How to File for Custody in Berks County: Steps and Costs

A custody case in Berks County starts when a parent, or another adult the law allows, files a Complaint for Custody with the Prothonotary, the civil court clerk on the 2nd floor of the Berks County Courthouse at 633 Court Street in Reading, and pays the fee the Prothonotary's fee bill lists at $225. Both sides then take a three-hour class called Children in the Middle and meet with a court-appointed lawyer called a Custody Conciliator, who tries to settle the case and, if that fails, writes a recommended order that becomes final unless one side objects within 20 days.

Custody is not child support. Support is set and collected by the Domestic Relations Section on the 6th floor of the Services Center, whose fee schedule lists no charge to file a support complaint; see our child support guide. Custody is also separate from divorce, though a custody claim can be attached to a divorce complaint under special rules described below; see our divorce guide. The county's custody page calls custody "civil litigation" and "a very serious matter," says hiring a lawyer is "highly recommended," and warns on its self-help page that no one in the courts, law library, or Prothonotary's office "can give you legal advice, tell you which form(s) you should file or help you fill out/complete the forms."

What a custody order decides

Pennsylvania's Child Custody Act splits custody in two. Legal custody is "the right to make major decisions on behalf of the child," such as medical, religious and school decisions, and can be shared or sole. Physical custody is "the actual physical possession and control of a child" and comes in five kinds: shared, primary (a majority of the time), partial (less than a majority), sole, and supervised, where an agency or an adult named by the court watches the visit. Under § 5323 a judge may award any of those types the child's best interest supports and must "delineate the reasons for its decision on the record in open court or in a written opinion or order." Berks attaches one or more appendices to every order; Appendix A sets standing rules of conduct, including the right to reasonable phone contact and to school and medical information, and a reminder that "Custody orders are civil court orders and are not enforceable by police or other law enforcement."

Who can file

Section 5324 lists who may ask for any form of physical or legal custody:

• A parent.
• A person who stands in loco parentis, the legal phrase for someone who has taken on a parent's role in the child's life.
• A grandparent who is not in loco parentis, if the relationship began with a parent's consent or a court order, the grandparent has assumed or is willing to assume responsibility for the child, and the child has been found dependent, is substantially at risk from parental abuse, neglect, drug or alcohol abuse or incapacity, or lived with the grandparent for 12 straight months and was removed by the parents, in which case the complaint must be filed within six months of the removal.
• Since 2018, any other individual who proves "by clear and convincing evidence" that they have assumed or are willing to assume responsibility, have "a sustained, substantial and sincere interest in the welfare of the child," and that "neither parent has any form of care and control of the child." This route is closed when a dependency case is pending or a permanent legal custody order exists.

Section 5325 lets grandparents and great-grandparents seek partial or supervised physical custody in three narrower situations: the child's parent has died; the parents have started a custody case and disagree about grandparent time, where the grandparent's relationship with the child "began either with the consent of a parent of the child or under a court order"; or the child lived with the grandparent for 12 straight months and was removed, with the same six-month filing window. Every non-parent must plead the facts that give them standing in paragraph 9 of the complaint, Pa.R.C.P. 1915.3 requires, and the rule lets a parent who is still a minor bring or defend a custody case without a guardian being appointed. Between two parents, § 5327 says "there shall be no presumption that custody should be awarded to a particular parent," and the Act bars any preference based on gender; between a parent and a non-parent, the presumption favors the parent and can be overcome only by clear and convincing evidence.

Where to file

File in Berks County if the child's "home state" is Pennsylvania and Berks is the child's home county. Within Pennsylvania, Pa.R.C.P. 1915.2 puts the case in the county "which is the home county of the child at the time of commencement of the proceeding," or one that "had been the child's home county within six months before" the case started if a parent or person acting as a parent still lives there; other counties qualify only in the narrower situations the rule lists, such as an emergency to protect the child. The home state under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, § 5402, is the state where the child "lived with a parent or a person acting as a parent for at least six consecutive months immediately before" the case is filed, counting temporary absences; for a baby under six months, it is the state where the child has lived since birth. Under § 5421, a Pennsylvania court can also take a case if Pennsylvania was the home state within the past six months and a parent still lives here, or if no other state qualifies. A parent who objects to Berks as the county, or to Pennsylvania as the state, must say so by preliminary objection, a formal written objection filed before the case moves on, under Pa.R.C.P. 1915.5; Berks local rule 1915.5 then puts the conciliation conference on hold until a judge rules. Moving a case to another county costs $25 on the fee bill.

