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Lawrence County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Lawrence County Register of Wills, which admits the will to probate, grants letters testamentary (with a will) or letters of administration (without one), and receives the Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (REV-1500). In Lawrence County the Register of Wills is a combined office run together with the Recorder of Deeds |
| Administration supervised by | The Lawrence County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (53rd Judicial District), which handles inventories, accounts, distributions, guardianships of minors and incapacitated persons, adoptions, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills. Its filing office, the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, is run inside the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office |
| Filing office | Lawrence County Government Center, 430 Court Street, New Castle, PA 16101. The Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds and the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts are separate counters in the same building |
| Phone | Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds (724) 656-1976; Prothonotary and Clerk of the Orphans' Court (724) 656-2126 |
| Fax | (724) 656-1966 (Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds) |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; the last transactions are accepted at 3:45 p.m. Closed weekends and county holidays. Confirm any filing cutoff before making a trip to New Castle |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Lawrence County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $40.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000 up to $150.00 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $100.00 for each additional $100,000, under the county schedule effective November 28, 2025 (42 P.S. § 21022.1). The granting-of-letters filing also carries a $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee, a $10.00 automation fee, and a $20.00 will or codicil charge. See the fees section below and confirm the current schedule with the Register of Wills |
| Local probate forms | Pennsylvania uses one statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set (published on pacourts.us and used in every county). Lawrence County posts fillable copies of the load-bearing forms on the Register-Recorder page, including the Petition for Probate and Grant of Letters. The county's own Small Estates Affidavit is for insurance proceeds only, not the small-estate petition |
| E-filing | Lawrence County offers online eProbate (a virtual probate procedure) and online eFiling for wills through the county's GovOS portal, linked from the Register-Recorder page, alongside in-person and mail filing. Opening probate by practice may still involve being sworn before the Register; confirm what your matter requires with the office |
| Case search | The statewide UJS Portal case search (ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch), whose coverage of Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate records varies by county, plus the county's own online Register of Wills index search at countyfusion1.kofiletech.us (LawrenceWills) |
| Remote appearance | Not published as a general option for Orphans' Court hearings; the Register's eProbate and eFiling tools handle much of the paperwork online. Confirm any remote option with the office before a scheduled date |
| Website | https://www.lawrencecountypa.gov/departments/register-recorder |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Lawrence County, know exactly what is in the estate. Which Pennsylvania path fits depends on whether there is a will and on the value and type of the assets: a full grant of letters testamentary or of administration through the Register of Wills, a petition to settle a small estate of $50,000 or less through the Orphans' Court (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102), or the release of certain assets without any letters at all. Those paths and their dollar thresholds are statewide and are explained on the Pennsylvania state page. A jointly owned New Castle home or a beneficiary-designated account often passes outside the estate, so the estate that actually goes through probate can be smaller than the family expects.
Identify every bank and credit-union account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, life-insurance policy, vehicle, and parcel of Lawrence County real estate, along with every debt, and identify each heir by name. Only then can you pick the right path, calculate the correct county filing fee, and decide whether counsel is needed. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Lawrence County Register of Wills and the Lawrence County Clerk of the Orphans' Court, both at the Lawrence County Government Center in New Castle, serve all of Lawrence County. That includes the City of New Castle, the county seat, along with Ellwood City, Bessemer, Enon Valley, New Wilmington, Volant, S.N.P.J., and the surrounding boroughs and townships such as Neshannock, Union, Shenango, Slippery Rock, Wilmington, and Pulaski. Lawrence County is its own judicial district, the 53rd Judicial District, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas judge; you do not file in any other county.
Venue for a decedent's estate is the county where the decedent had a last family or principal residence, under Title 20 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151). If the decedent lived in Lawrence County, file with the Lawrence County Register of Wills. If the decedent was not domiciled in Pennsylvania but left property in the county, the Register of the county where the property is located may grant letters (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151), which is the basis for an ancillary administration. The Register of Wills keeps the county's original wills and estate records, and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court holds the later administration filings.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm venue. Lawrence County is the right county when the decedent had a last family or principal residence here at death (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151). The estate is opened with the Lawrence County Register of Wills regardless of which borough or township in the county the person lived in.
