OptionalOrphans' Court papers may be filed electronically through the C-Track E-Filing Portal, and the public terminals at the Register of Wills office can be used for it. Petitions for grant of letters, original wills and codicils, inheritance tax returns, citations and bonds are not accepted electronically, so opening an estate is done in person. E-filing support is through the Court Administrator's Office at 724-228-6797.
Self-represented filing
AllowedAn attorney is not required to apply for letters; the office provides the forms but cannot give direction or legal advice on preparing them. A complete estate checklist is provided to filers without a lawyer.
Accepted payment
At the counterCheck.Probate fees are paid with one check payable to Washington County Register of Wills. The fee is calculated at probate, with the balance due when the inheritance tax return (REV-1500) is filed.
Hearing schedule
Audits of accounts are held on Fridays every other month: November 20, 2026 is the last of the year, with accounts for it due by October 7, 2026.
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 Washington, probate runs through the Orphans' Court at Crossroads Center, 95 West Beau Street, Suite 425, Washington. Probate e-filing in Washington County goes through efile.ctrack.washingtoncourts.us, which no other Pennsylvania county uses.
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 Washington County
What probate costs in Washington 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 Crossroads Center, 95 West Beau Street, Suite 425, Washington.
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 Washington 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. Electronic probate filing sets Washington County apart — only 15 Pennsylvania counties accept it, with the rest filing on paper.
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.
Before You File
What a petition for probate must include
The petition is filed with the original will and any codicil and an original death certificate, and the executor or administrator appears in person. Witnesses to a will that is not self-proving appear or sign notarized affidavits, renunciations signed outside the office are notarized, and an out-of-state representative posts bond unless the will says otherwise.
Filings requiring certification, exemplification, or swearing-in cannot be e-filed
Filings that require certification, exemplification, citation, swearing-in of the filer, the payment of a variable sum of money, or the calculation of a variable time deadline are not accepted for e-filing.
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 Washington County
In Washington 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 Washington County are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds at 95 West Beau Street, Suite 520, Washington, PA 15301. Phone: 1-724-228-6806. Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The Recorder of Deeds charges $81 for the first 4 pages plus $2 for each page beyond 4.
Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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.
Downtown Pittsburgh firm, a division of Jones, Gregg, Creehan & Gerace, with a practice limited to probate estate administration, estate planning and real estate, and five offices across Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Petitions to have the executor or administrator appointed by the Register of Wills, handles creditor claims, prepares the inheritance and estate tax returns and the pleadings to close the estate, and takes on Orphans' Court will contests and trustee-malfeasance claims. Most probate work is billed at a written flat fee paid when the administration is complete.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 2 more
Two-attorney firm founded in 1993, with offices in Beaver and Sewickley, serving Greater Pittsburgh, the Beaver Valley, and surrounding counties. Handles probate and estate administration from the petition and executor appointment through the inventory, inheritance tax return, and distribution, plus trust administration and will contests and family disputes over estates and trusts. All initial consultations are free, in person or virtual.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 5 more
Estate planning and elder law firm based in Canonsburg (McMurray), with offices in Delmont and Cranberry Township, serving Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania. Guides personal representatives and trustees through Pennsylvania probate and trust administration from the first filing to the final distribution, including the inheritance tax return and estate inventory. Also handles Medicaid and veterans pension eligibility, special needs planning, and guardianships, with social workers on staff.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 4 more
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawConservatorshipand 4 more
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawTax Planningand 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
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.
