Westmoreland County
Support Action Information
A party who wishes to initiate a support action may visit the domestic relations office at 2 N. Main Street, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, on the third floor of the courthouse. There is no appointment necessary. The toll-free telephone number is (800) 561-5022 and the local telephone number is (724 -830-3200. Westmoreland County also allows a custodial party to file a support action by mail. The necessary forms can be downloaded from www.co.westmoreland.pa.us Forms , and the completed forms should be mailed to:
Attention: Intake
2 N. Main Street, Third floor
Greensburg, PA 15601
All forms must be signed, dated, and the signature must be notarized on the complaint. A support action can only be filed in person between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The domestic relations office has a team of intake workers available to assist with completing the petition for support. Bring sufficient information to identify the defendant correctly. The following may be useful: Name (middle name or initial is helpful), current or last known address, defendant's social security number, date and place of birth, parent's names (including mother's maiden name), employer information, and a physical description. If the child or children were born outside of a marriage it would be useful to bring any notarized documents stating he was the father. Any documents that establish paternity are useful in a support action. After the petition has been completed an office conference date will be set.
The Domestic Relations worker will set a date for the office conference and serve the defendant with the complaint and the order setting the conference date.
If the parties have failed to reach an agreement at the office conference, the Domestic Relations Officer will make a recommendation to the assigned judge and an Order will be entered. Either party may ask for a hearing before the Support Hearing Officer.
The party requesting a hearing must pay costs in the amount of $50.00 to the domestic relations section. No hearing will be scheduled unless costs are paid within ten days of the mailing of the interim order.
The party requesting a hearing must serve a copy of the demand for a hearing on the opposing party or that party's attorney. Service may be performed by having a competent adult, other than the plaintiff, hand the demand for a hearing to the defendant or by mailing the demand for a hearing by registered mail, restricted delivery. The domestic relations section shall give each attorney or party if not represented notice of the date, time, and place of the hearing.
If a party is dissatisfied with the hearing officer's decision that party may file an appeal (exception). The appealing party must provide the domestic relations section a copy of the exceptions and deposit $50.00 toward the cost of transcript preparation. The appealing party shall serve a copy of the appeal on the non-appealing attorney or party if not represented.
The domestic relation section will notify the assigned judge, receive a time and date for the hearing on the exception, and notify all attorneys of record, or parties, if not represented of the time and date of the hearing. The domestic relations section will bill the appealing party the balance of the transcription fee when the transcript is delivered.
Prior to the hearing the appealing party must file a brief with a copy to the assigned judge and opposing attorney or party, if not represented, no later than 20 days before the hearing. The non-appealing party must file a brief with a copy to the assigned judge and opposing attorney or party, if not represented, no later than 10 days before the hearing. The brief of the appealing party must contain a statement of the case, a statement of the issues involved, the argument, and a short conclusion stating the precise relief sought. The brief of the non-appealing party need only contain an argument. A copy of a brief shall be served on every other party or attorney of record on the same day it is filed. A copy of a brief shall be delivered or mailed to the chambers of the judge assigned to the case. Oral arguments will be restricted to issues addressed in written briefs.
Without the permission of the court the domestic relations office will not:
- Decrease a minimum order of $50.00 or less; or
- Modify an order that is on appeal to the court pursuant to a recommended order; or
- Modify a support order because the petitioner has voluntarily left a job; or
- Modify an order, which has been entered within the past six months.
If the Domestic Relations Office denies your request for modification, you will be notified. All petitions filed seeking modification of a court order must be a written notice of presentation of a petition which requires action by a judge or a master, other than the scheduling of a hearing date, shall be mailed to the other party's attorney, or to the other party if not represented, at least 4 days prior to presentment of the petition of motion.