The filing office is the Prothonotary's Office, Berks County Courthouse, 2nd Floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601, 610-478-6970, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and closed on federal holidays, Good Friday, General Election Day, and the day after Thanksgiving. The conferences happen in a different building: the Family Court Custody Office is on the 7th floor of the Berks County Services Center, the high-rise next door with the same street address, 610-478-6208, ext. 5770.

What it costs

The Prothonotary's fee bill, effective September 28, 2026, has one Family Court line for custody: "Custody Complaint, Custody Modification and Paternity Complaint," $225. The same $225 therefore applies to a petition to change an existing order. The bill lists no separate line for a custody counterclaim, the paper a defendant files to ask for custody too; call 610-478-6970 before filing one. Related lines: $45 to "Record Foreign Custody Order/Divorce Decree" from another county, state or country, $25 to transfer a case to another county or state, $0.25 a page for copies, $10 to certify a copy, and $5 for a subpoena. Checks are payable to "Prothonotary of Berks County." Paper filings carry a $1 "Conversion Fee" per document "not submitted through eFiling," and every credit or debit card payment, online or at the counter, carries a processor fee of $1 or 3 percent, whichever is more, which "the Prothonotary cannot refund." A returned check costs $50; the bill cites County Resolution 325-2025 and the Prothonotary's page cites 324-2025, but the amount is the same. The office "will not accept for filing any suit or action ... unless the proper fee is submitted."

One trap: the Family Court self-help page still links a "current Prothonotary Fee Bill" dated January 1, 2026 that returns a not-found page. Use the "Current Fees" link on the Prothonotary's own page.

The filing fee is not the whole cost. Every party must pay the Family Guidance Center directly for the Children in the Middle class; neither the court's Scheduling Order nor the center's program page states the amount, so call 610-374-4963 to confirm it. Service by the sheriff, a custody evaluation if one is ordered (the court's evaluators list shows quotes from $2,500 to $8,500 or "call to inquire," says the court endorses none of them, and is dated 2/3/2021 inside under a 2026 filename), a parenting coordinator ($250 an hour on the court's roster), and a lawyer for the child, whose fee local rule 1915.11 lets the court charge to the parties or the county, are all extra.

If you cannot afford the fees, you can ask to proceed in forma pauperis, the legal term for a person "without financial resources to pay the costs of litigation." Berks posts an IFP packet for Family Court cases: a verification of income and expenses plus a proposed order for the judge. That order lets the judge excuse, box by box, "Prothonotary Filing Fees," the "Mediation Orientation Session," the "Children in the Middle Program," the "Surcharge" and the "E-Filing Fee," so the class fee can be waived with the same petition. The state courts post a statewide version, and their custody page notes that "The court may require that you appear in person for a hearing" on it. IFP status also waives a party's share of a parenting coordinator's fee under local rule 1915.11-1, and parties at or below 199 percent of the federal poverty level pay a reduced rate the court sets.

