Armstrong County
Custody Information
In order to begin a custody action a complaint must be filed in the Court of Common Pleas. If the custody problem qualifies as an emergency case, then Laurel Legal Services, Inc. may file the complaint on your behalf if you qualify for services, or you may have a private attorney do this. After the complaint is filed a conciliation conference will be set up. Prior to the conference the opposing party must be served. There is no hearing officer at the conference. The goal of the conciliation conference is to reach a mutual settlement. Every child over the age of nine and all parents are required to watch a video called Children in the Middle. If the conciliation conference fails to produce a settlement the next steps are mediation and possibly a hearing. If a final custody arrangement is not established at the conciliation conference, the parties, their attorneys and the court try to fashion a temporary settlement that will remain in effect until mediation and/or the hearing.
If an agreement is reached through mediation, then an order will be drafted including the custody terms. If a settlement is not reached at mediation, the case proceeds to a full hearing before the court. Psychological evaluations and home evaluations can be ordered. Psychological Evaluations can take several months to complete. The evaluations start at around $500 per person. Child(ren) and Youth Services (CYS) for Armstrong County will provide home studies for Armstrong County residents who reside in Armstrong County, and fees are calculated on a sliding scale, based on the parties income. People who reside outside of Armstrong County but require evaluations may have to use another agency, and the costs are determined by that agency. The fees of an evaluation cannot be waived. A hearing is the final stage in a custody action if the conciliation conference and mediation both fail.