Custody and Divorce Self-Help Forms From Berks County Family Court
Berks County Family Court posts custody and divorce forms, local filing instructions and lawyer referral information for people who go to court in Berks County without a lawyer. The forms and instructions are on the Family Court self-help page at berkspa.gov/departments/fc/self-help, and there is a Spanish version of the same page at berkspa.gov/departments/fc/autoayuda.
The court states that custody and divorce is civil litigation and a very serious matter, and it highly recommends that you hire a lawyer for any custody or divorce action. If you choose not to hire one, you may lose rights important to you, and the court will expect you to follow the state and local rules of procedure the same as though a lawyer represented you. Self-represented litigants are held to the same standards as attorneys admitted to the bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. No one in the Courts, Law Library, Prothonotary's Office or any other Court or County office can give you legal advice, tell you which forms you should file, or help you fill out or complete the forms.
Statewide custody and divorce forms and instructions for someone representing themselves are on the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts site at pacourts.us/learn/representing-yourself. The Family Court self-help page adds local Berks County forms you can download, including the Custody Complaint, Petition to Modify Custody, Family Court Cover Sheet, Scheduling Order, Certificate of Addresses, Notice to Defend and Claim Rights, Affidavit of Service for personal service, Affidavit of Accountability and Revocation of Accountability for Berks County, the Criminal Record Abuse History Form for Berks County, Appendix A, B and C, Praecipe to Withdraw Action Forms and Instructions, and IFP Forms and Instructions for civil and family cases.
Along with the statewide forms, file the Berks County Family Court Cover Sheet with all custody and divorce filings, and file the Scheduling Order with all Custody Complaints or Petitions to Modify. Include one or more of the Appendixes as appropriate with Custody Orders, Agreements or Stipulations.
The procedural rules that govern custody proceedings are the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, in Title 231, Chapter 1915 and Chapter 1930 of the Pennsylvania Code. Review them before completing or filing any form or appearing in court. If anything on the court's self-help page differs from the rules, the rules prevail.
Service is the delivery of court papers to a plaintiff or a defendant. Papers may be served by mail if you follow very specific rules, or by personal service, meaning handing a copy to the other party, but not by you or a person related to you. You must then file proof of service, called an Affidavit of Service or Certificate of Service, explaining how the papers were delivered. A court will not act on your case unless you have served the papers and filed proof that you followed the Rules of Court. Pa. R.C.P. 1930.4 lists the options for serving original process, meaning the custody or divorce complaint, and Pa. R.C.P. 440 lists the options for serving other legal papers. To serve a custody complaint by hand delivery, perhaps by a deputy sheriff or someone else who is not you or related to you, use the form titled Affidavit of Service - personal service.
Custody and divorce documents can be filed by mail or in person at the Berks County Prothonotary's Office, Berks County Courthouse 2nd Floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601. The office phone is 610-478-6970 and office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is closed on federal holidays, Good Friday, General Election Day and the day after Thanksgiving. Completed documents can also be filed online. Lawyers can file electronically, and the page states that self-represented litigants will be permitted or required to electronically file those documents after August 1, 2026, a date that has now passed, with notice posted on the Prothonotary's website. Before you prepare a filing, call the Prothonotary's Office at 610-478-6970 to confirm whether you must now e-file.
For filing fees, the page points to the current Prothonotary Fee Bill and does not print the amounts.
If you want to hire an attorney experienced in your type of case, the page directs you to the Lawyer Referral Service of the Berks County Bar Association, 544 Court Street, Reading, Pennsylvania 19601, telephone 610-375-4591. If you believe you qualify economically for free or reduced fee representation, the page directs you to Mid-Penn Legal Services at 35 N. 6th Street, Mezzanine Suite 101, Reading, PA, 19601, telephone 1-800-326-9177.
Source: berkspa.gov/departments/fc/self-help, read September 18, 2026.
The details
- Family Court Cover Sheet (opens in a new window)
In Berks County Court of Common Pleas’s words
Custody and Divorce is civil litigation and is a very serious matter. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you hire a Lawyer to represent you in any custody or divorce action. For statewide Custody and Divorce forms and instructions that can be used by someone who chooses not to hire a Lawyer, click on pacourts.us/learn/representing-yourself to go to the Administrative Office of PA Courts (AOPC) web page. In addition to the forms on the AOPC website, below is some local Berks County information to…
En español: la página del proveedor →
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Berks County Court of Common Pleas
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This listing summarizes publicly available information from berkspa.gov/departments/fc/self-help. Last recorded review: September 18, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.