Schoepple v. Schoepple

Opinion by

Spaeth, J.,

This case involves the construction and application of Rule 1187 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, which was promulgated in response to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Boddie v. Connecticut, 401 U.S. 371 (1971), that due process forbids a state to deny a person access to its divorce courts solely because of his indigency.1 See Goodrich-Amram, Standard Pennsylvania Practice (Supp. 1975 to Binders 1 & 2) at 647, 726.

Appellant, Margarete Wilhelmine Cramer Schoepple, filed a petition pursuant to Rule 1137 on November 4, 1974, seeking leave to proceed…