Lehigh County Family Court Records - Allentown, Pennsylvania
Lehigh County family court records are maintained by Prothonotary Mikaela Santana at the 31st Judicial District Court of Common Pleas in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Lehigh County Prothonotary handles all family court filings including divorce, custody, support, and Protection from Abuse cases, accessible through the county's Odyssey Public Access system. The courthouse is located at 455 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101. You can also search Lehigh County family court records through the statewide UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us, or contact the Prothonotary at 610-782-3148 for in-person access.
Lehigh County Quick Facts
Lehigh County Family Court System
The Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas is part of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System under 42 Pa.C.S. § 301. Lehigh County is located in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, with Allentown serving as both the county seat and the largest city in the Lehigh Valley. The 31st Judicial District handles all family law matters for Lehigh County residents including divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, Protection from Abuse orders, adoption, guardianship, name changes, and paternity actions.
Lehigh County family court proceedings are governed by Title 23 Pa.C.S. Domestic Relations. Custody determinations in Lehigh County are based on the best interests of the child standard, with sixteen statutory factors considered by the court. Support orders follow the Pennsylvania Support Guidelines, which calculate obligations based on both parents' combined net monthly income. The Lehigh County Court applies these statewide rules alongside the court's own local procedural orders, which are available through the court's website.
Prothonotary Mikaela Santana leads the Lehigh County Prothonotary's office at 455 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101. The office can be reached at 610-782-3148. The Prothonotary is responsible for receiving all civil and family court filings, maintaining the official docket, storing case files, and providing certified copies of court orders and decrees. Lehigh County uses the Odyssey case management system, which provides the framework for its public access records system.
The statewide UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us also includes Lehigh County cases in its free public docket search. This is a useful starting point for identifying case numbers before using the Odyssey system or contacting the Prothonotary. The Lehigh County courts website at lehighcounty.org/Departments/Courts provides additional information about court services in Allentown.
Note: Call the Lehigh County Prothonotary at 610-782-3148 to verify the current date coverage of the Odyssey Public Access system and whether your specific case type is available through the online system.
Lehigh County Family Court Records Access
Lehigh County provides access to family court records through the Odyssey Public Access system. Pennsylvania Bar Association members can register for free access. Non-attorneys pay an annual subscription fee of $300 for access to the Odyssey system. Coverage varies and may differ by case type and filing date, so contact the Prothonotary at 610-782-3148 to verify what is available online before purchasing a subscription.
Under 204 Pa. Code § 213.81, the Pennsylvania Public Access Policy governs remote access to court records. Dockets, orders, and published opinions are accessible remotely through authorized systems. Full case documents including pleadings, financial affidavits, custody evaluations, and exhibits may require an in-person visit to the Lehigh County Courthouse at 455 W. Hamilton Street or a written mail request to the Prothonotary. Certified copies require an in-person visit or mail request regardless of what the Odyssey system provides online.
The free statewide UJS Case Search at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch is available to all users without a subscription and shows basic docket information for Lehigh County family court cases. Use the UJS Portal first to identify the docket number before subscribing to Odyssey or visiting the Allentown courthouse. For in-person access, the Prothonotary's office at 455 W. Hamilton Street is open during regular courthouse business hours.
The Lehigh County Prothonotary page shown below describes the office's services and provides contact information for accessing family court records in Allentown.
The Lehigh County Prothonotary page at lehighcounty.org/Departments/Prothonotary provides details about Mikaela Santana's office, the Odyssey access system, and procedures for obtaining family court records in Allentown.
Types of Family Court Records in Lehigh County
Lehigh County family court records encompass all domestic relations proceedings filed at the 31st Judicial District Court of Common Pleas in Allentown. The Prothonotary maintains civil family case files including divorce, custody, support, and PFA records. Each case is assigned a docket number at filing and tracked through the Odyssey case management system. The Lehigh County Courthouse serves a large and diverse population in the Lehigh Valley region.
Divorce records in Lehigh County include the complaint in divorce, affidavit of consent or separation, any marital settlement agreement, and the final divorce decree. Certified copies of the decree are available from the Prothonotary for legal purposes such as name changes and remarriage. Child custody records contain the custody complaint, temporary and emergency orders, any custody evaluation or Guardian ad Litem report, and the final custody order addressing both legal and physical custody. Support records document income submissions, the original support order, and all modifications over the course of the case.