The forms

Berks posts its own packet on the self-help page, and it tells filers to use the statewide Custody Proceedings forms alongside it. The county's Custody Complaint is word for word the statewide complaint, both updated July 1, 2025, so either is accepted. Under Pa.R.C.P. 1915.15 it asks for both parties' addresses, the custody you want, each child's name and age, whether the child was born out of wedlock, everyone the child has lived with for the past five years, any other custody case anywhere, the facts showing your request serves "the child's best interest and permanent welfare," and the standing paragraph for non-parents. You sign under the penalties for unsworn falsification; no notary is needed. A new case in Berks requires four more papers:

• The Family Court Cover Sheet, which the self-help page says to file "with all Custody and Divorce filings."
• The Scheduling Order, filed "as a separate document along with the complaint" under local rule 1915.3(b) unless both parties sign a custody agreement at the same time. The order comes back with the conference date filled in, signed "BY THE COURT." The packet includes a demographic sheet and a Notice of Custody Factors reprinting the law the judge must apply.
• The Criminal Record/Abuse History Verification, required by Pa.R.C.P. 1915.3-2 for you and everyone in your household. It is confidential and "shall not be publicly accessible." You file it with the complaint and serve a blank one on the other side.
• A Self-Represented Party Entry of Appearance if you have no lawyer.

Two Berks rules of form: local rule 1915.3 requires "a verified complaint and three (3) copies," and the caption must identify the case as a CHILD CUSTODY filing. Family Court Administration's practice tips add a suggestion: before filing, check the docket to be sure the other parent "didn't just file and you haven't been served yet," which avoids duplicate cases. Our Prothonotary guide explains the CourtPro docket viewer.

Step by step

1. Fill out the complaint, cover sheet, scheduling order and criminal-record verification. If both parents already agree, local rule 1915.7 lets you file the complaint with a proposed consent order signed by both instead of the scheduling order; the practice tips ask that a stipulated order say whether it is Final or Temporary. The class is still required once a scheduling order is signed, "even if an agreement is submitted later."
2. File at the Prothonotary's Office with the fee, by mail or in person. Whether a self-represented parent can file online is a question the county's own documents answer two ways. The self-help page says documents "can be filed by mail or in person," that lawyers can e-file, and that self-represented litigants "will be permitted or required to electronically file those documents after August 1, 2026 - Notice accordingly will be posted on the Prothonotary's website." The Prothonotary page says "Attorneys and other authorized users" file through CourtPro, and its linked registration guide, dated September 24, 2026, says "You can register as an Attorney, or Pro-se." The same page still links a 2019 list that opens with "ALL FILINGS BY PRO SE PARTIES ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR EFILE." Call 610-478-6970 before assuming you can file online. Paper filings add the $1 conversion fee per document; e-filing is paid by card, which adds $6.75 to a $225 complaint.
3. Serve the other party within 30 days if they live in Pennsylvania, or 90 days if they live elsewhere, under Pa.R.C.P. 1930.4. Serve the filed complaint, the signed scheduling order, your completed verification and a blank one. You may hand-deliver through the sheriff or any adult who is not a party, "nor an employee or a relative of a party," the Berks affidavit of personal service says; or mail by first-class plus certified mail, restricted delivery, return receipt requested, and file the affidavit of service by certified mail; or have the other party sign an Acceptance of Service. File the proof of service: "A court will not act on your case unless you have served the court papers and filed proof that you followed the Rules of Court," the self-help page says. If the deadline passes, the Prothonotary reinstates the complaint on a praecipe, $25 on the fee bill.
4. The other side files its own verification. Rule 1915.3-2 requires the defendant to serve it on the plaintiff "no less than one day prior to the initial in-person contact with the court or within 30 days of service of the initiating pleading, whichever occurs first," and to file it at that first in-person contact or within 30 days of service, whichever comes first. No written answer is required under Rule 1915.5; every claim in the complaint can be disputed at the conference. A defendant who wants custody files a counterclaim in the form of a complaint within 20 days of service or by the time of the hearing, whichever is first. There is no discovery, the formal exchange of documents, "unless authorized by special order of court."
5. Both parties take Children in the Middle. The Scheduling Order directs each party to contact the Family Guidance Center, 1105 Berkshire Blvd., Suite 110, Wyomissing, 610-374-4963, "within three (3) days of receiving this Scheduling Order," to attend separately, and to pay the fee directly to the center; failure "may" bring contempt charges. The center describes it as a "one-time, three-hour class" open to grandparents, aunts, uncles and stepparents as well as parents.
6. Attend the custody conciliation conference on the 7th floor of the Services Center. Under local rule 1915.26, every custody case goes to a Custody Conciliator, a lawyer appointed by the county's judges who may not practice family law in Berks; the scheduling order calls the same person a Hearing Officer. The conciliator tries to settle the case, may recommend mediation, counseling or an evaluation, and may hold "an informal hearing," take the parties' testimony under oath and question the child; "No other witnesses shall be permitted, except in extreme cases," and nothing is recorded or transcribed. If the party who filed does not show up, the conciliator recommends dismissal; a defendant who does not show up after proper service is presumed to have "agreed to a conciliation conference in that party's absence," and the conciliator "shall proceed and recommend an order" (local rule 1915.27). To reschedule, local rule 1915.33 requires a letter to the Custody Office, by fax, mail, email or hand, with the docket number, the parties' names, the date, the reason and whether the other side agrees.
7. Read the recommended order. If no written agreement is reached, the conciliator files a recommended order, and the notice tells each party they have 20 days to file written exceptions with the Prothonotary. The county's custody page says to "file a proposed pre-trial order with your exceptions so the Judge can schedule a Pre-Trial Conference"; local rule 1915.28 prints the form. With no exceptions, "the recommended order will be made into a Final Order after the 20 days has expired."
8. If exceptions are filed, the assigned judge holds a pre-trial conference and then a hearing de novo, a fresh trial where the conciliator's recommendation is not entered and the judge decides on the evidence. Each side files a pre-trial memorandum listing facts, witnesses, experts, exhibits and legal issues (local rules 1915.28 through 1915.30). The trial follows the rules for a non-jury trial, including the rules of evidence. Under Pa.R.C.P. 1915.11 the judge may interview the child on the record, in chambers or in court, and a child's attendance "is not required" unless the court orders it.
9. Receive the order. The Prothonotary gives notice of every final custody order to the parties or their lawyers (local rule 1915.31), and local rule 1915.32 requires "one or more appendixes" as part of every order: Appendix A on conduct, Appendix B on relocation, and Appendix C explaining shared legal custody. File a Certificate of Addresses with any proposed order so the court knows where to send it. If the order includes supervised custody by a relative or friend, that person signs an Affidavit of Accountability agreeing to stay present for the entire visit.

