PA Forms: Three Captions, Three Jobs
Pennsylvania custody paperwork punishes parents who treat every crisis like a brand-new emergency. This entry page separates starting a case, changing an order when life moved, and enforcing an order someone will not follow. Pick the job, open the right leaf page, then confirm county filing rules with the Court of Common Pleas that actually receives the packet.
If you are still choosing among modification, parenting time, support, or enforcement lanes, start with the Pennsylvania hub procedure overviews first; this page is the checklist and official-links index.
Start
Complaint for custody
You need the court to establish custody terms for the first time in this file.
Open complaint lane →Change
Form 4: modify custody order
Material change, new schedule, relocation facts, or authority shift worth a new order.
Open modification lane →Enforce
Form 6: civil contempt
Written order is specific; violations are patterned and provable.
Open enforcement lane →When parents pick the wrong lane
- Modification story filed as a wall of grievances with no dated change facts.
- Enforcement story that is really a stealth redesign of the whole calendar.
- Initial complaint energy when an order already exists and the fight is compliance.
General support (not Pennsylvania-specific)
Cross-topic tools. For lane choice under Pennsylvania law, use the Pennsylvania hub; this section stays checklist-first.
Official orientation
FAQ
Why does Pennsylvania feel like "three different lawsuits" for one bad month?
Because starting custody, changing an order, and enforcing an order are different asks with different proof postures. County practice adds cover sheets and portals on top. If you file the emotional volume of all three under one caption, you look unfocused before the merits start.
I keep getting denied weekends. Is that automatically "contempt"?
Sometimes it is enforcement-shaped: clear order language plus patterned missed time. Sometimes the order is vague or the real fight is a redesign of the schedule, which can be modification-shaped. If you cannot quote the line that was broken, you are not ready to sound enforcement-certain.
Where does county actually matter?
At filing: fees, copies, service, e-filing accounts, and local procedural quirks. Statewide PDFs and self-help pages orient you; the clerk tells you what gets accepted this week.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-03
MyCustodyCoach is not a law firm. Court rules, fees, and form versions change by county; confirm what applies to your case with official court resources or counsel you hire.