PRINTER'S NO. 3493
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2837
Session of
2022
INTRODUCED BY HOWARD, HOHENSTEIN, BENHAM, D. WILLIAMS, HILL-
EVANS, T. DAVIS, SANCHEZ, RABB, SCHLOSSBERG, MADDEN, DELLOSO
AND CIRESI, SEPTEMBER 19, 2022
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2022
AN ACT
Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in dissolution of marital status,
further providing for grounds for divorce and for counseling.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Sections 3301(c) and 3302(b) of Title 23 of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
§ 3301. Grounds for divorce.
* * *
(c) Mutual consent.--
(1) The court may grant a divorce where it is alleged
that the marriage is irretrievably broken [and 90 days have
elapsed from the date of commencement of an action under this
part] and an affidavit has been filed by each of the parties
evidencing that each of the parties consents to the divorce.
(2) The consent of a party shall be presumed where that
party has been convicted of committing a personal injury
crime against the other party.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
(3) A mutual consent divorce shall be resolved in the
minor judiciary or Philadelphia Municipal Court when the
following requirements are met:
(i) If the parties have children, they have created
an agreement regarding custody arrangements, which may be
shared with the court.
(ii) There are no adversarial claims about property.
(iii) Both parties aver they are cognizant of
renouncing claims regarding the future financial
interests of the other party, including, but not limited
to, private pension benefits.
(iv) Neither party is making an alimony claim.
* * *
§ 3302. Counseling.
* * *
(b) [Mutual consent.--Whenever mutual consent under section
3301(c) is the ground for divorce, the court shall require up to
a maximum of three counseling sessions within the 90 days
following the commencement of the action where either of the
parties requests it.] (Reserved).
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20220HB2837PN3493 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22