Philadelphia probate, trust and estate planning firm on John F. Kennedy Boulevard, begun in 1989, that represents executors, administrators, trustees and beneficiaries in all matters before the Orphans' Court. Handles the appointment of executors and administrators, state and federal inheritance and estate tax returns, court accountings, settlement on final distribution, fiduciary income tax returns and trustee succession, plus guardianships for minors and incapacitated persons. Attorneys are admitted in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida and Rhode Island.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
How probate works in Philadelphia County: the Orphans' Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Philadelphia County Orphans' Court
Philadelphia County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
City Hall, Room 180, City Hall, Room 180, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Website
Files probate
Probate Department
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
OptionalAttorneys file probate documents online through the Register of Wills attorney system, including after a virtual probate. Self-represented filers probate in person at City Hall, Room 180.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedSelf-represented filers probate in person at the Probate Department, where walk-in appointments are taken Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Virtual probate by Zoom requires an attorney and carries a surcharge; after probate, short certificate appointments are made through ShortCertAppt@phila.gov.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe Register of Wills helps complete the petition at the appointment but cannot give legal advice. Bring the original will, an original death certificate, an estimate of the estate's value and a current photo ID; virtual probate requires an attorney.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCredit card, Money order.Probate fees are paid by Visa, Mastercard, certified check or money order. For a virtual probate, payment is an attorney check payable to Register of Wills.
Self-help center
- City Hall, Room 1801-215-686-6255 · rowonline@phila.govThe Register of Wills walks filers through the probate process and helps complete the paperwork, but cannot give legal advice.
County forms
- Virtual Probate ProcedureThe steps, documents and payment for a virtual probate, which requires an attorney.
- Register of Wills Fee ScheduleThe probate fee by estate value, with the filing fees it includes, and the other Register of Wills fees.
Departments
- Probate Department1-215-686-6255 · Takes probate filings · City Hall, Room 180 · rowonline@phila.gov · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PMTakes probate of wills and petitions for letters of administration.
- Short Room Department1-215-686-6281 · City Hall, Room 180 · rowonline@phila.gov · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PMIssues short certificates after probate.
- Estate Services Department1-215-686-6282 · City Hall, Room 180 · rowonline@phila.gov · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
- Inheritance Tax Department1-215-686-2918 · City Hall, Room 177 · rowonline@phila.gov · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
- Legal Department1-215-686-6320 · City Hall, Room 177 · rowonline@phila.gov · Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-1:00 PM
- Title Clearance Unit1-215-686-6262 · City Hall, Room 189 · tcu@phila.gov · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PMHelps with tangled titles and heirs' property; walk-ins are taken until 4 p.m.
- Marriage Licenses1-215-686-2233 · City Hall, Room 413 · rowonline@phila.gov · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia, probate runs through the Orphans' Court at City Hall, Room 180, Philadelphia. Philadelphia County runs probate e-filing through rowlawyer.phila.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 Philadelphia County
What probate costs in Philadelphia 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 City Hall, Room 180, Philadelphia.
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 Philadelphia County can be filed in person at the Probate Department of the Orphans' Court, by mail, or electronically. Most families handling probate themselves prefer paper filing, though e-filing is available. Philadelphia County is one of 15 Pennsylvania counties that accept probate e-filing; most probate courts in the state still take filings on paper.
The Register of Wills walks filers through the probate process and helps complete the paperwork, but 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.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Philadelphia 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 Medical Examiner in Philadelphia County
In Philadelphia 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
Philadelphia 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
Medical Examiner
Philadelphia County · Medical Examiner's Office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
400 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Website
Release of remains
1-215-685-7445 · Investigations Unit · 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Philadelphia 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 Department of Records.
Deeds and other real property documents for Philadelphia County are recorded with the Department of Records at City Hall, Room 111, 1400 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Phone: 1-215-686-2290. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-3:30 PM.
The Department of Records charges $279 flat, regardless of page count.
Philadelphia County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC and ePN.
Recording Office Record
Department of Records
Philadelphia County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-3:30 PM
Office
City Hall, Room 111, 1400 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Website
E-recording
Recording fees
| Flat fee (any length) | $278.75 |
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 3-inch top margin on the first page, 1-inch side margins, type no smaller than 10 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 Philadelphia County
Pennsylvania allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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.
Philadelphia firm at One Logan Square, with a second Pennsylvania office in Bala Cynwyd, whose Wills, Trusts, Estates and Taxes Practice Group serves clients throughout the greater Philadelphia area. Assists people named trustee or personal representative in administering estates and trusts of all sizes, and prepares wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts and special needs trusts with planning to minimize estate and inheritance taxes.
Center City Philadelphia firm with a second office in Media, representing individuals since 1960 and assisting clients throughout Philadelphia and Delaware County. Takes estates through probate from the petition and notice to heirs to the inventory, payment of creditors and estate taxes, and final distribution. Also handles estate planning, tax planning, special needs planning, and business succession.
Philadelphia firm based in One Liberty Place in Center City whose Trusts & Estates Group administers estates and trusts, including probate, fiduciary accountings, federal and state death tax returns and Orphans' Court matters. Its estate litigation practice represents beneficiaries and fiduciaries in will contests, undue influence, breach of fiduciary duty, surcharge and guardianship proceedings.
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.
Northeast Philadelphia firm on Bustleton Avenue serving Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks counties, with Russian-speaking attorneys. Works with executors on probate, inheritance tax returns, creditor and beneficiary notice and estate real estate, and handles will contests, breach of fiduciary duty, removal of trustees, contested heirship and guardianship appointments.
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
- Philadelphia Orphans' Court, official page
- Philadelphia County Department of Records, official page
- Philadelphia 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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