Mediation in Berks is voluntary. Under local rule 1940.3 the court may order an orientation session on a party's motion, by agreement, or on its own, but not where a party or child "is or has been the subject of domestic violence or child abuse" by the other side within the past 24 months, and mediation itself begins only "with the consent of the parties."

A plaintiff who changes course can withdraw. Under Pa.R.C.P. 1915.3-1, an unserved complaint can be discontinued by praecipe with a verified statement that it was never served; once served, or once a scheduling order has issued, discontinuance needs the other side's written agreement or the court's leave. The county posts a praecipe to withdraw packet.

What the judge weighs

Section 5328 lists the factors a court must consider in "any form of custody," and the law requires the court to send every party a copy within 30 days of the complaint, which is why the Berks scheduling order reprints it. The list runs to 16 numbered factors, five of them repealed, with three more added as decimals (2.1, 2.2 and 2.3). The court gives "substantial weighted consideration" to the safety factors: which party is more likely to keep the child safe; past and present abuse, including PFA orders with a finding of abuse; child-abuse and protective-services history; and "violent or assaultive behavior." The rest cover cooperation and conflict, including attempts to turn the child against the other party; each party's willingness and ability to meet the child's daily needs; stability in school, family and community; sibling relationships; "the well-reasoned preference of the child, based on the child's developmental stage, maturity and judgment"; how far apart the parties live; work schedules and child-care arrangements; drug or alcohol abuse and the mental and physical condition of anyone in either household; and "any other relevant factor." No single factor decides the case, and a factor "shall not be adversely weighed against a party" whose conduct was a response to abuse.

