Altoona firm on North Logan Boulevard serving the Blair County area, including Hollidaysburg, Tyrone, Gallitzin, Cresson and Huntingdon, with over a century of practice. Guides executors and administrators from the Register of Wills through asset gathering, debts, taxes and distribution, and represents clients in probate court in will contests and estate administration disputes, with mediation offered; initial consultations are free.
Probate in Cambria County
Probate Court Record
Cambria County Orphans' Court
Cambria County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Cambria County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Cambria County? →Settling an estate in Cambria County →
Probate Firms Serving Cambria County
Solo general civil practice in Indiana, PA, opened by Marshall D. Chriswell in 2012, handling matters across Indiana, Armstrong, Clearfield, Westmoreland, Cambria and Jefferson counties. Represents executors, administrators and beneficiaries in estate, probate and trust administration, from obtaining Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration through Pennsylvania and non-resident decedent inheritance tax returns and Medical Assistance reimbursement claims. Also handles wills and estate planning, real estate, family law and small business matters.
Altoona solo practice of attorney Joel D. Peppetti, serving Blair County and neighboring Cambria, Bedford, and Huntingdon counties. He represents personal representatives in probate and estate administration, and represents personal representatives, heirs, and other interested parties in will and trust disputes. He also drafts and updates wills, trusts, living wills, and durable powers of attorney.
Lemoyne firm at 301 Market Street, where its practice opened in 1914, with offices in Wyomissing, Lancaster and Lewistown serving Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Berks and Mifflin Counties. Guides executors and administrators through estate administration, from cataloging assets to paying debts, filing tax returns and distributing to beneficiaries, administers trusts and guardianships, and litigates estate and trust disputes between beneficiaries and trustees.
Harrisburg-based firm on Pine Street with Pennsylvania offices in Lancaster, York, Reading, State College, Pittsburgh, Plymouth Meeting and Radnor. Guides executors and trustees through estate and trust administration, including gathering assets, paying debts, inheritance, estate and income tax returns, fiduciary accountings and Orphans' Court petitions. Its fiduciary litigators handle surcharge actions, objections to accounts, elective share claims and guardianship proceedings in the Orphans' Court.
Harrisburg firm on North Front Street, with offices in Trevose and Sunbury and more than 50 years of service across Pennsylvania. Its estates and trusts attorneys guide executors and beneficiaries through probate proceedings, trust administration and contested estate matters. Also handles guardianships, special needs trusts, and elder law and Medicaid long-term care planning.
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Pennsylvania
Free Pennsylvania forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Pennsylvania.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
In Pennsylvania, a will needs no witnesses to be valid20 Pa.C.S. § 2502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimony20 Pa.C.S. § 2502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Pennsylvania
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Pennsylvania: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Pennsylvania costs an estimated $26,087In re Trust Estate of LaRocca, 431 Pa. 542, 246 A.2d 337 (1968); In re Estate of Preston, 560 A.2d 160, 165 (Pa. Super. 1989); Estate of Andrews, 2026 PA Super 168 (no statutory fee schedule)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.9%Modeled estimate under In re Trust Estate of LaRocca, 431 Pa. 542, 246 A.2d 337 (1968); In re Estate of Preston, 560 A.2d 160, 165 (Pa. Super. 1989); Estate of Andrews, 2026 PA Super 168 (no statutory fee schedule): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3%Modeled estimate under In re Trust Estate of LaRocca, 431 Pa. 542, 246 A.2d 337 (1968); In re Estate of Preston, 560 A.2d 160, 165 (Pa. Super. 1989); Estate of Andrews, 2026 PA Super 168 (no statutory fee schedule): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Pennsylvania: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 270 days20 Pa.C.S. §§ 3301-3303Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 12 months20 Pa.C.S. §§ 3162, 3381-3392, 3532Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Pennsylvania pays executors reasonable compensation20 Pa.C.S. § 3537 (compensation "reasonable and just"; no statutory percentage); In re Estate of Sonovick, 541 A.2d 374, 376 (Pa. Super. 1988); Estate of Andrews, 2026 PA Super 168Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, typically 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate.
Do I Need Probate?
In Pennsylvania, estates with personal property of $50,00020 Pa.C.S. § 3102Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less qualify for the Settlement of Small Estates on Petition20 Pa.C.S. § 3102Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, a court procedure short of full probate.
What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In Pennsylvania, the 12 months20 Pa.C.S. § 3532 (one year from first complete advertisement of the grant of letters — a risk-distribution protection period for the personal representative, not a nonclaim bar)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source period after first publication of the creditor notice protects a representative who distributes after it; late claims can still reach undistributed assets.
Can I Self-File Probate?
In Pennsylvania, informal probate is available20 Pa.C.S. § 901 (register jurisdiction over probate and letters), § 3155 (register grants letters), § 908 (appeal from the register's decree to the Orphans' Court)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, and a self-represented executor can usually handle it for a simple, uncontested estate.
