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Monroe County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Where probate begins | The Monroe County Register of Wills, at One Quaker Plaza, Room 106, Stroudsburg: this is where the original will is filed, the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02) is presented, letters testamentary or of administration are issued, and the Pennsylvania inheritance-tax return (REV-1500) is filed. The Register of Wills is a combined elected office with the Recorder of Deeds |
| Who supervises administration | The Monroe County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (43rd Judicial District), which handles inventories, accounts, distributions, guardianships, and disputes; the filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at the Monroe County Courthouse, 610 Monroe Street, Stroudsburg |
| Register of Wills office | One Quaker Plaza, Room 106, Stroudsburg, PA 18360; phone (570) 517-3347 or (570) 517-3359, fax (570) 517-3873; probate appointment requests to [email protected] |
| Clerk of the Orphans' Court office | Monroe County Courthouse, 610 Monroe Street, Stroudsburg, PA 18360; phone (570) 517-3385 (also the CourtPro e-filing line), fax (570) 517-3582 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed all major holidays. Confirm any filing cutoff before making a trip to Stroudsburg |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Monroe County and graduated by the value of the estate: the grant of letters runs from $40.00 for an estate of $1,000 to $4,999 up to $110.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000, plus a $41.25 JCS surcharge and a $5.00 automation fee charged separately on every newly opened estate (42 P.S. § 21022.1; Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025). See the fees section below, and confirm the current schedule with the Register of Wills |
| Local forms | Pennsylvania uses one statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set (published on pacourts.us), including Form RW-02 (Petition for Grant of Letters) and Form RW-09 (Inventory). The small-estate petition (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) is a county petition filed with the Orphans' Court division; obtain it from the Register of Wills office. Monroe County has no separate numbered county form set |
| E-filing | The Register of Wills grant of letters is not e-filed: probate is done in person by appointment or by mail, and virtual probate by Zoom video conference is offered but requires attorney representation. Beginning June 29, 2026, attorneys and other authorized users may e-file to the Monroe County Orphans' Court through CourtPro. Confirm the current options for your matter with the office |
| Case search | The statewide court case search is the UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch (Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate-record coverage varies by county); the Monroe County Register of Wills also publishes estate records online through Landex Remote Web (estates from 1836 to present) |
| Remote appearance | The Register offers virtual probate by Zoom video conference for attorney-represented estates; hearing formats before the Orphans' Court Division are set by the court, so confirm any remote option before a scheduled date |
| Website | https://www.monroecountypa.gov/departments/register-of-wills (Register of Wills); https://www.monroepacourts.us (courts and Orphans' Court) |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
The first Monroe County question is which path fits the estate, and then which office you deal with first. Pennsylvania probate begins at the Register of Wills at One Quaker Plaza, where the will is admitted and letters are granted; the Orphans' Court Division at the courthouse on Monroe Street then supervises the administration. A qualifying small estate can instead be settled on a petition to the Orphans' Court division (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102), and some assets pass without any grant of letters at all (20 Pa.C.S. § 3101). The statewide thresholds and paths are covered on the Pennsylvania state page. A jointly owned Pocono 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.
Before you file, identify every bank, credit-union, brokerage, and retirement account, life-insurance policy, business interest, and parcel of Monroe County real estate, including any Pocono vacation or resort-community property, 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 Monroe County Register of Wills and the Monroe County Orphans' Court Division serve all of Monroe County, the Pocono Mountains county in northeastern Pennsylvania. The county takes in Stroudsburg, the county seat, along with East Stroudsburg, Mount Pocono, Delaware Water Gap, and the surrounding townships, including Stroud, Pocono, Coolbaugh, Chestnuthill, Hamilton, Smithfield, Middle Smithfield, Tobyhanna, Tunkhannock, Barrett, Paradise, Price, Polk, Ross, Eldred, and Jackson, and the many Pocono resort and second-home communities within them. Under Pennsylvania's venue rule in Title 20 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (20 Pa.C.S.), letters are granted only by the register of the county where the decedent had a last family or principal residence (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151). A decedent who lived anywhere in Monroe County has the estate opened here, regardless of which township or borough within the county the person lived in.
Monroe County is its own single-county 43rd Judicial District, so the Orphans' Court judges are Court of Common Pleas judges of that district. The two probate offices sit in two different Stroudsburg buildings: the grant of letters and the will filing happen at the Register of Wills, One Quaker Plaza, Room 106, while the later administration filings (inventory, accounts, and any contested matter) are made with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at the Monroe County Courthouse, 610 Monroe Street. Where the decedent was not a Pennsylvania resident but left property in the county, the Register may grant ancillary letters for the Monroe County property (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151).
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm venue. Monroe 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 Monroe County Register of Wills regardless of which township or borough within the county the person lived in.
- Choose the path and the form. With a will, the named executor presents the original will and Form RW-02 (Petition for Grant of Letters) and the Register issues letters testamentary; with no will, an eligible person petitions on Form RW-02 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, witnesses may need to be sworn to the decedent's signature.
