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Serves as the agency responsible for all matters involving the establishment of paternity for children born outside of marriage and the establishment and enforcement of financial and medical support of spouses and/or children. Provides the following services: Location of Absent Parents; Establishment of paternity; Establishment of Support Orders, including Medical Support; Enforcement of Support Orders; and Translation services.

Establishes and modifies child support orders, enforces those orders, and assists with establishing paternity when appropriate.

Responsible for preparing Complaints and Petitions for the establishment and enforcement of child support, spousal support and/or alimony pendente lite orders for the Court. Domestic Relations will also establish paternity when necessary, locate missing parents and resolve medical insurance and expense issues between separated parents.

Offers free legal help for low-income and vulnerable residents. Services may include bankruptcy, debt relief, consumer law, child custody and dependency issues, disaster legal aid, elder law, expungements, pardons, and record sealing. May also cover government benefits issues concerning Unemployment Compensation, SSI, SSDI, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), SNAP (food stamps), Medical Assistance (Medicaid), and Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Housing issues such as landlord-tenant, eviction, habitability, public or subsidized housing, rent-to-own, homeownership, mortgage foreclosure, property tax sales, reverse mortgages, and tangled title; utility problems, and veterans benefits and discharge upgrades.

Offers free legal help for low-income and vulnerable residents. Services may include bankruptcy, debt relief, consumer law, child custody and dependency issues, disaster legal aid, elder law, expungements, pardons, and record sealing. May also cover government benefits issues concerning Unemployment Compensation, SSI, SSDI, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), SNAP (food stamps), Medical Assistance (Medicaid), and Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Housing issues such as landlord-tenant, eviction, habitability, public or subsidized housing, rent-to-own, homeownership, mortgage foreclosure, property tax sales, reverse mortgages, and tangled title; utility problems, and veterans benefits and discharge upgrades.

To establish and collect support for children and dependent spouses, enforce financial and medical orders, establish paternity and locate absent parents.

Provides support services to custodial parents seeking financial support from an absent or non-custodial parent. Also establishes support orders for dependent spouses, establishes paternity, and helps to locate absent parents/spouses.

Administers County Courts, including both criminal and civil divisions.

Files all civil documents, divorces, custody, protection from abuse (PFA), and judgments. This office is not permitted to issue legal advice or procedures, please consult your attorney for any legal questions. Forms may not be available in some cases. For instructions and forms for Divorce and Custody matters, please use the following website. www.pacourts.us/learn/representing-yourself/

Serves as the governing legislative body for Carbon County. Oversees county operations, including administration/ human resources, economic development, corrections, court services, emergency services, fiscal affairs, human services, public works, and the offices of the Coroner, Public Defender, Sheriff, and Solicitor.

Family Court is responsible for adjudicating child custody concerns, dependency (CYS) issues, adoption and termination of parental rights matters, child support enforcement, and select divorce disputes. These issues can be filed with the court for resolution. Family Court hearings occur in the Brominski Building, as well as Penn Place and the Main Courthouse.

The Lackawanna County Domestic Relations Section is responsible for working with families to establish and enforce support obligations for children and spouses. Domestic Relations is a part of the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas. It helps the Court establish and enforce Court Orders for child support and spousal support.

Child support assessment / enforcement unit of the Court of Common Pleas. Initiate receive and process child and spousal support complaints, and reciprocal complaints from other County and State jurisdictions. Conduct child support conference proceedings to determine child and spousal support obligations. Evaluate for the purpose of enforcement, controlling orders and continuing exclusive jurisdiction. Monitor and reconcile existing support accounts. Act as information liaison between County and State Pacses support collection process. Conduct modification support conferences. Prepare contempt actions and testify in court at Non-Support hearings. Enforce and disburse related Court costs.

Establishes and enforces support orders per Pennsylvania State Guidelines. Assists parties in filing against non-custodial parents who live out of county, state, or country. Attempts to establish paternity in all cases in which the child(ren) were born out of wedlock and no paternity acknowledgment has been signed. Performs location services if a non-custodial parent’s whereabouts is unknown.

Custodian of adult and juvenile criminal records. Filing office for summary appeals, bail, expungement, constable and private detective licenses.

Records real estate documents for public information and probate decedent estates or any other documents which are required to be officially recorded. Also maintains archives of recorded documents.

Maintains liens, judgments, divorce actions, and civil and equity files. Collects filing fees, time-stamps, issues receipts, proofreads indexes, certifies court seals, exemplifies, notifies, copies, and communicates by mail or phone the legally mandated information. Services include: 2017 state fee increase, bi-lingual PFA forms, court records internet access, divorce self help information, documents and forms, marriage license, obtaining a birth certificate, and passport information.

Offers free legal help for low-income and vulnerable residents. Services may include bankruptcy, debt relief, consumer law, child custody and dependency issues, disaster legal aid, elder law, expungements, pardons, and record sealing. May also cover government benefits issues concerning Unemployment Compensation, SSI, SSDI, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), SNAP (food stamps), Medical Assistance (Medicaid), and Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Housing issues such as landlord-tenant, eviction, habitability, public or subsidized housing, rent-to-own, homeownership, mortgage foreclosure, property tax sales, reverse mortgages, and tangled title; utility problems, and veterans benefits and discharge upgrades.

Consists of the County Council, which is the governing legislative body, and the County Executive, who oversees county operations, including administration/ human resources, economic development, corrections, court services, fiscal affairs, human services, public works, and the offices of the Coroner, Public Defender, Sheriff, and Solicitor.

Filing office for cases before the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas involving Custody; Divorce; New Suits; Civil Appeals; Landlord/Tenant Appeals; Liens, Judgments and Satisfactions; Mortgage Foreclosures; Protection From Abuse; Change of Name; Mental Health Commitments. Host local Naturalization Ceremonies in coordination with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. NOT A HELP CENTER. Office must maintain neutrality and CANNOT offer legal advice or provide assistance in preparing filings.

Offers free legal help for low-income and vulnerable residents. Services may include bankruptcy, debt relief, consumer law, child custody and dependency issues, disaster legal aid, elder law, expungements, pardons, and record sealing. May also cover government benefits issues concerning Unemployment Compensation, SSI, SSDI, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), SNAP (food stamps), Medical Assistance (Medicaid), and Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Housing issues such as landlord-tenant, eviction, habitability, public or subsidized housing, rent-to-own, homeownership, mortgage foreclosure, property tax sales, reverse mortgages, and tangled title; utility problems, and veterans benefits and discharge upgrades.

Provides filing, recording and processing of all civil actions, equity actions, judgments, federal and local tax liens, city liens, family court matters, arbitrations, license suspension appeals, appeals to higher court, and applications for passports. Also files and records all judgments, orders, decrees of court which includes sending out notice of such entry to parties and/or counsel in each case. Issues writs and process many other legal documents.

Processes petitions and schedules necessary hearings for PFA's.

All civil litigation is filed with the Prothonotary. A few examples include the following:

family court matters such as divorce, child custody and protection from abuse cases.

unpaid debt complaints

malpractice actions

mortgage foreclosures

personal injury cases

equity actions

replevin

district justice civil judgment appeals

license suspension appeals

administrative agency appeals

actions in ejectment

condemnation proceedings

Liens against real estate and personal property are also part of the records.

The office also serves as the passport acceptance agent. Records date back to 1759.

Issues marriage licenses, handles adoptions and incapacitated filings, and presents first and final account files in the estate to the court. Handles transactions dealing with real estate. Probates the wills of all decedents and issues letters of administration and testamentary in each estate.