Protection from Abuse records in Lehigh County reflect the complete PFA process. Emergency orders can be obtained on the day of the petition, with a final hearing scheduled within ten business days. Final PFA orders are forwarded to the Pennsylvania State Police for the statewide registry. Adoption records are sealed under Pennsylvania law and require a court order for access. Name change petitions, guardianship records, and paternity actions are filed through the Court of Common Pleas and maintained by the Prothonotary in Allentown. Juvenile dependency and delinquency cases are handled by the Clerk of Courts under separate access restrictions.
- Divorce and legal separation proceedings
- Child custody and visitation orders
- Child support and spousal support cases
- Protection from Abuse (PFA) orders
- Adoption and guardianship records
- Name change petitions
- Paternity actions
Lehigh County Prothonotary Office
Prothonotary Mikaela Santana leads the Lehigh County Prothonotary's office at 455 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania. The office phone number is 610-782-3148. The Prothonotary is the civil clerk for all 31st Judicial District Court of Common Pleas proceedings and is responsible for receiving filings, maintaining the Odyssey case management docket, storing case files, and providing certified copies of court orders and decrees to authorized requestors.
To access Lehigh County family court records, start with the free UJS Portal to find the case number, then contact the Prothonotary at 610-782-3148 to determine whether the specific records you need are available through the Odyssey Public Access system. For Odyssey access, Pennsylvania Bar Association members register for free while non-attorneys pay $300 per year. In-person access is available at 455 W. Hamilton Street during business hours. For mail requests, include party names, filing year, docket number, and payment for copy fees.
The Lehigh County courts page shown below provides an overview of all court divisions and services available to Allentown and Lehigh County residents at the 31st Judicial District.
The Lehigh County courts page at lehighcounty.org/Departments/Courts describes all court divisions handling family law matters in Allentown and provides links to court resources including the Prothonotary and Odyssey access information.
| Court |
Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas 31st Judicial District Prothonotary: Mikaela Santana 455 W. Hamilton Street Allentown, PA 18101 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 610-782-3148 |
| Records Access | Odyssey Public Access: PA Bar members free, non-attorneys $300/year; in-person at courthouse |
| Website | lehighcounty.org/Departments/Prothonotary |
The Lehigh County government website shown below connects residents to all county departments including the Prothonotary's office and the Odyssey records access system.
The Lehigh County government website at lehighcounty.org provides links to all county offices including the Prothonotary at 455 W. Hamilton Street in Allentown, PA.
Legal Help for Lehigh County Family Court Cases
Lehigh County residents involved in family court proceedings have access to robust legal assistance resources in the Allentown area. Free legal services, self-help forms, and attorney referrals are available to help residents navigate divorce, custody, support, and PFA proceedings in the 31st Judicial District.
Pennsylvania Legal Aid serves Lehigh County through offices in the Allentown area. Visit palegalaid.net to find the appropriate office and apply for free legal assistance. Legal aid handles custody disputes, PFA applications, support modifications, and divorce matters for income-qualifying individuals in Lehigh County. The Temple Law Pennsylvania Family Court Research Guide provides comprehensive online coverage of Pennsylvania family court procedures, applicable statutes, and record access policies relevant to the Lehigh County system.
Downloadable court forms for custody, support, PFA, and divorce proceedings are available at pacourts.us/forms. These statewide standardized forms are accepted by the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. The Pennsylvania Bar Association lawyer referral service at (800) 692-7375 can connect Lehigh County residents with family law attorneys practicing in Allentown and the Lehigh Valley region. Under 65 P.S. § 67.101, Lehigh County residents may also use the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law to request access to public court records.
Note: Lehigh County residents in Bethlehem, which spans both Lehigh and Northampton counties, should confirm their address is within Lehigh County jurisdiction before filing family court cases at the Allentown courthouse.
Cities in Lehigh County
Lehigh County includes Allentown and several surrounding municipalities. Allentown is the county seat where all family court cases are filed at the 31st Judicial District Court of Common Pleas. Bethlehem spans both Lehigh and Northampton counties.
Nearby Counties
Lehigh County is located in the Lehigh Valley and borders several Pennsylvania counties. Family court jurisdiction is determined by residence at the time of filing, so verify the correct county before seeking records or initiating new proceedings.