What to Do When Someone Dies in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Probate in Bucks County runs through the Orphans' Court: prove the will, settle the debts, and pass the house to the heirs. Here is how the local process works—and what each step actually costs.
When someone dies in Bucks County, settling their estate runs through the Orphans' Court. This page covers the court record, whether probate is required, what it costs, how to file, transferring property, and the local attorneys who handle probate here.
Probate Court Record
Orphans' Court
Bucks County
Address
Bucks County Courthouse, 55 East Court Street, 6th FloorDoylestown, PA 18901
Paper filing availableE-filing optionalWalk-ins accepted
Departments
Lower Bucks County satellite office (Levittown)215-348-6266Open Tuesday - Thursday, 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. Appointments are recommended and receive priority.
Upper Bucks County satellite office (Quakertown)215-348-6266Open Thursdays only, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. Appointments are recommended and receive priority.
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Bucks County, probate runs through the Orphans' Court at Bucks County Courthouse, 55 East Court Street, 6th Floor, Doylestown. Electronic probate filing sets Bucks County apart — only 12 Pennsylvania counties accept it, with the rest filing on paper.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Pennsylvania intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Pennsylvania estates take 9 months to 14 months to move through this process. 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 creditor claim window is the largest fixed piece of that timeline — a mandatory wait regardless of how simple the estate is.
What Probate Costs in Bucks County
What probate costs in Bucks County, Pennsylvania comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Orphans' Court at Bucks County Courthouse, 55 East Court Street, 6th Floor, Doylestown.
Probate matters are handled through Lower Bucks County satellite office (Levittown) and Upper Bucks County satellite office (Quakertown). Filing and payment go through these offices, not the main clerk window.
The Orphans' Court charges $50 - $950+ (based on estate value)42 P.S. § 21022.1; 42 Pa.C.S. § 3733Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to open a probate case. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
The Orphans' Court accepts e-filing. Paper filing remains available for self-represented filers.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Pennsylvania are negotiated, typically 1.9%No statutory fee schedule; the Orphans' Court reviews reasonableness under In re Trust Estate of LaRocca, 431 Pa. 542, 246 A.2d 337 (1968). County percentage guidelines are not law — "[e]gregious error is committed when a court awards commissions and fees simply on a percentage basis without inquiry into the reasonableness of the compensation" (In re Estate of Preston, 560 A.2d 160, 165 (Pa. Super. 1989), quoted in Estate of Andrews, 2026 PA Super 168)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3%No statutory fee schedule; the Orphans' Court reviews reasonableness under In re Trust Estate of LaRocca, 431 Pa. 542, 246 A.2d 337 (1968). County percentage guidelines are not law — "[e]gregious error is committed when a court awards commissions and fees simply on a percentage basis without inquiry into the reasonableness of the compensation" (In re Estate of Preston, 560 A.2d 160, 165 (Pa. Super. 1989), quoted in Estate of Andrews, 2026 PA Super 168)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Executor compensation is based on reasonable pay for time and effort — the states that do set a schedule pay 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 estate value. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Pennsylvania requires publishing creditor notice in a local newspaper, typically $200–$500. Professional appraisals for real estate or business interests add $300–$600 per asset.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%20 Pa.C.S. §§ 3171, 3174 (bond required before letters except as § 3174 provides; a PA-resident PR named in the will, or a PA-resident sole residuary legatee/next of kin, is excused by operation of law); § 3175 (court or register may still require bond)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Pennsylvania typically runs 9 months to 14 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Orphans' Court
Probate documents in Bucks County can be filed in person at the Orphans' Court, by mail, or electronically. Most families handling probate themselves prefer paper filing, though e-filing is available.
Filings here are routed through Lower Bucks County satellite office (Levittown) and Upper Bucks County satellite office (Quakertown). Confirm with the office which intake handles the petition type you're filing.
How to File Your Documents
Paper Filing Available
You can file your probate documents in person at the court or by mail.
E-Filing Also Available
If you prefer, you can file electronically through the state's online system. This is optional for families filing without an attorney.
Paper Filing Required For
•Guardian Inventory (G-05)
•Guardian Report of Person (G-02)
•Guardian Report of Estate (G-03)
Can You File Without an Attorney?
Not every estate requires an attorney. Estate size, asset types, and whether beneficiaries agree determine if self-filing at the Orphans' Court is realistic.
You can file in person without an appointment. The office conducts both virtual and in-person probate appointments. Satellite offices in Levittown (215-348-6266) and Quakertown (215-348-6266) accept walk-ins on limited days, but appointments are recommended and receive priority.
