Allegheny County's Role in The Custody System

Allegheny County's Role in
Custody Matters.

http://www.alleghenycourts.us/family/default.asp

The site in Allegheny County describes its role
as follows:

"The mission of the Family Division is to resolve
family legal issues in a user-friendly forum which
maximizes access to the Court, and best
addresses the important and unique needs of
children and families.

Allegheny County Family Division (Adult and
Juvenile Sections) is proud to be a Unified
Family Court. Our Court combines all elements
of the traditional juvenile court functions
(delinquency and probation, child protection and
dependency, domestic violence, termination of
parental rights, adoptions, mental health
hearings, etc., in the Juvenile Section) and adult
family court functions (child and spousal support,
divorce and equitable distribution, child custody,
domestic violence, etc., in the Adult Section) into
one system.

In December 2002, the Supreme Court of
Pennsylvania selected Allegheny County as a
“pilot county” to implement the unified family
court model. This “model” is outlined by the
Supreme Court Domestic Relations Procedural
Rules Committee in Recommendation 55, which
became Rule 1931 of the Pennsylvania Rules of
Civil Procedure when it was promulgated by the
Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Our Court’s
ultimate goal is stated in the introduction to
Recommendation 55: “to make it easier for the
public to gain access to the family court system
and to ensure that family matters are concluded
fairly and expeditiously.”

The new rule outlines procedures for the entry of
consent custody agreements, unified docketing,
consolidation of family court matters, prompt
decisions, and continuing education for family
court personnel in areas including domestic
violence, child development, family dynamics,
addictions and treatments, asset valuation, and
community resources. While this rule focuses
primarily on the Adult Section of the Family
Court, many organizations including the
American Bar Association, National Council of
Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and our own
Family Court judges have long recognized that
there is a connection between and among
parties who are involved in legal matters in both
the adult and juvenile sections of the Court, as
well as issues that cross the various systems.

Our judges, anticipating the Pennsylvania
Supreme Court rules changes and the need to
more directly address matters affecting families
and children involved in multiple systems within
the Family Division, created a third senior
administrative office in April 2001, the Office of
Court Services for Children. We have also
implemented numerous cross-systems
procedures and programs designed to promote
the most efficient use of Family Court resources
and provide a less fragmented court experience
for children and families.

Moving forward, we remain committed to
engaging in a collaborative process with other
court systems, the bar, government agencies
including the Department of Human Services,
treatment providers, consumers, experts in child
development, family dynamics, mental health,
substance abuse, and other stakeholders as we
continue to evolve as a Unified Family Court.