Uniontown firm on East Main Street, with a Belle Vernon office, where attorneys Benjamin F. Goodwin and Amanda M. Como handle estate and probate work. Guides personal representatives from the petition for letters at the Register of Wills through estate publication, notice to heirs and the Department of Human Services, inheritance and estate tax returns, and payment of debts in priority, and opens ancillary estates for out-of-state owners of Pennsylvania real estate. Also prepares wills and trusts and handles adult and minor guardianships; initial consultations are free.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Greene County, Pennsylvania
How probate works in Greene County: the Orphans' Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Greene County Orphans' Court
Greene County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
10 East High Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370
Website
Files probate
Register of Wills (probate appointments)
Filing in person
Appointment required
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
Filing in person
Appointment requiredEvery probate is scheduled before arrival; call the Register of Wills at 724-852-5284 to book. Probate appointments run from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, and the office takes no payments after 4:00 PM.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe Register of Wills' probate checklist lists the petition, the original will, a bond where required, the death certificate and the information sheet, then the notice, advertising, inheritance tax and status-report steps. The office does not give legal advice.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCash, Check, Money order.The Register of Wills takes cash, check or money order, with checks payable to the Register of Wills. Inheritance tax payments are payable to "Register of Wills, Agent", and overpayments are not refunded or credited.
County forms
- Probate Filing Requirements ChecklistThe Register of Wills' list of what to bring to a probate and the steps that follow it.
- Register of Wills Office InformationThe office's phone lines, hours, appointment window and accepted payments.
- Register of Wills Schedule of FeesThe Register of Wills' fees for granting letters, by the size of the estate, and for other filings.
Departments
- Register of Wills (probate appointments)1-724-852-5284 · Takes probate filingsThe Register of Wills desk books probate appointments and answers estate and inheritance tax questions.
- Clerk of Orphans' Court (Room 103)1-724-852-5281 · Greene County Courthouse, 10 East High Street, Room 103The Clerk of the Orphans' Court takes accounts, petitions and guardianship filings.
About the court
- The research room is open 8:30 AM-4:00 PM.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Greene County
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 Greene County, probate runs through the Orphans' Court at Greene County Courthouse, 10 East High Street, Room 100, Waynesburg.
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 Greene County
What probate costs in Greene 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 Greene County Courthouse, 10 East High Street, Room 100, Waynesburg.
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 cases in Greene County are filed at the Register of Wills (probate appointments) of the Orphans' Court. File in person during business hours or by mail.
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.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Greene County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
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 Greene County
In Greene 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
Greene County · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM (except holidays; Philadelphia by appointment only)
Website
Certified copies
From Pennsylvania Department of Health - Division of Vital Records; the Local Registrar files the certificate and issues no copies to the public
Division of Vital Records
Death Certificate Processing Unit
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103
Phone
1-724-656-3100Monday-Friday 7:15 AM-6:00 PM; Saturday-Sunday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $20 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Greene County · Coroners Office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
Ben Franklin Building, 22 West High Street, 1st Floor, Waynesburg, PA 15370
Website
Mail and offices
Fax
1-724-852-5287
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Greene 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 Greene County are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds at Greene County Courthouse, 10 East High Street, 1st Floor, Room 100, Waynesburg, PA 15370. Phone: 1-724-852-5369. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
The Recorder of Deeds charges $70 for the first 4 pages plus $2 for each page beyond 4.
Recording Office Record
Recorder of Deeds
Greene County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
Greene County Courthouse, 10 East High Street, 1st Floor, Room 100, Waynesburg, PA 15370
Website
Recording fees
| Base fee (first 4 pages) | $69.75 |
| Each page beyond 4 | $2 |
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
Document format requirements
- County rulea 2-inch top margin on the first page, type no smaller than 12 point
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form · Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Greene County
Pennsylvania allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Greene 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 Greene 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.
Uniontown solo practice of James E. Higinbotham, Jr., opened in 2006 and serving Fayette and Greene Counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. Administers estates through probate for executors, represents heirs in contested-will cases, and drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills and guardianship arrangements alongside real estate and business work.
Erie County firm on West 10th Street in Erie, with a Pittsburgh office, whose Estate Planning & Administration Group handles estate administration with a team of estate administration paralegals it describes as the largest in the region. Also prepares wills and trusts, guardianships, special needs trusts and Medicaid asset protection plans.
Attorney Colt McKelvey practices from offices in Salix, serving the Johnstown area of Cambria County, and in Canonsburg, Washington County. The practice handles estate planning and estate administration, wills, trusts and powers of attorney, and elder law matters including long-term care and Medicaid planning and guardianships.
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.
Grove City firm with a second office in Cranberry Township, serving Mercer, Lawrence, Butler, Venango, Allegheny, Beaver and Crawford counties. Handles estate administration from opening the estate and the executor's appointment through the inventory and appraisal, the PA inheritance tax and federal estate tax returns, family settlement agreements and the first and final account. Remote and phone consultations for wills and estates matters are free.
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.
Legal Sources
(9)·
- 20 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 168
- 20 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)
- 20 Pa.C.S. §§ 3155-3157 (persons entitled; nonresidents); § 901 (register’s jurisdiction)
- 20 Pa.C.S. §§ 3162, 3381-3392, 3532
- 42 P.S. § 21022.1; 42 Pa.C.S. § 3733; 204 Pa. Code § 29.351(c), (g)
- 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
- Greene County Orphans' Court, official page
- Greene County Recorder of Deeds, official page
- Greene County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
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.
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