- Choose the path and the form. With a will, the named executor presents the original will and a Petition for Probate and Grant of Letters and the Register issues letters testamentary; with no will, an eligible person petitions and the Register issues letters of administration in the priority order set by 20 Pa.C.S. § 3155. A qualifying small estate can instead be settled on a petition to the Orphans' Court division (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102). The statewide paths and thresholds are on the Pennsylvania state page.
- Gather what the Register needs: the original will (if any), a certified death certificate, an estimate of the estate's assets and debts, and the names and addresses of the heirs. For a will without a self-proving acknowledgment, the oaths of the subscribing or non-subscribing witnesses (Forms RW-03 and RW-04) are used to prove the will.
- File with the Register of Wills. Present the petition, the original will, and the certified death certificate at the Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds counter, 430 Court Street, New Castle, or start online through the county's eProbate and eFiling tools linked from the Register-Recorder page. Opening probate by practice may involve being sworn before the Register, so confirm whether an in-person step is required. The last transactions are accepted at 3:45 p.m.
- Pay the county filing fee. Lawrence's Register of Wills fee for a grant of letters is graduated by the value of the estate, from $40.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000 up to $150.00 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $100.00 for each additional $100,000, under the schedule effective November 28, 2025; the filing also carries a $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee, a $10.00 automation fee, and a $20.00 will or codicil charge (Lawrence County Register of Wills fee schedule effective November 28, 2025, verified July 2026). Request several short certificates, the certified proof of the letters that banks and transfer agents rely on, at $5.00 each.
- Advertise the grant of letters. Immediately after letters are granted, advertise the grant once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation near the decedent's residence and in the county's designated legal periodical, requesting that creditors present claims (20 Pa.C.S. § 3162). The statewide legal-notice search at palegalads.org can help locate the current journal. Creditors generally have one year from the first complete advertisement to present claims (20 Pa.C.S. § 3532).
- File the Pennsylvania inheritance-tax return. File the REV-1500 (resident decedent) with the Lawrence County Register of Wills, which acts as the collection agent. Pennsylvania inheritance tax is keyed to the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent, becomes delinquent nine months after death, and a 5% discount is allowed on tax paid within three months of death. The rate detail is on the Pennsylvania state page.
- File the inventory. File a verified inventory of the estate's real and personal property with the Register on Form RW-09, due no later than the earlier of the account filing or the inheritance-tax return due date (20 Pa.C.S. § 3301); an interested party may demand it sooner.
- Administer and close through the Orphans' Court. Collect the assets, pay valid claims and taxes, and distribute what remains. When a formal account is required, it is filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, which is run inside the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office; many smaller estates instead close by a family settlement agreement. A personal representative who distributes is protected from a claim not made known within one year after the first complete advertisement of the grant of letters (20 Pa.C.S. § 3532).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Lawrence County
Pennsylvania uses one statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Lawrence County files the same set. The form that opens an estate is the Petition for Probate and Grant of Letters, presented with the original will and a certified death certificate. Other statewide forms in common use include the oaths of the subscribing and non-subscribing witnesses (Forms RW-03 and RW-04), the Renunciation (Form RW-06), the Rule 10.5 estate-administration notice and certification (Forms RW-07 and RW-08), and the Inventory (Form RW-09), along with the Orphans' Court OC-series account and administration forms. Lawrence County posts fillable copies of these forms on its Register-Recorder page.
The small-estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county petition filed with the Orphans' Court division, not a numbered statewide RW form. Note that the document the county labels a Small Estates Affidavit is a narrower form: it is a release for insurance proceeds of no more than $11,000 payable to the estate where no estate is being raised (20 Pa.C.S. § 3101), not the general small-estate petition. In Lawrence County the completed forms are filed with the Register of Wills at 430 Court Street, or through the county's online eProbate and eFiling tools.
