Compliance AOPC 622A (IFP Petition)
Validation Checks by Instafill.ai
1
Validates Court/Jurisdiction Identifiers Are Present and Properly Formatted (County, Magisterial District No., MDJ Name)
Checks that the County, Magisterial District Number (Mag. Dist. No.), and MDJ Name fields are completed when the In Forma Pauperis (IFP) petition is filed in a Magisterial District Court context. Validates that the Magisterial District Number follows the expected Pennsylvania MDJ format (commonly a numeric pattern such as ##-#-##) and that the county is a recognized Pennsylvania county name. If missing or malformed, the submission should be rejected or routed for clerk review because the court cannot properly docket or assign the filing.
2
Ensures Case/Docket Identifiers Are Complete and Consistent Across Forms (Docket No., Case No., OTN #)
Verifies that required case identifiers are provided for the specific filing type: Docket No. for MDJ filings, and Case No. and OTN # for criminal Common Pleas appeal/transcript/service forms. Also checks that the same Case No./OTN # values match across the Notice of Appeal, Request for Transcript, and Proof of Service when submitted as a packet. If identifiers are missing or inconsistent, the system should block submission or flag it because documents may be misfiled to the wrong case.
3
Validates Party Caption Completeness (Plaintiff vs. Defendant / Commonwealth vs. Defendant)
Checks that the caption contains both parties (e.g., plaintiff and defendant for civil/MDJ matters, or Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vs. Defendant for criminal matters) and that the defendant name is not blank. Ensures the party role selection on the Notice of Appeal (Commonwealth/Defendant) is explicitly indicated and consistent with the caption. If incomplete, the filing should fail validation because the court cannot determine who is appealing or who the adverse party is for service and docketing.
4
Validates Required Signatures and Signature Blocks Are Present (Petitioner/Attorney)
Confirms that the IFP petition includes the petitioner’s signature and date, and that the Notice of Appeal, Request for Transcript, and Proof of Service include the filer’s signature (typically attorney or self-represented party). Also validates that the “Attorney for” field is completed when an attorney is indicated, or that the pro se indicator is used where applicable. If signatures are missing, the submission should be rejected because unsworn/unsigned filings may be legally ineffective.
5
Validates Date Fields for Correct Format and Logical Timing (Case Filed, Order Date, Last Employment Date, Service Date)
Checks that all dates are in an acceptable format (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY or a clearly parseable date) and are not impossible (e.g., 02/30/2026). Applies logical rules: the order date being appealed should not be in the future; the Proof of Service date should not precede the Notice of Appeal date; last employment date should not be after today. If invalid, the system should prompt correction because date errors can affect timeliness, jurisdiction, and compliance with appellate rules.
6
Validates Telephone Number Format for Court and Filer Contact Fields
Ensures telephone numbers (MDJ telephone, attorney/filer telephone) contain a valid 10-digit US number (optionally with country code +1) and acceptable punctuation. Prevents entry of non-numeric placeholders or too-short/too-long values. If validation fails, the system should require correction because courts rely on accurate contact information for notices, scheduling, and deficiency communications.
7
Ensures Employment Status Branching Is Completed (Employed vs. Unemployed Sections)
Checks that the filer provides either current employment details (employer name/address, type of work, monthly wages) or, if unemployed, the last employment date plus prior monthly wages and type of work. Prevents partially completed entries across both branches (e.g., claiming unemployed but providing a current employer) unless explicitly supported by the form logic. If incomplete or contradictory, the submission should be flagged because the court cannot assess indigency without a coherent employment picture.
8
Validates Monetary Fields Are Numeric, Non-Negative, and Currency-Formatted (Income, Assets, Debts, Costs)
Ensures all dollar amount fields (monthly wages, other income categories, cash/savings/checking, debts/obligations, transcript cost estimates, check amounts) are valid numbers, non-negative, and within reasonable bounds (e.g., not exceeding system maximums). Also enforces consistent currency formatting (two decimals allowed) and disallows text like “N/A” in numeric fields (use blank/zero per rules). If invalid, the system should block submission because financial calculations and eligibility determinations depend on clean numeric data.