What to Bring
To file at the Orphans' Court you need: the original will (or proof there isn't one), a certified death certificate, contact information for all heirs and beneficiaries, and a summary of what the estate owns and owes.
Transferring Property in Bucks County
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Recorder of Deeds.
Deeds and other real property documents for Bucks County are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds, led by Recorder of Deeds Robin Robinson, at 55 East Court Street, 6th Floor, Doylestown, PA 18901. Phone: (215) 348-6209. Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:45 AM - 4:15 PM (documents for recording must be submitted by 4:00 PM).
The Recorder of Deeds charges $83 for the first 4 pages plus $4 for each page beyond 4.
Bucks County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
Recorder of Deeds
Bucks County · Recorder of Deeds · Robin Robinson
Address
55 East Court Street, 6th FloorDoylestown, PA 18901
County fee schedule adopted under the Recorder of Deeds Fee Law (Act 87 of 1982, 16 P.S. § 11011-1 et seq.), 42 Pa.C.S. § 3733(a.1)(1)(v), and 53 Pa.C.S. § 6011
Pennsylvania allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Bucks County without hiring an attorney. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Pennsylvania are based on reasonable compensation — typically 1.9%No statutory fee schedule; the Orphans' Court reviews reasonableness under In re Trust Estate of LaRocca, 431 Pa. 542, 246 A.2d 337 (1968). County percentage guidelines are not law — "[e]gregious error is committed when a court awards commissions and fees simply on a percentage basis without inquiry into the reasonableness of the compensation" (In re Estate of Preston, 560 A.2d 160, 165 (Pa. Super. 1989), quoted in Estate of Andrews, 2026 PA Super 168)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3%No statutory fee schedule; the Orphans' Court reviews reasonableness under In re Trust Estate of LaRocca, 431 Pa. 542, 246 A.2d 337 (1968). County percentage guidelines are not law — "[e]gregious error is committed when a court awards commissions and fees simply on a percentage basis without inquiry into the reasonableness of the compensation" (In re Estate of Preston, 560 A.2d 160, 165 (Pa. Super. 1989), quoted in Estate of Andrews, 2026 PA Super 168)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate's value, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Bucks County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Orphans' Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Center City Philadelphia firm concentrating in probate, trust, and estate planning, with matters filed in the Philadelphia Register of Wills and Orphans' Court. Handles estate and trust administration, federal and state estate and gift tax, guardianships, and representation of executors, trustees, and beneficiaries.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 3 more
Office
1880 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 1740Philadelphia, PA 19103
Doylestown firm a block from the Bucks County Register of Wills and Orphans' Court, with one of the larger estates and trusts groups in the area. Drafts revocable and irrevocable trusts, charitable and life-insurance trusts, and administers estates and trusts of all sizes for Bucks and Montgomery County families.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationTax PlanningSpecial Needs Planningand 2 more
Center City firm at One Logan Square whose Wills, Trusts, Estates and Taxes group serves Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. Prepares wills and trusts that minimize Pennsylvania inheritance and federal estate tax and administers estates through the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court.
Langhorne firm serving Bucks County through the county Register of Wills and Orphans' Court, with a second office in New Hope. Guides executors and administrators from probating the will through death-tax payment and distribution, and litigates will contests and self-dealing claims against a personal representative. First 30 minutes of consultation are free.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 2 more
Center City Philadelphia firm with a second office in Media, concentrating on estate planning, estate administration, tax planning, and real estate. Represents individuals across Greater Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley.
West Conshohocken firm in Montgomery County concentrating in estate and trust planning, administration, and fiduciary litigation for individuals and families. Litigates regularly before the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court across the Philadelphia suburbs, representing executors, trustees, agents, and beneficiaries in will and trust disputes.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 3 more
Office
1001 Conshohocken State Road, Suite 1-300West Conshohocken, PA 19428
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Living trust assets, and accounts with a named beneficiary or surviving joint owner. These skip probate; some states charge the court fee only on what remains.
Enter estate details
Select your state and enter an estate value to see a detailed cost estimate.
Quick examples:
Probate fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value, or net property after debts. This calculator provides educational estimates only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Actual costs vary significantly by county, attorney, and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney in your state for guidance specific to your situation.
$
Total probate assets (exclude beneficiary-designated accounts)
Can you self-file probate?
Enter your state and estate value to get a personalized recommendation with estimated cost savings.
Score-based assessment with reasoning
Cost comparison vs. hiring an attorney
This tool provides general information about self-filing probate and is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state for guidance specific to your situation.
Bucks County Guides
Step-by-step tools for families in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
