OptionalThe Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court take electronic filings for new and existing cases in PDF or TIFF form, in place of the originals unless the office directs otherwise. Adoption and termination filings, petitions to disinter, presumed-decedent petitions and formal accounts are not e-filed. A new estate is opened online through Virtual Probate, with the petition signed during a video conference.
Filing in person
Appointment requiredIn-person probates are by appointment, booked online from the In Person Appointments page, with separate slots for filers with and without a lawyer. A new estate can also be probated through Virtual Probate: the documents are uploaded online, the petition is signed during a video conference, and the originals and payment go in the courthouse drop box or by mail.
Self-represented filing
AllowedIn-person probate appointments are offered for filers without a lawyer, and the office posts its probate estate forms online. The office cannot give legal advice.
Accepted payment
At the counterCheck, Money order, Credit card, Debit card.The office does not accept cash. Checks or money orders, payable to Register of Wills, are taken for county fees and inheritance tax, and credit cards for county fees; payments are completed by 4:00 p.m.
Hearing schedule
Accounts are presented six times a year; in 2026 on February 11, April 8, June 3, July 29, September 23 and November 18. The last day to file an account falls about seven weeks before each presentation, and objections are due the day before, per the 2026 audit calendar.
Self-help center
Dauphin County Law Library, 4th Floor, Dauphin County CourthouseThe court's Self-Help Center provides forms and instructions, including guardianship forms and the in forma pauperis forms for Orphans' Court cases. Its staff cannot give legal advice.
Fax
1-717-780-6474
Departments
Elizabethville Branch Office1-717-905-2700 ext. 2507 · Northern Dauphin Human Services Center, 295 State Drive, Elizabethville, PA 17023 · Wednesday 9:00 AM-4:30 PMThe Register of Wills branch office opens on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
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 Dauphin County, probate runs through the Orphans' Court at Dauphin County Courthouse, 101 Market Street, Room 103, Harrisburg. Dauphin County runs probate e-filing through dauphincounty.gov, the only Pennsylvania county on that system.
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. Creditors have 12 months20 Pa.C.S. §§ 3162, 3381-3392, 3532Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Dauphin County
What probate costs in Dauphin 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 Dauphin County Courthouse, 101 Market Street, Room 103, Harrisburg.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Additional costs when the estate value was underestimated.
The Orphans' Court charges $50 - $950+ (based on estate value)42 P.S. § 21022.1; 42 Pa.C.S. § 3733; 204 Pa. Code § 29.351(c), (g)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open a probate case. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Pennsylvania are negotiated, typically 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Pennsylvania allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules pay20 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. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Pennsylvania requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under 20 Pa.C.S. §§ 3171, 3174 (bond before letters except as § 3174 provides; a PA-resident PR named in the will or sole residuary legatee excused); § 3175 (bond may still be required)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 Dauphin 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. Dauphin County is one of 15 Pennsylvania counties that accept probate e-filing; most probate courts in the state still take filings on paper.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Elizabethville Branch Office.
The court's Self-Help Center provides forms and instructions, including guardianship forms and the in forma pauperis forms for Orphans' Court cases. Its staff cannot give legal advice.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
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.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Records Access
Estate records from the late 1700s
The office keeps estate and Orphans' Court records from the late 1700s, marriage licenses from 1885 and birth and death records from 1893 to 1906, and its records are searchable online.
Filed with the opening petition at the Orphans' Court: Original will and any codicils, presented to the Register of Wills of the county of the decedent’s last family or principal residence (20 Pa.C.S. §§ 3131, 3132); Original (raised-seal) death certificate, presented at the county Register of Wills — county intake practice, not a statutory, rule, or statewide-form requirement for a grant of letters; Completed RW-02 Petition for Grant of Letters (rev. 10/11/2011), including the Oath of Personal Representative on page 220 Pa.C.S. §§ 3155-3157 (persons entitled; nonresidents); § 901 (register’s jurisdiction)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in Dauphin County
In Dauphin County certified copies of the death certificate come from Pennsylvania Department of Health - Division of Vital Records; the Local Registrar files the certificate and issues no copies to the public.
Vital Records Office Record
Pennsylvania Department of Health - Division of Vital Records
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 Dauphin County are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds at Dauphin County Courthouse, 101 Market Street, Room 102, Harrisburg, PA 17101. Phone: 1-717-780-6560. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The Recorder of Deeds charges $88 for the first 4 pages plus $2 for each page beyond 4.
Dauphin County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile and CSC.
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 Dauphin 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, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Dauphin 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.
Seventeen-attorney Harrisburg firm, with a second office in Hummelstown, serving Dauphin County; the firm traces its origin to 1928. Assists personal representatives with every stage of probate and estate administration: probate filings, collecting assets, paying debts, distributing the estate, and preparing and filing tax returns. Also handles will contests, guardianships, and elder-law and Medicaid planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 2 more
Harrisburg firm founded in 1978 that guides personal administrators and executors through the Pennsylvania probate process. Represents personal administrators, trustees, executors, heirs, and beneficiaries in will contests and other probate litigation, and prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, estate tax plans, and business-succession plans.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 2 more
Harrisburg elder law and estate firm on Linglestown Road founded by Marielle F. Hazen. Its estate and trust administration staff handles court filings, Uniform Trust Act and Medicaid Estate Recovery requirements, and the inheritance, estate and fiduciary income tax returns for executors and trustees. Also handles guardianships, Medicaid and nursing home planning, special needs planning, veterans' benefits and agricultural law.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 4 more
Office
2000 Linglestown Road, Suite 202Harrisburg, PA 17110
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 6 more
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 5 more
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.
Data sourced from Pennsylvania statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Pennsylvania
Free tools for settling an estate in Pennsylvania: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool.
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.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Pennsylvania happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust Code20 Pa.C.S. § 7701 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 30 days20 Pa.C.S. § 7780.3Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
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.
Enter the estate value to see Pennsylvania attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
Examples:
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
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See whether you can file probate yourself
Enter the estate value to see whether Pennsylvania lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