9
Checks Financial Completeness for IFP Determination (Income, Assets, Debts, Dependents)
Validates that the IFP affidavit includes enough financial information to evaluate inability to pay: at minimum, monthly income (or explicit zero), assets (or explicit zero), debts/obligations (or explicit zero), and number of dependents (or explicit none). Requires that if any “Other” income/contribution is entered, a description is provided where the form implies a label. If key sections are blank, the system should mark the filing deficient because the court may deny IFP for insufficient information.
10
Validates Spouse/Household Contribution Logic (Spouse Employed, Spouse Name/Employer, Contribution Amounts)
If “MY SPOUSE IS EMPLOYED” is indicated or spouse contribution amounts are entered, checks that spouse name, employer, type of work, and spouse monthly wages are provided. If spouse fields are blank, ensures spouse-related contribution fields are empty or explicitly zero to avoid ambiguity. If inconsistent, the system should require correction because household resources are relevant to indigency determinations.
11
Validates Dependent Information Consistency (Names/Relationships/Ages of Minor Children)
Checks that when dependents are listed, each dependent entry includes a name and relationship, and that minor children have ages provided (numeric and plausible, e.g., 0–17). Also ensures the number of dependents is consistent with the number of dependent rows completed (if a count is captured by the system). If validation fails, the submission should be flagged because dependents materially affect financial hardship analysis.
12
Validates Notice of Appeal Court Selection and Order Information (Supreme/Superior/Commonwealth Court; Order Date)
Ensures exactly one appellate court is selected (Supreme, Superior, or Commonwealth) and that the appealed order date fields (day, month, year) are completed. Prevents multiple selections or none, and requires an attached docket entry copy as referenced by the form. If missing, the system should reject or mark deficient because the appeal cannot be routed or evaluated for timeliness without the correct court and order information.
13
Validates Attachment/Payment Checklist Consistency for Notice of Appeal Packet
When the filer checks items in the attachments list (e.g., check numbers, transcript request, proof of service, docket entry), validates that corresponding fields are completed (e.g., check number present if a check is indicated) and that uploaded documents match the checked items. If IFP is being requested in lieu of fees, ensures fee checks are not simultaneously asserted as included unless explicitly allowed. If inconsistent, the system should stop submission or request clarification to prevent incomplete packets and fee processing errors.
14
Validates Request for Transcript Details and Cost Arithmetic (Pages, Cost/Page, Total Estimated Cost, Deposit Check)
If the transcript cost certification is selected, checks that approximate pages and cost per page are numeric and that the total estimated cost equals pages × cost per page within a small rounding tolerance. If a deposit check is indicated as attached, requires a check number and (if captured) a deposit amount greater than zero. If validation fails, the system should flag it because incorrect estimates and missing deposits can delay transcript preparation and appellate deadlines.
15
Validates Proof of Service Completeness (Persons Served, Methods, Addresses/Phones, Rule 906 Coverage)
Requires that the Proof of Service section includes the names of all required recipients (all parties in trial court, trial judge(s), court reporter(s), and District Court Administrator) and the manner of service for each (e.g., mail, personal service, electronic where permitted). Validates that each listed recipient has sufficient contact information (address and/or phone as requested by the form) and that the service date is present. If incomplete, the system should mark the filing deficient because improper service can result in dismissal or delays in the appeal.
16
Validates Civil Cover Sheet Selections (Primary Case Category, Commencement Type, Damages/Class Action/MDJ Appeal, Dollar Amount Range)
Ensures exactly one PRIMARY CASE category is selected and that any “Other” category includes a text description. Validates that one commencement type (Complaint/Writ of Summons/Petition/etc.) is selected and that Yes/No questions (money damages, class action, MDJ appeal) are not left blank. If dollar amount requested is provided, checks that the arbitration-limits selection is made and is logically consistent with the amount (if the county’s arbitration threshold is configured); otherwise the cover sheet should be rejected because the prothonotary may not accept an action without a completed cover sheet.