Pennsylvania (PA)
Probate & the executor’s job in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania probate is administered by the Register of Wills in each county. The Register issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration; the Orphans' Court handles disputes and oversight.
How probate works in Pennsylvania
Once Letters issue, the executor advertises the grant of Letters in a local newspaper and the county legal journal, gathers assets, pays valid claims and the Pennsylvania inheritance tax, and distributes the residue. PA inheritance tax — with rates that vary by relationship to the decedent — is a distinctive feature of Pennsylvania estates.
Typical timeline
Pennsylvania probates commonly take nine to eighteen months from grant of Letters to final distribution.
Small-estate alternatives
Pennsylvania offers a small-estate petition when total assets fall below a statutory limit. Confirm the current limit with the county Register of Wills.
Where you’ll file
Probate is opened with the Register of Wills in the county where the decedent lived. Each county publishes its own filing fees and bond requirements.
Pennsylvania probate, in depth
By county
Probate is filed in the county where the decedent lived. Each Pennsylvania county has its own court, clerk procedures, and local rules.
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First-30-day tasks (universal)
- Order certified copies of the death certificateYou'll need certified copies of the death certificate for nearly everything else — banks, insurers, the court, the Social Security Administration.
- Locate the will and any trust documentsFind the original will. Photocopies are not the same as originals, and the original is what gets filed with the court.
- Secure the home and personal propertyLock up. Change locks if needed. Forward mail. The estate is responsible for what's in the home from now on.
- File the probate petition with the courtIf the estate requires probate, you'll file a petition with the appropriate court in the county where the decedent lived.
- Inventory the estate's assets and debtsYou're personally responsible for an accurate accounting. Most courts require a formal inventory; even when they don't, you need one to administer the estate.
- Notify creditors and handle claimsMost states require formal notice to known creditors and a published notice to unknown creditors. There's a window for claims, then it closes.
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