Rule 1920.62 Proceedings by Indigent Parties

If you can't afford the filing fees for a divorce or annulment case, you can ask the court to waive those costs. This is called proceeding "in forma pauperis," which basically means the court lets you move forward with your case without paying the usual fees because you don't have the money.

To do this, you follow the same process that applies to other civil cases in Pennsylvania, which is spelled out in a separate court rule (Pa.R.J.A. 1990, which points to Rule 240). You'll need to fill out a specific form telling the court about your financial situation. The court used to have a separate, less detailed process just for divorce and annulment cases, but that was dropped years ago to keep things simple. Now everyone uses the same standard form and process, whether their case is about divorce or something else.

This matters because going through a divorce already costs money for things like court filings, and if you're struggling financially, this rule gives you a way to ask the court for a break on those costs.