Hearing & Decision

Master’s Hearing

The Court Administrator shall schedule all proceedings before the master, and shall notice all interested parties.

Hearings before the master shall be recorded. Any requests for transcription shall be in accordance with the Pennsylvania Rules of Judicial Administration governing court reporting and transcripts. A Request for Transcript form can be found on the Washington County Court of Common Pleas website.

Report & Recommendation

The master shall file a report and recommendation. The Prothonotary shall serve a copy of the report and recommendation to all interested parties.

In the event that no parties file objections, the report and recommendation of the master shall become the final order of Court.

Objections to Master’s Report & Recommendation

Parties can file objections to the master’s report and recommendation within thirty days of the filing of the report and recommendation. Objections must be accompanied by a copy of the Request for Transcript form verifying that a transcript of all proceedings before the master, or necessary portions of the transcript, have been requested from the Court Administrator.

If no trial transcript is filed within sixty days of the date the Objections were filed, the Court Administrator shall send the objecting party a letter, with copies to all other interested parties, stating that the transcript must be paid for and filed within thirty days of the date of the letter, and that if no transcript is filed within the time period, then a court order shall be issued overruling the objections with prejudice.

Brief in Support

Twenty days after the transcript is filed, the objecting party shall file a Brief in Support of Objections. The Brief shall refer to transcript page numbers where possible. The Brief shall be served on all interested parties, the Court Administrator, and the Court.

If no Brief in Support of Objections is filed within twenty days of the date the transcript was filed, the Court Administrator shall send the objecting party a letter, with copies of all interested parties, stating that if a Brief in Support of Objections is not filed with twenty days of the date of the letter, then a court order will be entered overruling the objections with prejudice.

Briefs in Opposition

Twenty days after the Brief in Support of Objections is filed, all responding parties must file their Briefs in Opposition to Objections.

If no Brief in Opposition to Objections is filed within twenty days, the Court Administrator shall send the opposing party a letter, with copies to all interested parties, stating that if an opposing brief is not filed within twenty days of the date of the letter, the decision will be made without reference to any brief that may be filed after the required time.

Decisions / Final Order

In the event that no parties file objections, the report and recommendation of the master shall become the final order of Court.

Five days after the filing date set for the Briefs in Opposition to Objections has passed, the objecting party shall notify the Court that the matter is ripe for decision by filing notice. (Use the form Notice that Matter is Ripe for Decision (PDF)). The Notice shall be served on all interested parties, and the Court Administrator.

The Court may schedule the case for an oral argument or enter a final order based on briefs. There shall be no motions for post-trial relief to a final order of court.