Butler Cnty. C.P. Family Motion Court Procedure

Family Division Motion Court Procedure

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY*

1. Assigned Judges:

Judge Robinson and Judge McCune are currently assigned to the Court’s Family

Division. Cases are assigned to them alphabetically, based upon the first letter of the

male party's last name. Cases in which both parties are of the same sex, will be

assigned based upon the first letter of the Defendant's last name. Cases are assigned

as follows:

Judge McCune – A-K Judge Robinson – L-Z

2. Motion Court Cover Sheet:

ALL MOTIONS/PETITIONS MUST HAVE A COMPLETED COVER SHEET ATTACHED

TO THEM.

Attorneys/self-represented parties must attempt to communicate with the opposing

attorney/self-represented party about the issue(s) raised in the M otion/Petition and

determine whether the relief requested can be agreed upon and check the appropriate

box on the cover sheet.

3. Consented-to Motions/Petitions and Proposed Consent Orders:

Consented-to Motions/Petitions and proposed Consent Orders, can be filed with the court

in several ways: They can be (1) presented to the assigned judge in that judge’s motion

court; (2) mailed to the assigned judge’s chambers, or (3) filed with the appropriate filing

office, such as the Prothonotary or Domestic Relations Office. A proposed consent order

must have a motion attached to it, explaining the reason for the proposed order.

4. Opposed Motions/Petitions:

Opposed Motions/Petitions must be pr esented to the assigned judge in Motion Court. If

a Motion/Petition is not consented-to, a copy of the Motion/P etition must be provided to

the opposing attorney/self-represented party. This must be done five (5) business days

prior to the day that th e Motion/Petition will be presented to the judge. On the day the

Motion/Petition is to be presented to the judge, the attorney/self-represented party must

appear with the original Motion/Petition in the assigned judge’s courtroom, prior to the

* The Court’s Memorandum of April 26, 2021 regarding Family Division Motions/Petitions, and

the Family Court Motion Court Practice (2015) previously set forth on the Prothonotary’s web

page, are hereby rescinded.

start of the judge's Motion Court. A sign-in sheet will be on one of the counsel tables,

along with a container in which to place the Motion/Petition. Please complete the sign-in

sheet and place the Motion/Petition in the container. Afterward, please be seated in the

gallery portion of the courtroom, until the case is called. Motions/Petitions will be heard in

the order they are listed on the sign-in sheet. If you wish to discuss the case with the

opposing attorney/self-represented party, please leave the courtroom to do so.

Statements to the judge are to be made from counsel table. Please do not approach the

bench, unless requested by the judge to do so.

5. Emergency Motions/Petitions:

The five (5) business day notice period required, prior to presenting a Motion/Petition to

the judge, allows for attorneys/self-represented parties to have a reasonable opportunity

to review a Motion or Petition and be prepared to attend court and respond to it. For this

reason, an “Emergency” Motion/Petition presented to the judge without providing five (5)

business days advance notice of presentation to the opposing attorney/self-represented

party must be designated an “Emergency” Motion and will be scrutinized carefully.

To be heard by the judge, an "Emergency” Motion/Petition must state in the

Motion/Petition that irreparable harm will, MORE LIKELY THAN NOT, occur unless the

judge hears and addresses the Motion/Petition immediately, and prior to the judge's next

regularly-scheduled Motion Court.

An “Emergency” Motion/Petition which cannot wait to be presented to the judge in that

judge’s regularly scheduled Motion Court, must be delivered to the Prothonotary’s Office,

who will immediately deliver the Motion/Petition to the assigned judge for review. Notice

of presentation and a copy of the Motion/Petition must be given in advance, to the

opposing attorney/self-represented party and the date, time and manner that this notice

was given must be stated on the Motion Court cover sheet. The reason why the matter is

an emergency must be stated clearly in the Motion/Petition. Telephone number(s) and

email address(es) of the opposing attorney/self-represented party must be stated on the

Motion Court cover sheet. The assigned judge will review the Motion/Petition and

determine whether it truly appears to be an emergency. If determined by the judge to be

an emergency, the judge's staff will arrange for oral argument/hearing on the

Motion/Petition, as soon as possible. This may, at the judge’s sole discretion, be by

telephone or in-person.

Updated 1-2-2026

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF BUTLER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

: FC #:

: DRS DOCKET #:

: PACSES #:

v.

I. Notice

You are hereby notified that the attached matter will be presented to assigned

Judge on at in their Motion Court.

II. Certificate of Notice/Service

I gave prior notice of presentation and a copy of this document to:

on at by:

Electronic Mail Fax Mail Other:

Judge Assignment:

Judge Robinson Judge McCune Other

_________________________________________________________________________________________

SELECT ONE: *A box must be selected*

Concerning the within request for relief, the opposing party:

OPPOSES CONSENTS

I certify that all of the above statements are true and correct.

Date: Signature: _________________________________

Counsel for:

Family-Court-Motion-Court-Cover-Sheet.pdf 1/2/26