| Resource | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Lawrence County Register-Recorder (lawrencecountypa.gov) | The county Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds page, with fillable probate forms, the current fee schedule, hours, contact information, and the eProbate and eFiling links |
| Pennsylvania Register of Wills and Orphans' Court forms (pacourts.us) | The statewide form set used in every county, including the Petition for Grant of Letters (RW-02), the Renunciation (RW-06), the Inventory (RW-09), and the Orphans' Court OC-series forms |
| UJS Portal case search (ujsportal.pacourts.us) | The statewide court case search; its coverage of Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate records varies by county |
Fees
Pennsylvania sets probate filing fees county by county, not statewide, and Lawrence County publishes its own Register of Wills fee schedule, graduated by the value of the estate. The figures below were read from the county's schedule effective November 28, 2025, in July 2026; confirm the current amounts with the office, because a county can revise its schedule.
The Register of Wills fee for a grant of letters is graduated by the value of the estate and starts at $40.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000, rising through the brackets to $150.00 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $100.00 for each additional $100,000. On top of the estate-value fee, the granting-of-letters filing carries a $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee, a $10.00 automation fee, and a $20.00 charge for the will or codicil (a probate of will without letters uses the same $41.25 and $10.00 charges plus a $40.00 will charge). Short certificates are $5.00 each.
| Lawrence County filing | Fee (effective November 28, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Grant of letters, estate not exceeding $5,000 | $40.00 estate-value fee, plus a $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee, a $10.00 automation fee, and a $20.00 will or codicil charge |
| Grant of letters, estate $50,001 to $75,000 | $120.00 estate-value fee, plus the $41.25, $10.00, and $20.00 charges above |
| Grant of letters, estate $75,001 to $100,000 | $150.00 estate-value fee, then $100.00 for each additional $100,000, plus the $41.25, $10.00, and $20.00 charges above |
| Probate of will without letters | $40.00, plus a $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee and a $10.00 automation fee |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $5.00 each |
| Inventory (Form RW-09) | $20.00 |
| Inheritance tax return (REV-1500) | $20.00 |
| Small Estates Affidavit (insurance proceeds only) | $25.00 |
Where the gross value of the estate is underestimated on the petition, the county bills the balance of the probate fee, payable within 30 days. All fees are from the Lawrence County Register of Wills fee schedule effective November 28, 2025, verified July 2026; the Orphans' Court account and petition filings handled through the Clerk of the Orphans' Court carry their own charges under 42 P.S. § 21032.1.
Local nuance
Lawrence County-specific considerations
Both filing offices are combined row offices. Lawrence County does not have a stand-alone Register of Wills or a stand-alone Clerk of the Orphans' Court. The Register of Wills is run together with the Recorder of Deeds as one office, and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court function is run inside the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office. Both are at the Lawrence County Government Center, 430 Court Street, New Castle. Present the grant of letters, the inventory, and the inheritance-tax return at the Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds counter (724) 656-1976, and file accounts, guardianship, and adoption matters with the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts counter (724) 656-2126.
Lawrence offers online eProbate and eFiling. Unlike most small Pennsylvania counties, Lawrence provides an online eProbate (virtual probate) procedure and online eFiling for wills through the county's GovOS portal, both linked from the Register-Recorder page, and an online Register of Wills index search at countyfusion1.kofiletech.us. Opening probate by practice may still involve being sworn before the Register, so confirm whether an in-person step is required for your matter, but much of the paperwork can be started online.
The county's Small Estates Affidavit is for insurance proceeds only. The form the county posts as a Small Estates Affidavit is a release for life-insurance proceeds of no more than $11,000 payable to the estate where no estate is being raised, along the lines of the release-without-letters path in 20 Pa.C.S. § 3101. It is not the small-estate petition. To settle a qualifying small estate, use the petition to the Orphans' Court division under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102, described on the Pennsylvania state page.
The counter closes for transactions before the office closes. The Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but the last transactions are accepted at 3:45 p.m. If you plan to present a petition or be sworn in person, arrive before the 3:45 p.m. cutoff.
The fee schedule changed on November 28, 2025. The county's current Register of Wills fee schedule took effect November 28, 2025, at 4:00 p.m., reflecting a state-mandated fee increase. If you are working from an older schedule or a third-party summary, confirm the current amounts with the office before you file.
