Title 23, DOMESTIC RELATIONS

Marriage license applications, consent certificates, marriage licenses and other necessary forms shall be supplied at the expense of the county and shall be uniform throughout this Commonwealth as prescribed by the department. Statements of physicians and laboratories relative to…

(a) General rule.--The fee to be charged for issuing a marriage license or declaration and for returns thereof to the department shall be $3 of which $2.50 shall be retained by the county wherein the license is issued and 50¢ shall be remitted to the Commonwealth. (b) Transmittin…

(a) Filing transcript or record.--The county shall furnish the department, not later than the 15th day of each month, with a transcript or record of each marriage license issued and each return of the celebration of a marriage received or filed during the preceding calendar month…

(a) General rule.--No person shall be joined in marriage in this Commonwealth until a marriage license has been obtained. (b) Place of marriage ceremony.--A license issued under this part shall authorize a marriage ceremony to be performed in any county of this Commonwealth. (c) …

(a) General rule.--No marriage license shall be issued except upon written and verified application made by both of the parties intending to marry. (b) Contents.--The application shall contain the following: (1) The full name of the applicants. (2) The occupation, birthplace, res…

(a) General rule.--No marriage license shall be issued prior to the third day following the making of application therefor. (b) Exceptions.--The court may authorize a license to be issued at any time after the making of the application in the following cases: (1) In case of emerg…

(a) Examinations and tests for syphilis.--(Repealed). (b) Minors.-- (1) No marriage license may be issued if either of the applicants for a license is under 18 years of age. (2) (Deleted by amendment). (c) Incompetent persons.--No marriage license may be issued if either of the a…

1997 Repeal. Section 1305 was repealed June 25, 1997, P.L.331, No.35, effective immediately.

(a) General rule.--Each of the applicants for a marriage license shall appear in person and shall be examined under oath or affirmation as to: (1) The legality of the contemplated marriage. (2) Any prior marriage or marriages and its or their dissolution. (3) The restrictions set…

The marriage license shall be issued if it appears from properly completed applications on behalf of each of the parties to the proposed marriage that there is no legal objection to the marriage. Except as provided by section 1303(b) (relating to waiting period after application)…

(a) Certifying proceedings to court.--If the issuance of a marriage license is refused, upon request of the applicants, the proceedings shall immediately be certified to the court without formality or expense to the applicants. (b) Prompt hearing.--The application for a marriage …

The applications for marriage licenses and consent certificates shall be immediately filed and docketed as public records.

The marriage license shall not be valid for a longer period than 60 days from the date of issue and shall be in substantially the following form: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ss: County of (name) To any person authorized by law to solemnize marriage: You are hereby authorized to …

The marriage license shall have appended to it two certificates, numbered to correspond with the license (one marked original and one marked duplicate), which shall be in substantially the following form: (Title of person solemnizing marriage) Cross References. Section 1501 is re…

(a) Declaration of authorization.--In all cases in which the parties intend to solemnize their marriage by religious ceremony without officiating clergy, the marriage shall not take place until their right so to do is certified in a declaration in substantially the following form…

(a) General rule.--The following are authorized to solemnize marriages between persons that produce a marriage license issued under this part: (1) A justice, judge or magisterial district judge of this Commonwealth. (2) A former or retired justice, judge or magisterial district j…

(a) General rule.--The original marriage certificate shall be signed by the person solemnizing the marriage and given to the parties contracting the marriage. The duplicate certificate shall be signed by the person or by a member of the religious society, institution or organizat…

(a) Finding of death.--When the spouse of an applicant for a marriage license has disappeared or is absent from the place of residence of the spouse without being heard of after diligent inquiry, the court, aided by the report of a master if necessary, upon petition of the applic…

(a) General rule.--If a married person, during the lifetime of the other person with whom the marriage is in force, enters into a subsequent marriage pursuant to the requirements of this part and the parties to the marriage live together thereafter as husband and wife, and the su…

All marriages within the prohibited degrees of consanguinity as set forth in this part are voidable, but, when any of these marriages have not been dissolved during the lifetime of the parties, the unlawfulness of the marriage shall not be inquired into after the death of either …

It is hereby declared to be the strong and longstanding public policy of this Commonwealth that marriage shall be between one man and one woman. A marriage between persons of the same sex which was entered into in another state or foreign jurisdiction, even if valid where entered…

(a) General rule.--All civil causes of action for alienation of affections of husband or wife are abolished. (b) Exception.--Subsection (a) does not apply to cases where the defendant is a parent, brother or sister or a person formerly in loco parentis to the spouse of plaintiff.…

All causes of action for breach of contract to marry are abolished.

