Filing Fees

Most family law actions that will be filed include a filing fee for the initial complaint or pleading. A part of these filing fees go to fund the Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund (CTF). This fund has received approximately $40 million dollars from family law filing fees since inception. The initiative of the CTF is to prevent child abuse and neglect across the state. The main emphasis of CTF is to put prevention programs in place to decrease child abuse and neglect overall. The CTF grants its money to local community programs with the same initiatives. It is up to the respective community programs to apply with CTF to see if they are eligible for a grant. Currently, upwards of 280 community based programs across the state have received grants to aid in the fight against child abuse and neglect.

The PA CTF established a supporting organization, “Friends of the Children’s Trust Fund.” The goal of this supporting organization is to raise additional awareness and financial support for the mission of the CTF. The fund focuses on prevention because of the negative, and potentially long-term, impacts of abuse and neglect. Specifically, abuse and neglect is related to poor physical, mental, and emotional health, social difficulties and behavioral problems. There is also a corresponding economic impact in dealing with the aftermath of abuse and neglect making an even greater case for prevention as opposed to reaction. Many other states have similar funds to aid in the prevention of child abuse and maltreatment.

Please visit pactf.org for more information on the Children’s Trust Fund in Pennsylvania.