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| November 28, 2025 | The Lawrence County Register of Wills fee schedule was updated, effective November 28, 2025, at 4:00 p.m., reflecting a state-mandated fee increase; the graduated grant-of-letters fees, the $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee, and the $10.00 automation fee on this page are from that schedule (source: Lawrence County Register of Wills fee schedule, verified July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Lawrence County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | A New Castle-area home held by the spouses as tenants by the entirety, or jointly with right of survivorship, generally passes to the surviving spouse outside the estate; the survivor clears title with the county. Accounts and property in the decedent's sole name may still need a grant of letters, opened with the Lawrence County Register of Wills on the Petition for Probate and Grant of Letters, with letters testamentary if there is a will or letters of administration if there is not. | Asset discovery to separate survivorship property from sole-name assets. Packet generation for the grant-of-letters petition and the supporting documents. A vetted Lawrence County probate attorney if the estate is contested or complex. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | If the parent lived in Lawrence County and left a qualifying small estate, the child can settle it on a petition to the Orphans' Court division (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) rather than a full grant of letters; some assets, such as insurance proceeds payable to the estate, can pass without any letters at all (20 Pa.C.S. § 3101). A larger estate is opened with the Register of Wills. Lawrence's online eProbate and eFiling tools can reduce trips to New Castle, though opening probate may still require being sworn before the Register. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the small-estate path and holds no complicating real property. Packet generation for the small-estate petition or the grant of letters. Attorney referral if the estate turns out to be larger or contested. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A grant of letters at the Lawrence County Register of Wills. Because there is no will, the parent petitions for letters of administration, with priority set by 20 Pa.C.S. § 3155, then advertises the grant (20 Pa.C.S. § 3162), files the inventory (Form RW-09), and settles the Pennsylvania inheritance tax. The administrator obtains the authority to sell the child's Lawrence County real estate; a formal account or a contested step is filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. | Asset discovery for the child's accounts and property. Packet generation for the administration petition, the inventory, and the sale papers. A vetted Lawrence County probate attorney to run the administration and any contested step. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Lawrence County Register-Recorder (lawrencecountypa.gov/departments/register-recorder) | The Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds page: address, hours, the current fee schedule, fillable probate forms, the online Register of Wills index search, and the eProbate and eFiling links |
| Lawrence County Prothonotary and Clerk of the Orphans' Court (lawrencecountypa.gov/departments/prothonotary, (724) 656-2126) | The office that handles Orphans' Court filings: first and final accounts, adoptions, and guardianship petitions for minors and incapacitated persons |
| Pennsylvania courts, orphans' court forms (pacourts.us/forms/for-the-public/orphans-court-forms) | The statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set used in Lawrence County, including the Petition for Grant of Letters and the Inventory |
| Pennsylvania courts, representing yourself (pacourts.us/learn) | Plain-language statewide guidance on the courts, self-representation, and estate procedure |
| UJS Portal case search (ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch) | The statewide court case search; Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate-record coverage varies by county |
| Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, inheritance tax (pa.gov/agencies/revenue) | The Pennsylvania inheritance tax rules and the REV-1500 return, which is filed with the Lawrence County Register of Wills |
| Neighborhood Legal Services, Lawrence County office (724) 658-2677 (nlsa.us) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Lawrence, Allegheny, Beaver, and Butler counties |
| Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (pabar.org) | Referrals to Pennsylvania probate attorneys, including those serving the Lawrence County region |
| PALawHELP (palawhelp.org) | Plain-language legal information and statewide routing to legal aid and lawyer referral services |
When to hire an attorney
Pennsylvania does not require an attorney to open a probate estate, and many uncontested Lawrence County estates are handled with the statewide forms and the Register of Wills, especially a small estate that qualifies for the 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 petition or an ordinary grant of letters where the will is clear. Counsel makes sense when a will is contested or an appeal is taken from the Register to the Orphans' Court Division; when the estate is large, taxable, or holds a business interest or out-of-state property; when Lawrence County real estate must be sold and the terms are disputed; when the heirs are unknown or in conflict; or when a formal Orphans' Court account is required. The Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court can explain procedure but cannot give legal advice. Sunset can connect families to a vetted Lawrence County probate attorney when the situation calls for counsel.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and public records to surface bank and credit-union accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, Lawrence County real estate, business interests, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value for estate settlement and can pick the right Pennsylvania path before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the Lawrence County filing, the Petition for Probate and Grant of Letters, the inventory (Form RW-09), and the supporting documents from Pennsylvania's statewide set, or the small-estate petition where the estate qualifies, ready to file with the Register of Wills in person or through the county's online eProbate and eFiling tools.