If a party or household member has been convicted of one of the offenses in § 5329, a list that includes assault, stalking, DUI, drug offenses and endangering the welfare of children, the judge or conciliator must evaluate at the first in-person contact whether that person "poses a threat to the child and whether counseling is necessary." The conviction "shall not by itself be determinative." Where the court finds an ongoing risk of child abuse, § 5323 creates a "rebuttable presumption" that the party who poses the risk gets only supervised physical custody. The court's referral lists name supervised visitation providers and agencies offering co-parenting counseling and reunification therapy.

Emergencies and special relief

The scheduled conference can be weeks away. Pa.R.C.P. 1915.13 lets the court, "at any time after commencement of the action," grant "appropriate interim or special relief," including "the award of temporary legal or physical custody," an order that a child be brought before the court, and an order that a party post security. Rule 1915.4(e) says nothing in the scheduling rules "shall preclude a party from seeking, nor a court from ordering, emergency or interim special relief." A custody case must exist first, so an emergency petition is filed with, or after, a complaint. Berks posts no emergency petition form today; a 2022 Court Administration self-help handout listed a "Custody Emergency Petition" among the county's forms, but it is not on the current self-help page. The mechanics come from local rule 207.1: routine petitions are filed with the Prothonotary for the assigned judge; a petition that must be presented in person goes to the assigned judge's courtroom at 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. on a day the judge sits, with 48 hours' notice to the other side "unless the emergency nature of the matter prevents such notice"; and a petition needing immediate action when no judge is assigned goes to the emergency motions judge at the same hours. Every petition needs a proposed order and a certificate of addresses. Call Family Court at 610-478-6208, ext. 5770, before you go; its practice tips invite calls "before you file something if you are unsure of anything."

If the emergency is abuse, a protection from abuse order can include a temporary custody arrangement and is available the same day at no cost; see our PFA guide.

Changing or enforcing an order

Either party can ask to change an order at any time, and under § 5338 the court may modify it "to serve the best interest of the child." The Petition for Modification is one page: the date and terms of the existing order, with a copy attached, the reasons it should change, and a new criminal-record verification. It costs the same $225, needs the same cover sheet and scheduling order, and goes through the same class and conciliation conference; the scheduling order says the Children in the Middle requirement applies "unless otherwise indicated" by the judge.

When the other party disobeys the order, the remedy is a petition for civil contempt under Pa.R.C.P. 1915.12, using the statewide Form 6. It must describe the willful violation, attach the order and a verification, and may be served by regular mail; the hearing is set no sooner than seven days after mailing, and a judge who finds willful noncompliance can order jail, a fine, or both. The fee bill lists no custody-specific contempt line; its general "Contempt or Enforcement" petition fee is $170, so confirm the amount with the Prothonotary.

Moving with the child

A move that "significantly impairs" the other party's ability to exercise custody is a relocation, and § 5337 bars it unless everyone with custody rights consents or the court approves. The moving party sends notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, at least 60 days before the move (or within 10 days of learning of it, if 60 days was impossible), with the new address, who will live there, the new school, the move date, the reasons, a proposed new schedule, and a blank counter-affidavit; the state posts the notice and counter-affidavit forms, and Appendix B reprints the statute in every Berks order. The other party has 30 days to object; one who misses it "shall be foreclosed from objecting to the relocation." Pa.R.C.P. 1915.17 makes a contested relocation an expedited hearing before a judge, with no class or mediation first, and Berks local rule 1915.17 requires whichever side asks for the hearing to file a scheduling order so the court can set the date. The moving party must prove the move serves the child, and a parent who moves without notice risks an order returning the child, the other side's legal fees, and contempt.

If the other parent lives in another county or state

The six-month home-state rule above decides which state hears the case; county within Pennsylvania is a venue question raised by preliminary objection. Service outside Pennsylvania has the 90-day window under Rule 1930.4 and may follow the law of the place where the parent lives. A custody order from another state or county can be registered in Berks for $45 under the fee bill's "Record Foreign Custody Order/Divorce Decree" line, which lets the Berks court enforce or, when it has jurisdiction, modify it under § 5338(b). Which court should act when parents live in different states is one of the questions the county recommends a lawyer for.

