What Do I Do When Someone Dies in Pennsylvania?
A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with the state's rules, deadlines, fees, and official forms noted on the steps they apply to. Free PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Request 10-15 certified copies from the funeral home or state vital records office. You will need these for banks, insurance companies, government agencies, and other institutions. Each institution typically requires an original certified copy. Order from Pennsylvania Department of Health - Division of Vital Records. Fee: $20/copy. Available: online, mail, in-person. Processing: Approximately 3 weeks (online or mail).
State law sets the order of who has the legal right to decide burial, cremation, or other disposition. A written pre-need designation by the deceased, if one exists, controls. Confirm who holds this authority before arrangements are made. State law sets the order of who controls disposition of remains. Order: Person designated by decedent in a valid will (20 Pa.C.S. § 305(a)); then DD Form 93 designee for armed forces members (supersedes will if executed later, § 305(a.1)); then Surviving spouse; then others in statutory order. A written pre-need designation by the deceased, if one exists, controls over this order.
Evaluate whether the estate qualifies for small estate procedures or if full probate is required based on asset values and types. Small estate affidavit available for estates under $50,000. Informal (unsupervised) probate available.
Submit the original will (if any) and petition to open probate. You will need to pay filing fees and may need to post a bond. Statewide form: RW-02 (Petition for Grant of Letters). File with the Register of Wills of the county of the decedent’s domicile (a row office of the Court of Common Pleas; contested matters go to the Orphans’ Court Division). Counties may require additional local forms. Filing fees vary by estate value. Informal probate available. Typical duration: 9-24 months.
Once appointed by the court, obtain letters testamentary (with will) or letters of administration (without will). These prove your authority. Letters Testamentary are issued by the The county Register of Wills, after admitting the will to probate (testate) or determining the order of priority (intestate) and administering the Oath of Personal Representative. The state's title for the role is Personal Representative (executor if testate, administrator if intestate). Typically filed with the petition: 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 2; Oath of subscribing / non-subscribing witness(es) where the will is not self-proved (RW-03 Oath of Subscribing Witness(es) / RW-04 Oath of Non-subscribing Witness(es) / RW-05 Oath of Witness(es) to Will Executed by Mark) (20 Pa.C.S. §§ 3132, 3132.1); Renunciation (RW-06) from any person with equal or higher priority who declines to serve (20 Pa.C.S. § 3155); Estimated estate value (personal and real property) entered on the petition for fee/bond calculation; Bond unless excused (20 Pa.C.S. §§ 3171-3175); Notice of Estate Administration to beneficiaries and intestate heirs (RW-07) within 3 months of the grant of letters, and Certification of Notice (RW-08) within 10 days after giving that notice (Pa. O.C. Rule 10.5).
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Death of a Parent
A step-by-step guide to what happens after a parent dies: the documents to find, the certificates to order, and whether probate is even required.
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Loss of a Spouse
What a surviving spouse needs to do: death certificates, survivor benefits, whether probate is even required, and the tax election that expires.
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Named as Executor
What an executor actually does: getting appointed, notifying creditors, paying debts and taxes, and where personal liability starts.
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Named as Trustee
Being named trustee means managing trust assets and carrying out the grantor's wishes. Your duties, timeline, compensation, and how to get started.
Learn moreMore tools for handling this estate
Calculators and checklists for executors and trustees.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Prepare the application to open probate and request Letters Testamentary or of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Prepare the creditor notice for an estate — the official state form or a notice typeset to statute, plus mailed notices for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor — the writing filed with the court, drafted to your state's rule, with its deadline and filing office.
Affidavit of Heirship
Prepare the sworn statement of a deceased person's family history and heirs for recording in the county land records, composed to your state's statute with its recording instructions.
Small Estate Affidavit
Prepare the affidavit that collects a small estate's property without probate — the official state form or an affidavit drafted to statute, plus a presentation letter for each holder.
Estate Inventory
Prepare the probate inventory of estate property — every asset at its date-of-death value, composed to your state's statute, with the state's filing or delivery instructions.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.
What's Fair Trustee Compensation?
Find out what's fair compensation for serving as trustee. Compare family, professional, and corporate trustee rates based on your situation.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax (12 states + DC), and inheritance tax (5 states) for an estate or trust.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
Pennsylvania Estate Settlement Resources
In-depth guides covering Pennsylvania probate, estate administration, and settling an estate.
