Rule 1915.9 No Default Judgment

In custody cases, a judge cannot automatically rule against someone just because they missed a deadline or failed to respond to a filing. Both parents get a chance to be heard, even if one side has been slow or unresponsive in the case.

This means that if the other parent does not answer your custody complaint, you cannot simply "win" the case without going before a judge. The court will still require a hearing or some review before making any custody decision.