Custody inside a divorce

A custody claim can ride on a divorce complaint, but Berks treats it as its own case. Under local rules 1915.3(c) and 1920.31(a)(1), the custody count gets "a separate term and number," must include a Notice to the Prothonotary, and must be filed with either a signed custody agreement or a scheduling order, or "the custody count may be dismissed." The fee bill prices that route differently: a custody claim asserted in a divorce complaint carries "an additional filing fee of $15.00 ... plus $10.50 ACT 119 FEE ... and $5.00 PAF fee for a total of $30.50" rather than the $225 for a stand-alone complaint. The practice tips warn e-filers to select "custody stipulation or scheduling order and NOT custody count," or the system collects the wrong fee and never opens the custody docket.

How long it takes

The county does not publish a timeline. The state's prompt-disposition rule sets the outer limits: the first in-person contact with the court, in Berks the conciliation conference, "shall be scheduled to occur not later than 45 days from the filing of a complaint or petition"; a trial must be listed within 180 days of filing, extendable by 60 days for good cause, or the case is subject to dismissal after 20 days' notice unless dismissal would not be in the child's best interests; "Trials before a judge shall commence within 90 days of the date the scheduling order is entered"; and the judge's decision "shall be entered and filed within 15 days" after trial ends, extendable to 45. An uncontested case can end at the conference, with the recommended order becoming final after the 20-day exception period.

Getting help

The county's self-help page lists two routes. MidPenn Legal Services, 35 North Sixth Street, Mezzanine Suite 101, Reading, represents eligible lower-income residents at no fee; apply at 1-800-326-9177, where intake is open 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., or call the Reading office at 610-376-8656. The Berks County Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service, 544 Court Street, 610-375-4591, by appointment, lists "Child Custody" among the case types in its Modest Means Program, which offers "a discounted rate" to applicants "whose total income exceeds legal aid standards by 75%," with income screening by MidPenn. The county's custody page says to tell the referral line "that this is for custody." If there is abuse, Safe Berks (610-373-1206; 24-hour line 844-789-7233) is on the court's referral list. Court staff will answer general questions and check whether your forms are complete, the court's can-and-cannot list says, but "CANNOT tell you what to file or what to say in court."

FAQ

How much does it cost to file for custody in Berks County?

The Prothonotary's fee bill effective September 28, 2026 lists $225 for a custody complaint and the same $225 for a petition to modify, plus a $1 conversion fee on each paper filing or a card fee of $1 or 3 percent when you e-file. Add the Children in the Middle class fee, which the Family Guidance Center charges each party directly and does not publish online, and any cost of serving the other parent. People who cannot pay can file the county's in forma pauperis packet and ask a judge to waive the filing fees and the class fee.

Do I have to take a parenting class to get custody in Berks County?

Yes. Berks County local rule 1915.3(d) requires an order directing both parties to attend the Children in the Middle program, a one-time three-hour class at the Family Guidance Center in Wyomissing, and the scheduling order says to call within three days of receiving it. Each party attends separately, and the requirement stands even if you later settle. Contested relocation hearings are the exception under the state rule.

What happens at a custody conciliation conference?

A Custody Conciliator, a lawyer appointed by the Berks County judges, meets with both parties on the 7th floor of the Services Center, tries to settle the case, and may take testimony under oath and speak with the child. If you agree, the agreement is signed and submitted as a court order. If not, the conciliator files a recommended order, and either side has 20 days to file exceptions with the Prothonotary; otherwise it becomes final.

Can grandparents file for custody in Berks County?

Yes, in limited situations. Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 5324 a grandparent can seek any form of custody when the child is dependent, at substantial risk, or lived with the grandparent for 12 months before the parents removed the child, filing within six months of the removal; under § 5325 a grandparent can seek partial or supervised custody when a parent has died, the parents are in a custody case and disagree, or after the same 12-month residence. The complaint must spell out those facts in paragraph 9.

Do I need a lawyer to file for custody in Berks County?