Find a local probate attorney. When an estate is contested, taxable, or otherwise calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted Lawrence County probate attorney to file and appear.
Sunset is free for families. Revenue comes from bank partners that pay Sunset while estate funds sit in an FDIC-insured estate account ($3M coverage).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania?
With the Lawrence County Register of Wills, a combined office run together with the Recorder of Deeds at the Lawrence County Government Center, 430 Court Street, New Castle, PA 16101, (724) 656-1976. That is where the original will is filed, the Petition for Probate and Grant of Letters is presented, and letters are issued. The Orphans' Court matters that follow, such as accounts and guardianships, are filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, run inside the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office at (724) 656-2126.
Can I e-file probate in Lawrence County?
Yes, in part. Lawrence County offers an online eProbate (virtual probate) procedure and online eFiling for wills through the county's GovOS portal, both linked from the Register-Recorder page, alongside in-person and mail filing. Opening probate by practice may still involve being sworn before the Register, so confirm what your specific matter requires with the office before relying on the online route.
How much does it cost to open a probate estate in Lawrence County?
The Register of Wills fee is set by Lawrence County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $40.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000 up to $150.00 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $100.00 for each additional $100,000, under the schedule effective November 28, 2025. The granting-of-letters filing also carries a $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee, a $10.00 automation fee, and a $20.00 will or codicil charge, and short certificates are $5.00 each. Confirm the current schedule with the office (Lawrence County Register of Wills fee schedule effective November 28, 2025, verified July 2026).
What are the Lawrence County Register of Wills hours?
The Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and is closed on weekends and county holidays. The last transactions are accepted at 3:45 p.m., so arrive before that cutoff if you plan to present a petition or be sworn in person.
How do I look up a Lawrence County estate or probate record?
Lawrence County offers an online Register of Wills index search at countyfusion1.kofiletech.us (LawrenceWills), where you can search the county's estate index. The statewide UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch is the general court case search, though its Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate-record coverage varies by county. The Register of Wills office holds the official file.
What forms do I use for a Lawrence County estate?
Pennsylvania's statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court forms, the same set used in every county. The core filings are the Petition for Probate and Grant of Letters and the Inventory (Form RW-09), posted in fillable form on the county Register-Recorder page and on pacourts.us. The small-estate petition (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) is a county petition filed with the Orphans' Court division; the county's own Small Estates Affidavit is a narrower release for insurance proceeds only.
Does the Lawrence County Small Estates Affidavit settle a small estate?
Not the way the general small-estate petition does. The document the county labels a Small Estates Affidavit is a release for life-insurance proceeds of no more than $11,000 payable to the estate where no estate is being raised, along the lines of 20 Pa.C.S. § 3101. To settle a qualifying small estate of $50,000 or less, use the petition to the Orphans' Court division under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102, described on the Pennsylvania state page.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Lawrence County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Lawrence County Register of Wills, which acts as the collection agent. Pennsylvania has no state estate tax, but it does have an inheritance tax whose rate depends on the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent. The tax becomes delinquent nine months after the date of death, and a 5% discount is allowed on tax paid within three months of death; the rates and details are on the Pennsylvania state page and the Department of Revenue site.
Do I have to travel to New Castle to open probate in Lawrence County?
Possibly not for every step. Lawrence's online eProbate and eFiling tools let you start much of the paperwork online, but opening probate by practice may still involve being sworn before the Register of Wills. Call the office at (724) 656-1976 to confirm whether your matter can be handled online or by mail, or whether an in-person appearance is required, and note the 3:45 p.m. transaction cutoff if you visit.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.