Title 23, DOMESTIC RELATIONS

The Supreme Court shall monitor mediation programs established by courts of common pleas. The Supreme Court shall establish procedures for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the program.

This chapter shall not affect any existing mediation program established in any judicial district pursuant to local rule.

(a) General rule.--A spouse is not liable for the debts of the other spouse contracted before marriage. (b) Liability of property unaffected.--This chapter does not protect the property of a married person from liability for debts contracted by or in the name of the married perso…

In all cases where debts are contracted for necessaries by either spouse for the support and maintenance of the family, it shall be lawful for the creditor in this case to institute suit against the husband and wife for the price of such necessaries and, after obtaining a judgmen…

Except as otherwise provided in this title, the separate earnings of any married person of this Commonwealth, whether these earnings are wages for labor, salary, property, business or otherwise, shall accrue to and enure to the separate benefit and use of that married person inde…

A married person may loan the other spouse money from the separate estate of the married person and take in security therefor a judgment or mortgage against the property of the other spouse which shall be valid as otherwise provided by law.

This chapter shall not be construed to affect Part IV (relating to divorce).

(a) General rule.--Actions or proceedings provided by this chapter are in addition to and not in substitution of actions or proceedings provided by unsuspended statutes where there is desertion or a failure to perform a duty to support. (b) Persons in institutions and foster home…

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Consumer reporting agency." As defined in section 630(f) of the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (Public Law 91-508, 1…

Information regarding the name and the amount of arrearages owed by an obligor shall be provided periodically to consumer reporting agencies whenever the obligor owes overdue support, subject to the following: (1) The information shall be available only after the obligor owing th…

1996 Repeal. Section 4304 was repealed October 16, 1996, P.L.706, No.124, effective in 60 days.

(a) Cooperation of government agencies.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including the provisions of section 731 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, all government agencies shall: (1) At the request of the department, provide infor…

(a) Powers and duties.--Subject to any inconsistent general rules and to the supervision and direction of the court, the domestic relations section shall have the power and duty to: (1) Process all complaints received under Parts VIII (relating to uniform interstate family suppor…

(a) General rule.--The county Title IV-D attorney shall at all times aid in the enforcement of the duty of child support and child and spousal support and shall cooperate with the domestic relations section in the presentation of complaints or in any proceeding designed to obtain…

The department shall have the authority to implement a State income tax refund intercept program pursuant to section 466(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (Public Law 74-271, 42 U.S.C. § 666(a)(3)) when, in the judgment of the department, it is cost effective to do so. (Dec. 16, 1…

(a) Duty of Department of Revenue.--In the case of any person winning more than $2,500 in the Pennsylvania State Lottery, the Department of Revenue shall request the department to make all reasonable efforts to determine if the winner is a delinquent support obligor prior to maki…

(a) General rule.--Overdue support shall be a lien by operation of law against the net proceeds of any monetary award, as defined in subsection (i), owed to an obligor, and distribution of any such award shall be stayed in an amount equal to the child support lien provided for un…

(a) General rule.--Any county, through its domestic relations section, may publish the names of delinquent support obligors who are in arrears 30 days or more in newspapers of general or special circulation in the county. (b) Immunity.--The county, its officials and newspapers sh…

Subject to the provisions of this chapter: (1) Married persons are liable for the support of each other according to their respective abilities to provide support as provided by law. (2) Parents are liable for the support of their children who are unemancipated and 18 years of ag…

(a) Statewide guideline.--Child and spousal support shall be awarded pursuant to a Statewide guideline as established by general rule by the Supreme Court, so that persons similarly situated shall be treated similarly. The guideline shall be based upon the reasonable needs of the…

(a) Emancipated child.--A court shall not order either or both parents to pay for the support of a child if the child is emancipated. (b) Marital status of parents immaterial.--In making an order for the support of a child, no distinction shall be made because of the marital stat…

In addition to periodic support payments, the court may require that an obligor pay a designated percentage of a spouse's reasonable and necessary health care expenses. If health care coverage is available through an obligor or obligee at no cost as a benefit of employment or at …

Unless procedures established by the department for the State disbursement unit provide otherwise, an order of support shall direct payment to be made payable to or payment to be made to the domestic relations section for transmission to the obligee or for transmission directly t…

(a) General rule.--In every proceeding to establish or modify an order which requires the payment of child support, the court shall ascertain the ability of each parent to provide medical support for the children of the parties, and the order shall include a requirement for medic…

