Publication Requirement The Pennsylvania statute directs that, filing of the petition, the court shall by “upon … order, direct that notice be given of the filing of the petition and of the date set for the hearing on the petition 54 Pa. C.S.A. § 701(a.1)(3)(ii). The statute further directs that the petitioner ….” must file the notice two newspapers of general circulation in the county where the petitioner “in resides or a county contiguous to that county. One of the publications may be in the official paper for the publication of legal notices in the county.” 54 Pa. C.S.A. § 701(a.1)(3)(ii)(A). The purpose of the publication requirement is to give notice of the hearing to parties who may wish to lawfully object to the name change. In Allegheny County, via the Order Scheduling Hearing on Name Change, the court sets the time and date for the hearing, and directs the petitioner to once in the Pittsburgh “advertise and once in a newspaper of general circulation in Allegheny County.” Legal Journal Allegheny County L.Cv.R. Form 505B(i) (emphasis added). Note the slight variance from the statute; by Allegheny County Local Civil Rule, publication is required in the Pittsburgh Legal (“PLJ”) and restricted to newspapers of general circulation the county. In Journal within Allegheny County, the publication requirement may be fulfilled by publishing in the and the PLJ mainly because representatives of both publications are available at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, courthouse in the Department of Court Records Wills/Orphans’ Court Division. A significantly cheaper alternative, however, is publishing in the Neighborhoods section of the Pittsburgh We do not recommend attempting to satisfy the publication requirement with Tribune-Review. any other newspapers. As stated above, clients are not exempt from the costs of publication, because they IFP are not court costs. The current fees for publication are as follows: $104, flat rate; Pittsburgh Journal:
Publication Requirement The Pennsylvania statute directs that, “upon filing of the petition, the court shall … by order, direct that notice be given of the filing of the petition and of the date set for the hearing on the petition ….” 54 Pa. C.S.A. § 701(a.1)(3)(ii). The statute further directs that the petitioner must file the notice “in two newspapers of general circulation in the county where the petitioner resides or a county contiguous to that county. One of the publications may be in the official paper for the publication of legal notices in the county.” 54 Pa. C.S.A. § 701(a.1)(3)(ii)(A). The purpose of the publication requirement is to give notice of the hearing to parties who may wish to lawfully object to the name change. In Allegheny County, via the Order Scheduling Hearing on Name Change, the court sets the time and date for the hearing, and directs the petitioner to “advertise once in the Pittsburgh Legal Journal and once in a newspaper of general circulation in Allegheny County.” Allegheny County L.Cv.R. Form 505B(i) (emphasis added). Note the slight variance from the statute; by Allegheny County Local Civil Rule, publication is required in the Pittsburgh Legal Journal (“PLJ”) and restricted to newspapers of general circulation within the county. In Allegheny County, the publication requirement may be fulfilled by publishing in the PLJ and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, mainly because representatives of both publications are available at the courthouse in the Department of Court Records Wills/Orphans’ Court Division. A significantly cheaper alternative, however, is publishing in the Neighborhoods section of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. We do not recommend attempting to satisfy the publication requirement with any other newspapers. As stated above, IFP clients are not exempt from the costs of publication, because they are not court costs. The current fees for publication are as follows: Pittsburgh Journal: $104, flat rate;
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