Rule Text
When original process in an action for support is served within the Commonwealth by an official of the domestic relations section, that official shall send the defendant
(1) A copy of the complaint and order by ordinary mail. A defendant who attends the hearing in person shall be deemed to have been served; or
(2) two copies of the complaint and order, one by any form of mail requiring a receipt signed by the defendant, and one by ordinary mail. Service by mail is complete upon the return of the receipt personally signed by the defendant or other evidence of service satisfactory to the court. A defendant who attends the hearing in person shall be deemed to have been served.
Amendment history: The provisions of this Rule 411 adopted July 5, 1985, effective January 1, 1986, 15 Pa.B. 2452; rescinded June 14, 1999, effective September 1, 1999, 29 Pa.B. 3191. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (256957). (Editor’s Note: The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania suspended its order of June 14, 1999, published at 29 Pa.B. 3191 (June 26, 1999). See 29 Pa.B. 4859 (September 18, 1999).)
Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)
This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
In a support case in Pennsylvania, a domestic relations official handles serving the defendant with court papers. The defendant gets a copy of the complaint and court order by regular mail. If the defendant shows up to the hearing in person, that counts as being served, even if they never got the papers in the mail.
The official can also choose to send two copies of the papers. One copy goes by certified or tracked mail that needs the defendant's signature, and the other goes by regular mail. Service is complete once the signed receipt comes back, or the court accepts other proof that the defendant got the papers. Again, showing up to the hearing in person also counts as valid service.
Committee Notes
For general provisions governing service in an action for support, see Rules 400(b)(2), 402 and 404.
The rules governing service in support actions are only applicable when the venue provisions of Support Rule 1910.2 have been met. Otherwise, the action must proceed under the inter-county provisions of Sections 6712 and 6773 of the Judicial Code, 42 Pa.C.S. § § 6712 and 6773, or the interstate provision of Section 6754 of the Judicial Code, 42 Pa.C.S. § 6754.