(a) General rule.--Where applicable under this section, a court may order either or both parents who are separated, divorced, unmarried or otherwise subject to an existing support obligation to provide equitably for educational costs of their child whether an application for this…

(a) Procedure.--A support action or proceeding under this chapter shall be commenced in the manner prescribed by the Rules of Civil Procedure governing actions of support. (b) Standing.--Any person caring for a child shall have standing to commence or continue an action for suppo…

(a) General rule.--The Supreme Court shall by general rule provide for expedited procedures for the determination of paternity and the determination and enforcement of support. The procedures shall include an office conference; a conference summary to the court by the hearing off…

(a) Determination.--Where the paternity of a child born out of wedlock is disputed, the determination of paternity shall be made by the court in a civil action without a jury. A putative father may not be prohibited from initiating a civil action to establish paternity. The burde…

A person who willfully fails or refuses to appear in response to a duly served order or other process under this chapter may, as prescribed by general rule, be adjudged in contempt. Contempt shall be punishable by any one or more of the following: (1) Imprisonment for a period no…

(a) General rule.--A person who willfully fails to comply with any order under this chapter, except an order subject to section 4344 (relating to contempt for failure of obligor to appear), may, as prescribed by general rule, be adjudged in contempt. Contempt shall be punishable …

2010 Repeal. Section 4346 was repealed November 23, 2010, P.L.1106, No.112, effective in 60 days.

At any stage of the proceedings under this chapter, upon affidavit filed that the obligor is about to leave this Commonwealth or the judicial district or, where in the judgment of the court, the obligor has habitually failed to comply with court orders under this chapter, the cou…

(a) Existing and certain future orders.--All orders of support existing as of the effective date of this provision, as well as all orders of support entered or modified after the effective date of this provision but before June 30, 1990, shall provide for mandatory attachment of …

In order to facilitate frequent and unimpeded contact between children and parents, a judge may consolidate with a support action or proceeding any proceeding commenced for visitation rights, sole or shared custody, temporary or permanent custody or any other matters pertaining t…

An appeal from an order of support entered pursuant to this chapter shall not operate as a supersedeas unless so ordered by the court.

(a) General rule.--If an obligee prevails in a proceeding to establish paternity or to obtain a support order, the court may assess against the obligor filing fees, reasonable attorney fees and necessary travel and other reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the obligee and t…

(a) General rule.--The court making an order of support shall at all times maintain jurisdiction of the matter for the purpose of enforcement of the order and for the purpose of increasing, decreasing, modifying or rescinding the order unless otherwise provided by Part VIII (rela…

(a) Notice of changes affecting support.--An individual who is a party to a support proceeding shall notify the domestic relations section, the department and the other parties in writing or by personal appearance within seven days of any material change in circumstances relevant…

(a) Offense defined.--An individual who willfully fails to comply with a support order of a court of this Commonwealth when the individual has the financial ability to comply with the support order commits an offense. (b) Application.--This section applies to all support cases, w…

(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (d.1), where the domestic relations section or the department has been unable to attach the income of an obligor and the obligor owes support in an amount equal to or greater than three months of the monthly support obligation o…

(a) Entry of order.--Whenever married persons hold real property by the entireties and one spouse secures an order of court against the other spouse for the support of the plaintiff spouse or of a child of both persons or the defendant or for the support of both the plaintiff spo…

(a) General rule.--The plaintiff spouse shall be entitled, out of the proceeds of this sale, to such sums of money as represents the share in the property, based on the proportionate part of the original purchase money furnished by the plaintiff spouse for the purchase of the pro…

(a) Appointment of trustee.--The court shall, at the time of the hearing or thereafter, appoint a trustee who shall receive from the sheriff the proceeds of the sale of the property after the costs have been paid. (b) Disposition of proceeds.--The trustee shall, out of the procee…

(a) General rule.--If the plaintiff spouse becomes the purchaser at the execution sale, the plaintiff shall be entitled to a credit on the purchase price thereof for the sum of money found by the court to represent the plaintiff's share in the property and also for the sums of mo…

(a) General rule.--After the divorce of any spouse who is a tenant by the entireties of real property with the former spouse, the divorced spouse is entitled to all the rights and remedies provided in this subchapter for the collection of any sums of money ordered by a court to b…

This subchapter and other provisions of this chapter do not remove from the plaintiff the rights to any other existing remedies to enforce a support order, including, but not limited to, the right of the plaintiff to institute proceedings against the real or personal property of …