(a) General rule.--No act done within this Commonwealth shall give rise, either within or without this Commonwealth, to a cause of action abolished by this chapter. (b) Contract to marry.--No contract to marry which is made within this Commonwealth shall give rise, either within …

It is unlawful for a person, either as litigant or attorney, to file, cause to be filed, threaten to file or threaten to cause to be filed in a court in this Commonwealth any pleading or paper setting forth or seeking to recover upon any cause of action abolished or barred by thi…

(a) Contracts and instruments void.--All contracts and instruments of every kind executed within this Commonwealth in payment, satisfaction, settlement or compromise of any claim or cause of action abolished or barred by this chapter, whether the claim or cause of action arose wi…

This part shall be known and may be cited as the "Adoption Act."

The following words and phrases when used in this part shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the meanings given to them in this section: "Adoptee." An individual proposed to be adopted. "Agency." Any incorporated or unincorporated organization, society, inst…

The court of common pleas of each county shall exercise through the appropriate division original jurisdiction over voluntary relinquishment, involuntary termination and adoption proceedings.

Proceedings for voluntary relinquishment, involuntary termination and adoption may be brought in the court of the county: (1) Where the parent or parents or the adoptee or the person or persons who have filed a report of intention to adopt required by section 2531 (relating to re…

Any individual may be adopted, regardless of his age or residence.

Any individual may become an adopting parent.

(a) Child.--The court shall appoint counsel to represent the child in an involuntary termination proceeding when the proceeding is being contested by one or both of the parents. The court may appoint counsel or a guardian ad litem to represent any child who has not reached the ag…

(a) Petition.--When any child under the age of 18 years has been in the care of an agency for a minimum period of three days or, whether or not the agency has the physical care of the child, the agency has received a written notice of the present intent to transfer to it custody …

(a) Petition.--When any child under the age of 18 years has been for a minimum period of three days in the exclusive care of an adult or adults who have filed a report of intention to adopt required by section 2531 (relating to report of intention to adopt), the parent or parents…

(a) General rule.--Upon presentation of a petition prepared pursuant to section 2501 (relating to relinquishment to agency) or section 2502 (relating to relinquishment to adult intending to adopt child), the court shall fix a time for hearing which shall not be less than ten days…

(a) Petition to confirm consent to adoption.--If the parent or parents of the child have executed consents to an adoption, upon petition by the intermediary or, where there is no intermediary, by the adoptive parent, the court shall hold a hearing for the purpose of confirming a …

The court shall take such steps as are reasonably necessary to assure that the identity of the adoptive parent or parents is not disclosed without their consent in any proceeding under this subchapter or Subchapter B (relating to involuntary termination). The Supreme Court may pr…

(a) List of counselors.--Any hospital or other facility providing maternity care shall provide a list of available counselors and counseling services compiled pursuant to subsection (b) to its maternity patients who are known to be considering relinquishment or termination of par…

(a) General rule.--The rights of a parent in regard to a child may be terminated after a petition filed on any of the following grounds: (1) The parent by conduct continuing for a period of at least six months immediately preceding the filing of the petition either has evidenced …

(a) Who may file.--A petition to terminate parental rights with respect to a child under the age of 18 years may be filed by any of the following: (1) Either parent when termination is sought with respect to the other parent. (2) An agency. (3) The individual having custody or st…

(a) Time.--The court shall fix a time for hearing on a petition filed under section 2512 (relating to petition for involuntary termination) which shall be not less than ten days after filing of the petition. (b) Notice.--At least ten days' notice shall be given to the parent or p…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, when a petition has been filed by a parent seeking to involuntarily terminate parental rights of the other parent under section 2511(a)(7) (relating to grounds for involuntary termination), the following apply: (1) The p…

(a) Adoption proceeding rights extinguished.--A decree terminating all rights of a parent or a decree terminating all rights and duties of a parent entered by a court of competent jurisdiction shall extinguish the power or the right of the parent to object to or receive notice of…

(a) General rule.--No intermediary shall place a child in the physical care or custody of a prospective adoptive parent or parents unless a home study containing a favorable recommendation for placement of a child with the prospective parent or parents has been completed within t…