Probate in Philadelphia County

Probate Court Record

Philadelphia County Orphans' Court

Philadelphia County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM

Office

City Hall, Room 180, City Hall, Room 180, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Files probate

Probate Department

E-filing

Filing in person

Walk-ins accepted

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Philadelphia County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Philadelphia County? →Settling an estate in Philadelphia County →

Probate Firms Serving Philadelphia County

Media firm, serving Delaware County since 1964 with a second office in West Chester, whose estates department handles estate and trust administration, probate, inheritance tax and fiduciary income tax returns, accountings, and guardianships. Its estate litigators represent clients in will contests and other estate and trust disputes in the Orphans' Courts of Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester, and Montgomery counties. Also prepares wills, revocable trusts, and estate tax plans.

Since 1964Serves 4 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+5

West Conshohocken trust and estate firm in Montgomery County, founded in 1994, that appears before the Register of Wills and Orphans' Courts throughout Pennsylvania. Represents executors and trustees in probating wills, filing federal estate, state death and fiduciary income tax returns, and discharging the executor by family agreement or formal audit, and litigates will and trust contests, fiduciary accountings, surcharge and removal, and contested guardianships for beneficiaries and fiduciaries alike.

Since 1994Serves 5 countiesVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+3

Montgomeryville firm on Bethlehem Pike serving Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, with a second office in West Lawn, Berks County. Walks executors, administrators and beneficiaries through probate and non-probate settlement: filing the will, securing letters, inheritance and estate tax filings, creditor negotiations, deed transfers, Orphans' Court accounting and distribution. Litigates will contests, trust disputes and executor misconduct claims in the Orphans' Court; consultations are free.

Serves 4 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust LitigationElder Law+3

Norristown firm founded in 1975, located one-half block from the Montgomery County Courthouse and serving Montgomery, Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware, and Bucks counties. Handles estate administration and estate litigation over the distribution of assets or the validity of estate planning documents, and prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives; services are offered in English and Spanish.

Since 1975Serves 5 countiesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationFamily LawReal Estate

Blue Bell firm that routinely handles matters in the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court, representing personal representatives in Montgomery, Bucks, Philadelphia, Delaware and Chester counties. Takes executors and administrators through letters, the estate inventory, creditor claims, the PA inheritance tax return, the accounting and distribution, and litigates will and trust contests, executor and trustee disputes and guardianships in the Orphans' Court. Case evaluations are free.

Serves 5 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust LitigationGuardianship

Lancaster firm on East King Street whose Trusts & Estates Practice Group works across south-central and southeastern Pennsylvania, with main offices in Gettysburg, Hanover, Camp Hill, Lebanon, Malvern, Wyomissing, Schuylkill Haven and York. Guides personal representatives through estate administration and assists trustees, guardians and agents under powers of attorney with their fiduciary duties. Trust and estate litigators handle will contests, surcharge actions and contested guardianship proceedings.

Serves 8 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+2

All 23 Pennsylvania probate firms serving Philadelphia County →

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.

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Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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