5412 - Cooperation between courts; preservation of records. - Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 5412. Cooperation between courts; preservation of records. (a) Assistance of another state.--A court of this Commonwealth may request the appropriate court of another state to: (1) hold an evidentiary hearing; (2) order a person to produce or give evidence pursuant to procedures of that state; (3) order that an evaluation be made with respect to the custody of a child involved in a pending proceeding; (4) forward to the court of this Commonwealth a certified copy of the transcript of the record of the hearing, the evidence otherwise presented and any evaluation prepared in compliance with the request; and (5) order a party to a child custody proceeding or any person having physical custody of the child to appear in the proceeding with or without the child. (b) Assistance to another state.--Upon request of a court of another state, a court of this Commonwealth may hold a hearing, enter an order or forward transcripts, evidence and evaluations described in subsection (a). (c) Expenses.--Travel and other necessary and reasonable expenses incurred under subsections (a) and (b) may be assessed against the parties according to the laws of this Commonwealth. (d) Preservation of records.--A court of this Commonwealth shall preserve the pleadings, orders, decrees, records of hearings, evaluations and other pertinent records with respect to a child custody proceeding until the child attains 18 years of age. Upon appropriate request by a court or law enforcement official of another state, the court shall forward a certified copy of those records.