Pennsylvania Filing Fees and Fee Waivers

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Filing a family case in Pennsylvania normally carries a fee. Divorce filing fee: ~$200-$350 by county. Fees are set locally and change, so treat any figure as a starting point and confirm the current amount with your clerk.

Not being able to pay does not close the courthouse door. Every state has a way to ask a judge to waive or defer the fee, usually by filing a short sworn statement about your income and expenses. The official Pennsylvania documents for that request are below.

Official Pennsylvania fee resources

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Pennsylvania family law forms (official index) (Pennsylvania judicial branch): The official statewide collection of Pennsylvania family law forms. When a direct document link stops working, this index is where the current version lives. https://www.pacourts.us/forms/for-the-public

Pennsylvania court self-help resources (Pennsylvania courts self-help): Official self-help information for people handling their own Pennsylvania family case, including instructions and plain-language guides. https://www.palawhelp.org

PA Courts of Common Pleas by county (Pennsylvania judicial branch): Find the courthouse or clerk that serves your area, with locations and contact details. https://www.pacourts.us/courts/courts-of-common-pleas

Pennsylvania official filing information (Pennsylvania judicial branch): The court's own page explaining how documents are filed in Pennsylvania and what a parent without a lawyer is allowed to do. https://www.pacourts.us/

Verified official Pennsylvania fee waiver documents

These official documents are how you ask a Pennsylvania court to waive or defer a filing fee.

Court of Common Pleas – Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Fee Waiver), official document: https://www.pacourts.us/Storage/media/pdfs/20210515/215517-file-6679.pdf

Magisterial District Court – In Forma Pauperis Affidavit Petition (Fee Waiver), official document: https://www.pacourts.us/Storage/media/pdfs/20210515/215527-file-6680.pdf

Official link data for Pennsylvania was last verified June 2026. Report anything outdated through our contact page and we will re-check the official source.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to file a family case in Pennsylvania?

Divorce filing fee: ~$200-$350 by county. If you cannot afford the fee, ask the clerk about a fee waiver or indigency application; every state has a process for requesting one.

Will asking for a fee waiver hurt my case?

No. The fee waiver request goes to the question of what you can afford, not to the merits of your case. Courts handle these routinely.

What if my waiver is denied?

Ask the clerk about paying in installments or deferring the fee. Practice varies by court, so ask before you assume the case cannot be filed.