What to Expect at Your First Custody Conciliation in Allegheny County

Most Allegheny County custody cases pass through conciliation before any contested hearing. The conciliation process is informal compared to a courtroom, but its outcomes are binding when memorialized in a consent order. Here is what actually happens, and how to prepare.

The basic structure

An Allegheny County custody conciliation is a meeting facilitated by a Custody Conciliator — an attorney appointed to help parties reach a custody agreement before contested litigation. The meeting takes place at the Allegheny County Family Court building. Both parents attend, both parents' attorneys attend, and the conciliator runs the meeting. There is no judge, no testimony under oath, and no court reporter.

The goal is to produce a written custody agreement — called a consent order — that resolves legal custody, physical custody, schedule, and any specific terms the parties need (holiday rotation, transportation, communication protocols, etc.). When the parties sign the consent order, it becomes a court order with full enforcement weight.

How conciliation gets scheduled

After a custody complaint or motion is filed, the case is assigned to a conciliator and a conciliation date is scheduled. The typical wait is several weeks to a few months depending on docket conditions. Both parties receive notice of the date by mail. Continuance requests are possible but disfavored without good cause.

If a parent has a pending PFA matter, an emergency custody motion, or other circumstances that require expedited handling, the schedule may be accelerated. Emergency custody is a separate procedural track.

What to bring

• Photo ID for security check
• Calendar — both parents' work schedules, kids' school and activity schedules, holiday calendar
• Existing court orders if any (PFA, prior custody order, divorce decree)
• Documentation the conciliator might want to see — school records, doctor records, communication records if relevant
• Names and ages of children and any specific medical, educational, or developmental needs

Your attorney should provide a more specific list based on the facts of your case.

What the conciliator does

The conciliator is not the parents' advocate or the children's advocate. The role is to facilitate agreement. A typical conciliation might:

1. Begin with a joint session where both parents and counsel are in one room and the conciliator outlines the issues
2. Move to caucus — the conciliator meets with each parent and their counsel separately to explore positions
3. Shuttle proposals between the rooms
4. Reconvene jointly to memorialize agreement on points where consensus has been reached

An experienced conciliator knows when to push parties toward compromise and when to acknowledge that agreement is not possible. A typical conciliation runs 1–3 hours.

Possible outcomes

Three outcomes are common:

Full agreement. Both parents agree to all terms. A consent order is drafted, signed, and filed with the court. The case effectively concludes at the agreement (subject to future modification petitions).

Partial agreement. The parents agree on major points (legal custody, primary physical custody) but not on specific schedule details. A partial consent order may be entered, with remaining issues to be decided at a later hearing.

No agreement. The case proceeds to a custody hearing or trial. The conciliator may file a recommendation with the court, but the actual decision rests with the judge after testimony and evidence.

How an experienced lawyer changes the outcome

Three things experienced counsel does at conciliation that pro se parents often cannot:

1. Frame proposals around the statutory custody factors. A schedule proposal grounded in 23 Pa.C.S. § 5328(a) reasoning — 12 factors under Act 11 of 2025 for cases filed on or after August 29, 2025, or 16 factors for earlier cases — carries more weight with the conciliator than a proposal grounded in personal preference.

2. Identify and concede the unwinnable. Conceding three minor points to win one major one is the kind of trade an experienced lawyer recognizes immediately. The pro se parent often holds firm on everything and loses leverage on what matters.

3. Read the room. Conciliators have predictable patterns. The lawyer who has appeared before this conciliator dozens of times reads the signals about what positions will move and which will not.

What to do next

If you have a custody conciliation scheduled in Allegheny County, the time to retain counsel is now — not the day of the meeting. Preparation matters. The Law Offices of Scott L. Levine offer a free phone consultation for custody matters at 412.303.9566.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens at an Allegheny County custody conciliation?

A Custody Conciliator (an attorney appointed by the court) facilitates a meeting between both parents and their attorneys with the goal of reaching a consent order on custody. The meeting is informal — no judge, no testimony — and typically runs 1 to 3 hours. Most Allegheny County custody cases resolve at or near conciliation.

Do I need a lawyer for custody conciliation in Pittsburgh?

Strongly advisable. Conciliation outcomes become consent orders with full enforcement weight. An experienced Pittsburgh custody lawyer frames proposals around the 16 statutory custody factors, recognizes which trades are worth making, and reads the conciliator's patterns in ways pro se parents typically cannot.

How long does a custody conciliation take?

Typical conciliations run 1 to 3 hours, though complex cases can be longer. The conciliator usually starts in a joint session, then caucuses with each side separately, shuttling proposals until either agreement is reached or impasse is declared.

Can I bring my child to a custody conciliation?

No. Conciliations are between the parents and their counsel only. Children are not present. If the conciliator wants to hear from the children, that occurs through a separate process (typically an in camera interview by the judge, not at conciliation).