In order to obtain a Decree in Divorce, you must file an action with the Department of Court Records (DCR), 1st Floor, City-County Building, 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 and follow the procedures in the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, beginning with Rule 1920.1. You may be eligible for legal assistance with your divorce through the Allegheny County Bar Association Divorce Project (412.402.6714).

Once a Praecipe to Transmit the Record is filed, a divorce is usually granted or denied anywhere from three to seven days, depending on the volume of divorce cases that need to be reviewed by the Court’s Divorce Processor. Parties and attorneys are urged to plan accordingly to ensure a decree is granted in advance of any plans to re-marry. In urgent situations, the party or attorney may request the review be expedited, but the Court cannot guarantee that a decree will be issued in the requested time frame. This is especially true in December of each year when there are a large number of filings.

Generally, a spousal support order is entered where the parties are married and now separated and one party has a financial need and the other has the ability to pay. Alimony pendente lite is normally requested in the divorce proceeding by the dependent spouse who requires money to prosecute or defend a divorce action. Alimony is money paid after a divorce is granted, as determined by the Court or as agreed to by the parties. It is based on a number of factors spelled out in Pennsylvania law.