When a claim against an estate is filed with the Clerk of the Orphans’ Court in accordance with 20 Pa.C.S. § 3532(b)(2), and the claim is paid or otherwise satisfied without an account being filed with the court, it is…
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The Clerk of the Orphans’ Court of each county in Pennsylvania is responsible for accepting all filings in Orphans’ Court matters, including estate accounts, guardianships, adoptions, and other such estate matters.
The following is a table of the addresses and telephone numbers, together with links to web sites (if any) and on-line information and services, of the Clerk of the Orphans’ Court of the different counties in Pennsylvania. Some of the web sites show only contact information (names, addresses, telephone numbers, etc.). A few allow on-line searches of probate records.
County | Address | Telephone | Fees/Forms/Online Services | |
---|---|---|---|---|
ADAMS | County of Adams Clerk of Orphans' Court 117 Baltimore Street Room 103 Gettysburg, PA 17325 | (717) 337-9806 | Fee Schedule | Central (Harrisburg) |
City-County Building | (412) 350-4180 | Fee Schedule | Western (Pittsburgh) | |
Courthouse | (724) 548-3220 | Western (Pittsburgh) | ||
| Courthouse | (724) 770-4550 | Fee Schedule | Western (Pittsburgh) |
BEDFORD | Courthouse | (814) 623-4833 | Central (Harrisburg) | |
Berks Co. Services Center | (610) 478-6600 | Fee Schedule | Eastern (Philadelphia) | |
BLAIR | Courthouse | (814) 693-3080 | Central (Harrisburg) | |
| Courthouse | (570) 265-1702 | Central (Harrisburg) | |
| Courthouse | (215) 348-6265 | Fee Schedule | Eastern (Philadelphia) |
| County Government Center | (724) 284-1409 | Western (Pittsburgh) | |
| Courthouse | (814) 472-1440 | Western (Pittsburgh) | |
CAMERON | Courthouse | (814) 486-3355 | Western (Pittsburgh) | |
Courthouse | (717) 325-2261 | Eastern (Philadelphia) | ||
Willowbank County Office Bldg. | (814) 355-6724 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
| Chester Co. Justice Center 201 W. Market St., Suite 2200 P.O. Box 2746 West Chester, PA 19380-0989 rwills@chesco.org | (610) 344-6335 | Fee Schedule | Eastern (Philadelphia) |
Courthouse | (814) 226-4000 Ext. 2500 | Western (Pittsburgh) | ||
Courthouse | (814) 765-2641 Ext. 1350 | Western (Pittsburgh) | ||
Courthouse | (570) 893-4010 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
Courthouse | (570) 389-5614 | Fee Schedule | Central (Harrisburg) | |
Courthouse | (814) 333-7442 | Audit Schedule (2015) | Western (Pittsburgh) | |
Courthouse | (717) 240-6345 | Fee Schedule | Central (Harrisburg) | |
Courthouse, Room 103 | (717) 780-6510 | Fee Schedule | Central (Harrisburg) | |
Gov. Center Bldg. | (610) 891-4400 | Fee Schedule | Eastern (Philadelphia) | |
Courthouse | (814) 776-5349 | Western (Pittsburgh) | ||
Courthouse | (814) 451-6260 | Fee Schedule | Western (Pittsburgh) | |
Courthouse | (724) 430-1206 | Western (Pittsburgh) | ||
Courthouse | (814) 755-3526 | Western (Pittsburgh) | ||
FRANKLIN | Courthouse | (717) 261-3805 | Central (Harrisburg) | |
| Courthouse | (717) 485-4212 | Central (Harrisburg) | |
Courthouse, 1st Floor | (724) 852-5281 or (724) 852-5282 | Western (Pittsburgh) | ||
| Courthouse | (814) 643-2740 | Central (Harrisburg) | |
| Courthouse | (724) 465-3860 | Fee Schedule | Western (Pittsburgh) |
| Courthouse | (814) 849-1610 | Western (Pittsburgh) | |
Courthouse | (717) 436-7709 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
Courthouse | (570) 963-6702 | Forms | Central (Harrisburg) | |
Courthouse | (717) 299-8243 | Fee Schedule | Central (Harrisburg) | |
Government Center | (724) 656-2143 | Western (Pittsburgh) | ||
Municipal Building, Room 105 | (717) 274-2801 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
Courthouse | (610) 782-3172 | Fee Schedule | Eastern (Philadelphia) | |
| Courthouse, Penn Place Annex | (570) 825-1668 | Central (Harrisburg) | |
Courthouse | (570) 327-2330 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
| Courthouse | (814) 887-3260 | | Western (Pittsburgh) |
MERCER | 112 Courthouse | (724) 662-7548 | Western (Pittsburgh) | |
Courthouse | (717) 242-1449 | Fee SchedulePublic Access Rule(s) | Central (Harrisburg) | |
Courthouse | (570) 517-3386 | Eastern (Philadelphia) | ||
One Montgomery Plaza, 4th Floor | (610) 278-3400 | Fee Schedule | Eastern (Philadelphia) | |
Courthouse | (570) 271-3010 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
Courthouse | (610) 559-3095 | Fee Schedule | Eastern (Philadelphia) | |
Courthouse | (570) 988-4143 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
