Custody and Support Hearing Officer

Job Description

This is an at-will position with assignment under the direction of the Administrative Judge of Family Court, supervising attorney(s), and other administrative superiors. This is highly professional legal work serving in the capacity of aHearing Officerwith the Domestic Relations Branch of Family Court, specifically to hear Child Support andChildCustody matters. The work is performed in a quasi-judicial setting and involves conducting formalconferences andhearings between parties, both married and non-married,some of whom are represented byattorneys. Theseproceedingsareconductedin accordance with the requirements of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedures governing custody and support, and other applicable law.

The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive, other duties may be required and assigned:

• Conductconferences andhearings involving parties engaged in Child Support and Custody litigation
• Schedules, hears,evaluates,and prepares formal recommendations for submission to the Court which requirereceiving documents andhearing testimony by plaintiff, defendant,andwitnesses,as well as arguments by counsel; examining said testimony and the evidence submitted; evaluating the information and filing a report with the Court
• Makes recommendations pertaining to entry of support and/or custody orders.
• May join support matter to custody matter to accept agreement of the parties who wish to concurrently resolve support issues where there are open support matters.

• Standard office conditions.
• Direct contact with diverse court clientele.

• Thorough knowledge of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure governing actions for Child Support and Custody.
• Thorough knowledge of statutory and case law relating to Child Custody and Child Support.
• Thorough knowledge of the proper conduct of hearings held in accordance with Pennsylvania laws.
• Thorough knowledge of the preparation of legal documents and court orders.
• Ability to exercise judgment and discretion in applying law to factual situations and support recommendations made by appropriate legal authority.
• Ability to fairly and objectively rule on a multitude of casesthat involve highly emotionalissues.
• Ability to present ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.

Qualifications

Candidates who aredeemed qualified but arenot selected for the position at hand maybe placed on an eligibility list for a period of one year for possible future consideration.

1. Minimum of five (5) consecutive years as a licensed attorney and ongoing membershipin good standing of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaniafor the duration ofemployment as a Custody and SupportHearing Officer.
2. Current and ongoing compliance with Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements mandated by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, as well as any and all other continuing educational requirements applicable to the position of Custody and SupportHearing Officer.
3. Minimum of five(5) years of experience with an active law practice including the field of domestic relations law, or as a judicial law clerk to a Family Court Judge or a court employed attorney in the Domestic RelationsBranch.
4. After meeting minimum application standards by a panel review, must complete an evaluation and interview process.
5. City residency required within six (6) months of satisfactory completion of an orientation period.
6. Ability to perform essential functions of the position.
7. Proof of Vaccination is required; requests for exemptions due to medical or religious reasons will be considered.

Additional Information

The First Judicial District is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the First Judicial District will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective employees and incumbents to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.