I. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING A DIVORCE COMPLAINT AND A
NOTICE TO DEFEND AND CLAIM RIGHTS
A. Filling out the Caption
The caption is the top part of page one of the Complaint and on each legal
document you will need to file in the divorce. The names of the parties, the docket
number, the type of Complaint and the court's name are found here.
The Plaintiff is you since you are filing this action. Type or print your full, legal
name, including middle initial, above the word "Plaintiff" in the caption of the
Complaint and the Notice to Defend and Claim Rights.
The Defendant is your spouse (husband or wife). Fill in the Defendant's full, legal
name, including middle initial, above the word "Defendant" in the Complaint and Notice
to Defend and Claim Rights.
Fill in the current year.
YOU MUST COMPLETE THE CAPTION ON EVERY FORM YOU FILE. THE
DOCKET NUMBER WILL BE PROVIDED TO YOU BY THE PROTHONOTARY WHEN
YOU FILE THE COMPLAINT AND MUST BE IN EVERY CAPTION.
B. The following instructions correspond to each numbered paragraph in the
Divorce Complaint.
1. Fill in your full, legal name including the middle initial, your full mailing
address (street, number, route, box number, town, county, state and zip code), and the
month and year you began living at this address.
2. Fill in the Defendant's full, legal name including the middle initial, the
Defendant's full mailing address (street, number, route, box number, town, county, state
and zip code), and the month and year your spouse began living at this address.
3. There is nothing to complete in this paragraph. It is a statement indicating
that you have resided in Pennsylvania for at least six months before filing the divorce
Complaint.
4. Fill in the complete date of your marriage (month, date and year) and the
city, county and state in which you were married.
5. If there has never been another divorce filed during this marriage, write
the word "none." If there was an action filed in the past, write the docket number, the
county in which the divorce Complaint was filed, who filed the action and what
happened with the action (withdrawn, dismissed, etc.).
Sign the Complaint using your full, legal name and put in the date.