No. The county says you are "not required to have a Lawyer," while calling one "HIGHLY RECOMMENDED" and warning that self-represented parties "are held to the same standards as attorneys." The forms are free on the county and state court sites, and court staff can tell you whether a form is complete but not what to write in it.

Sources

• Family Court: Custody, Custody and Divorce Self-Help, Family Court home, and Resource Links and Referral Lists: the county's description of conciliation and exceptions, the forms list, filing office, service rules, the e-filing note, legal-help contacts, and the stale fee-bill link.
• Berks County Prothonotary: address, phone, hours, holiday closures, CourtPro announcement, returned-check resolution, current fee bill link.
• Prothonotary Fee Bill, effective 9/28/2026: custody complaint and modification fee, foreign custody order, transfer, reinstatement, copies, certification, subpoena and contempt lines; the custody-in-divorce surcharge; conversion fee, card fee, returned-check charge.
• CourtPro eFiling with Registration guide, 9/24/2026 and Filings Not Available for E-File, amended 4/01/2019: the two county documents that disagree on self-represented e-filing.
• Berks forms: Custody Complaint, Scheduling Order with Notice of Custody Factors, Criminal Record/Abuse History Verification, Family Court Cover Sheet, Petition for Modification, Affidavit of Service by Personal Service, Certificate of Addresses, Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, Affidavit of Accountability, IFP Forms and Instructions, Family, Praecipe to Withdraw packet, Can and Cannot list, Family Court Practice Tips, Self Help Instructions, 2022.
• Court referral lists: Custody Evaluators, Parenting Coordinators, Supervised Visitation Providers, Agencies and Their Services.
• Berks County Rules of Civil Procedure: local rules 207.1 (presenting petitions; emergency motions judge), 1915.3 (complaint, three copies, scheduling order, Children in the Middle order, caption), 1915.5 (conference as the hearing), 1915.7 (consent order), 1915.8 (evaluators), 1915.11 (guardian ad litem), 1915.11-1 (parenting coordination, fees), 1915.17 (relocation scheduling order), 1915.26 through 1915.33 (conciliation, nonappearance, exceptions, pre-trial, notice, appendices, continuances), 1920.31 and 1920.32 (custody claims in divorce), 1940.1 through 1940.10 (voluntary mediation).
• Children in the Middle, Family Guidance Center: class length, who may attend, address and phone.
• Custody Proceedings, Unified Judicial System and the linked forms: Complaint for Custody, Entry of Appearance, Form 3 verification, Form 4 petition to modify, Form 6 contempt petition, Form 8 relocation notice, Form 10 counter-affidavit, IFP petition, Acceptance of Service, Affidavit of Service by Certified Mail.
• 23 Pa.C.S. § 5322, § 5323, § 5324, § 5325, § 5327, § 5328, § 5329, § 5337, § 5338, § 5402, § 5421: definitions, awards, standing, presumptions, factors, convictions, relocation, modification, home state, jurisdiction.
• Pa.R.C.P. 1915.1, 1915.2, 1915.3, 1915.3-1, 1915.3-2, 1915.4, 1915.4-3, 1915.5, 1915.11, 1915.12, 1915.13, 1915.15, 1915.17, and 1930.4: scope, complaint, withdrawal, verification, deadlines, non-record proceedings, counterclaims, the child's attorney and interview, contempt, special relief, forms, relocation, service.
• Berks County Bar Association: Find a Lawyer and MidPenn Legal Services locations and home page: referral service, Modest Means Program, legal aid contact and intake hours.

Prothonotary's Office: Berks County Courthouse, 2nd Floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601; 610-478-6970; Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; closed federal holidays, Good Friday, General Election Day, and the day after Thanksgiving. Family Court Administration and the Custody Office: Berks County Services Center, 7th Floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601; 610-478-6208, ext. 5770; fax 610-478-4995; Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Children in the Middle: Family Guidance Center, 1105 Berkshire Blvd., Suite 110, Wyomissing, PA 19610; 610-374-4963.