calendar.
- A short statement of the problem: what number or finding is disputed, what evidence supports the correction, and what date the change occurred.
If the 20-day period may be close, contact counsel before waiting to assemble a perfect packet. The first task is identifying which paper was issued, which procedure applies, and when the controlling deadline expires.
This page is general information about Pennsylvania procedure, not legal advice about any case. Deadlines are stated from the statewide rules and county materials checked on the date shown; current rules and case-specific court orders govern, and the documents in the individual case should be read immediately. No outcome is promised, and reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Frequently asked questions
What happens at a Pennsylvania support conference?
Most cases to establish or modify support begin with a mandatory office conference. The conference officer reviews the parties’ income information, applies the statewide support guidelines, identifies disputed facts, and explores whether the parties can agree. If they agree, the officer prepares an agreed order for submission to the court.
What does “de novo” mean in a support case?
De novo means “anew.” It is a fresh evidentiary hearing at which the parties may present admissible testimony and documents. The judge is not limited to deciding whether the conference officer made an error. That differs from exceptions, which ordinarily involve review of the record made before a hearing officer.
How long do I have to demand a de novo hearing in Northampton County?
Under Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.11, a written demand is due within 20 days after receipt or mailing of the interim order, whichever occurs first. Filing the demand does not automatically stay the interim order. If no timely demand is filed, the interim order becomes final.
What happens after an unsuccessful Lehigh County support conference?
For a party who attended the conference, an interim order ordinarily enters and a record hearing before an attorney hearing officer is scheduled without a 20-day demand. The hearing officer receives evidence, files a report and recommendation, and the court enters an interim order consistent with that recommendation.
How long do I have to file exceptions after a Lehigh County support hearing?
Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.12 uses receipt-or-mailing provisions for the hearing officer’s report and the related interim order, whichever occurs first. Read and follow each notice immediately rather than assuming the date printed on one document controls. If no timely exceptions are filed, the interim order becomes final.
Does challenging an interim support order stop it from being enforced?
Ordinarily, no. A Rule 1910.11 hearing demand does not stay the interim order unless the court directs otherwise, and a Rule 1910.12 interim order continues while exceptions are pending. The parties should comply unless the court grants different relief.