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COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS - CUMBERLAND COUNTY
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER
AND NOW, this 3/ day of May, 2012, the Cumberland County Court of
Common Pleas having recognized that Section 5323 of the Domestic Relations Code requires
that all custody orders include a provision notifying a party's obligations regarding relocation set
forth in Section 5337, it is hereby directed as follows:
a) In all custody actions involving a stipulated custody agreement submitted to
the court for approval, the proposed custody order shall include a Notice
Regarding Relocation provision. Said notification provision shall be (1) in the
format set forth in Form 1, attached to the parties' proposed order and incorporated
therein, or (2) set forth as a separate paragraph in the proposed order, in a form
substantially similar to the following:
RELOCATION. No party shall be permitted to
relocate the residence of the child which
significantly impairs the ability to exercise custody
unless every individual who has custodial rights to
the child consents to the proposed relocation or the
court approves the proposed relocation. A person
proposing to relocate MUST comply with 23 Pa.
C.S. § 5337.
This order shall take effect July 1, 2012, or thirty (30) days from the date of publication
in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
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BY THE COURT,
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Hess, P. J.
FORM 1
RELOCATION:
Relocation is defined as a change in residence of the child which significantly impairs the
ability of a non-relocating party to exercise custodial rights. No relocation shall occur unless
every individual who has custody rights to the child consents to the proposed relocation or
the court approves the proposed relocation. If a party seeks to relocate, that party shall notify
every other individual who has custody rights to the child. Both parties must follow the
statutory requirements contained in 23 Pa.C.S. § 5337. Specifically, the relocating party
must notify every other individual who has custody rights to the child by certified mail,
return receipt requested. The notice must then comply with the following requirements:
a. Notice must be sent no later than:
(1) the 60`x' day before the date of the proposed relocation.
(2) the 10`" day after the date that the individual knows of the relocation if
the individual did not know and could not reasonably know of the
relocation in sufficient time to comply with the 60 day notice requirement
and it is not reasonably possible to delay the date of relocation so as to
comply with the 60 day notice requirement.
b. Unless otherwise excused by law, the following information must be included in
the notice:
(1) the address of the intended new residence.
(2) the mailing address, if not the same as the address of the intended new
residence.
(3) names and ages of the individuals in the new residence, including
individuals who intend to live in the new residence.
(4) the home telephone number of the intended new residence, if
applicable.
(5) the name of the new school district and school.
(6) the date of the proposed relocation.
(7) the reason(s) for the proposed relocation.
(8) a proposal for a revised custody schedule.
(9) any other information which the party proposing the relocation deems
appropriate.
(10) a counter-affidavit as provided under subsection (d)(1) which can be
used to object to the proposed relocation and modification of a
custody Order.
(11) a warning to the non-relocating party that, if the non-relocating party
does not file with the court an objection to the proposed relocation
within 30 days after receipt of notice, non-relocating party shall be
foreclosed from objecting to the relocation.
C. If any of the aforementioned information is not known when the notice is sent but
is later made known to the party seeking the relocation, then that parry shall
promptly inform every individual who received notice.
d. If the non-relocating parent objects to the proposed move, he/she must do so by
filing the counter-affidavit with the court and the other party within 30 days. The
notice of objection to the opposing party must be sent by certified mail, return
receipt requested. If no objection is made in the manner set forth above then it
shall be presumed that the non-relocating parent has consented to the proposed
relocation and the court will not accept testimony challenging the relocation in
any further review of the custodial arrangements.
e. The court shall hold an expedited full hearing on the proposed relocation after a
timely objection has been filed and before relocation occurs. The court may permit
relocation before a full hearing if the court finds that exigent circumstances exist.