Courthouse | (717) 582-2131, Ext. 2237 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
City Hall, Room 415 | (215) 686-2230 | Fee Schedule | Eastern (Philadelphia) | |
Courthouse | (717) 296-7231 | Eastern (Philadelphia) | ||
1 East Second Street, Room 23 | (814) 274-9740 | Fee Schedule | Central (Harrisburg) | |
Courthouse | (717) 628-1382 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
Courthouse | (570) 837-4202 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
| 111 E. Union St., Suite 145 | (814) 445-1548 | Fee Schedule | Western (Pittsburgh) |
| Sullivan County Courthouse | (570) 946-7351 | Central (Harrisburg) | |
Courthouse | (570) 278-4600 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
Courthouse | (570) 724-9260 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
Courthouse | (570) 524-8751 | Central (Harrisburg) | ||
Courthouse | (814) 432-9539 | Western (Pittsburgh) | ||
Courthouse | (814) 728-3430 | Western (Pittsburgh) | ||
1 S. Main St., Suite 1002 | (724) 228-6775 | Fee Schedule | Western (Pittsburgh) | |
| Courthouse Annex | (570) 253-5970 Ext. 4030 | Eastern (Philadelphia) | |
Courthouse Annex | (724) 830-3177 | Fee Schedule | Western (Pittsburgh) | |
| Courthouse | (570) 996-2234 | | Central (Harrisburg) |
York Co. Judicial Center | (717) 771-9288 | Fee Schedule | Central (Harrisburg) |
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has held that a Register of Wills who issues letters to a personal representative without a bond required by law is not immune from liability under the Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act, 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 8541-8542, and may be liable for damages in accordance with 20 Pa.C.S. § 3172. Not decided was whether official immunity under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8546(2) might apply.
Dorsey v. Redman, 96 A.3d 332, 626 Pa. 195, No. 13 WAP 2012 (Pa. 2014)
As previously reported, the IRS has published final regulations on the expenses of estates and trusts that are subject to the 2% floor for miscellaneous itemized deductions. T.D. 9664, 79 F.R. 26616 (5/9/2014)
These final regulations require estates and trusts that pay a single “bundled fee” must allocate that fee between expenses that are subject to the 2% floor and expenses that are not. Treas. Reg. § 1.67-4(c). These final regulations are applicable to fiscal years beginning on or after May 9, 2014, and so would apply to most existing estates and trusts beginning January 1, 2015, but would apply to new estates and trusts immediately.
In response to comments, and in order to give fiduciaries more time to “unbundle” their fees, the IRS has amended the final regulations to apply only to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2014.
House Bill 1429, which makes a number of changes to the form and effect of powers of attorney, was signed by Governor Corbett on July 2, becoming Act 95 of 2014. The more important changes made by Act 95 include new requirements for witnesses and notarized acknowledgements, changes to the notice to the principal and the required acknowledgements by agents, new limits on the liability of third parties in order to reverse the reasoning of the Supreme Court in the Vine decision, new limits on the power of agents to make gifts and other estate planning actions, and a revision and restatement of the duties and liabilities of agents.
Continue readingPennsylvania H.B. 1429, which makes a number of changes to the form and effect of powers of attorney, was signed by Governor Corbett on July 2, becoming Act 95 of 2014.
Updated on July 10: Here is the first installment of a series of articles on the changes made by Act 95.
Lehigh County has adopted new local Orphans’ Court rules, generally effective 5/15/2014.
Orphans’ Court Rules, File No. AO 2014-0002 (3/20/2014), 44 Pa.B. 2201 (4/12/2014).
Lehigh County has adopted a new fee schedule for the Clerk of the Orphans’ Court, effective 5/1/2014.
Clerk of Orphans’ Court Division; Fee Schedule, File No. AO2014-0001 (3/19/2014), 44 Pa.B. 2054 (4/5/2014).
Effective April 1, 2014, self-made photocopies in the offices of the Butler Co. Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans’ Court will be $.50 each.
Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans’ Court Schedule of Fees and Costs, OC No. 2009-1000 (2/25/2014), 44 Pa.B. 1753 (3/22/2014).
Bucks County has amended its fee schedules to include convenience fees for credit card transactions.
Fees of Clerk of Orphans’ Court Division, Administrative Order No. 66, 44 Pa.B. 17 (1/4/2014); Fees of Register of Wills, Administrative Order No. 67, 44 Pa.B. 17 (1/4/2014).