Application to Waive Fees and Costs

Self-represented litigants may apply for a waiver of Family Division (Adult Section) fees and costs both online or in-person.

Attorneys providing free legal services should refer to Rule 1990(c)(3) for information about filing a Praecipe to Waive Fees and Costs for clients who are unable to pay the fees and costs associated with the legal action.

 

The fees and costs eligible to be waived with this application are generally limited to fees assessed by the Department of Court Records or the Court Reporters Office.  Other fees and costs may also be waived if they originated from the Court.  Fees and costs that may not eligible to be waived through this application include fees from other agencies (Sheriff or Constable service, 3rd party messaging platforms, etc.) and ancillary costs (postage, photocopies, etc.).

 

Required Forms:

 

Prior to submission self-represented litigants must understand and agree to the following:

  • You are required to comply with the Public Access Policy. Confidential Information must be redacted from the original document by the filing party and included on a separate statewide Confidential Information Form (attached to this packet). The redacted, original document and a Confidential Information Form must be filed together. A Confidential Document Form shall accompany a filing where a confidential document is required by law, ordered by the court, or is otherwise necessary to affect the outlook of a matter. This form shall be accessible to the public, however, the documents attached shall not be publicly accessible, except as ordered by the court. Further information can be found at https://www.alleghenycourts.us/general-information/public-access-policy/Litigants who are represented for free or have reduced costs should discuss the waiver of fees and costs with their counsel – they may not apply for a waiver of fees and costs on their own.
  • Applications made online will be reviewed in the order they were received. Routine processing and review times generally take 2-3 business days, and may vary depending on the volume of applications received.  If the matter is time-sensitive, litigants are encouraged to use our in-person services.

 

To apply in-person, self-represented litigants should appear at the Client Services Center, located in the Family Law Center, 440 Ross St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, during posted public access hours.

 

To apply online, self-represented litigants must email their completed application, including associated pleadings and documents, to 1stFOP@pacses.com for review.  To expedite processing of the application, litigants should include their full name, date of birth, name of the respondent(s), and case/docket number (if one exists) in the body of the email.

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