- File with the Register of Wills. Present the petition at the Register of Wills, One Quaker Plaza, Room 106, Stroudsburg. Opening probate involves being sworn before the Register, so a self-represented filer probates in person by appointment or by mail; an attorney-represented estate may instead use virtual probate by Zoom video conference. Request approval of the appointment by emailing [email protected], or call the office at (570) 517-3347 to arrange it or to confirm a mail filing.
- Pay the county filing fee. Monroe's Register of Wills grant-of-letters fee is graduated by the value of the estate, from $40.00 for an estate of $1,000 to $4,999 up to $110.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000; a $41.25 JCS fee and a $5.00 automation fee are added separately on every newly opened estate (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025). Request several short certificates (certified proof of the letters), $5.00 each, which is what banks and transfer agents rely on.
- 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 legal journal, the Monroe Legal Reporter, requesting that creditors present claims (20 Pa.C.S. § 3162). Creditors generally have one year from the first complete advertisement to present claims (20 Pa.C.S. § 3532). File proof of publication with the Register ($2.00).
- File the Pennsylvania inheritance-tax return. File the REV-1500 (resident decedent) in duplicate with the Register of Wills ($25.00 filing fee). 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 and appraisement 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); the first page is $25.00 with the probate and $3.00 per additional page. An interested party may demand it sooner.
- Administer and close. Collect the assets, pay valid claims and taxes, and account to the interested parties. Accounts, petitions for distribution, and any contested matter are filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at 610 Monroe Street and heard by the Orphans' Court Division; beginning June 29, 2026, attorneys and other authorized users may e-file those documents through CourtPro. 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 Monroe County
Pennsylvania uses one statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, and Monroe County files the same set as every other county. The load-bearing filings are Form RW-02, the Petition for Grant of Letters, used with or without a will; Form RW-06, the Renunciation, where a person with priority declines to serve; and Form RW-09, the Inventory. The Orphans' Court account and distribution filings use the statewide OC-series forms. These are published centrally on the Unified Judicial System forms hub at pacourts.us/forms/for-the-public/orphans-court-forms.
The small-estate petition is different: settlement of a small estate under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county petition filed with the Orphans' Court division, not a numbered statewide RW form. Monroe County does not publish a separate numbered county form set, so contact the Register of Wills office for the small-estate petition. In Monroe County the grant-of-letters filing is presented to the Register of Wills at One Quaker Plaza, Room 106, in person by appointment or by mail (or by virtual probate for an attorney-represented estate), and the later administration filings are made with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at 610 Monroe Street, with Orphans' Court e-filing through CourtPro available to attorneys and authorized users beginning June 29, 2026.
Fees
Pennsylvania sets probate filing fees per county, and Monroe County publishes its own Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025, graduated by the value of the estate. Unlike some counties that fold the surcharges into the letters fee, Monroe County itemizes them separately: a $41.25 JCS fee and a $5.00 automation fee are each charged on every newly opened estate, on top of the graduated grant-of-letters fee (42 P.S. § 21022.1). Confirm the current schedule with the Register of Wills before you file; each figure below carries its source.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grant of letters, estate $1,000 to $4,999 | $40.00 | The starting graduated tier; letters testamentary and letters of administration follow the same ladder (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025) |
| Grant of letters, estate $50,000 to $74,999 | $100.00 | A mid-range tier; the fee rises in steps with the value of the estate (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025) |
| Grant of letters, estate $75,000 to $100,000 | $110.00 | The top listed tier, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025) |
| Letters testamentary, estate not exceeding $1,000 | $30.00 (single-page will) | Plus $3.00 per additional page of the will, and $20.00 for a single-page codicil plus $3.00 per additional page (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025) |
| JCS fee (per newly opened estate) | $41.25 | Charged separately on every newly opened estate, not included in the graduated letters fee (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025) |
| Automation fee (per newly opened estate) | $5.00 | Charged separately on every newly opened estate; Monroe County's automation fee is $5.00 (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025) |
| Short certificate | $5.00 each | Certified proof of the letters, which banks and transfer agents rely on (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025) |
| Renunciation | $10.00 each | For a person with priority who declines to serve (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025) |
| Filing the inheritance-tax return (REV-1500) | $25.00 | The return must be filed in duplicate (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025) |
| Inventory and appraisement (Form RW-09) | $25.00 first page, $3.00 per additional page | The first page is paid at the time of probate (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025) |
| Certified copy of an instrument | $30.00 | Filing certified or exemplified copies of letters is $60.00 (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025) |
Local nuance
Monroe County-specific considerations
The two offices sit in two different Stroudsburg buildings. In most Pennsylvania counties the Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court share a building; in Monroe County they do not. The grant of letters and the will filing happen at the Register of Wills, One Quaker Plaza, Room 106, phone (570) 517-3347. The later administration filings (inventory, accounts, and any contested matter) are made with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at the Monroe County Courthouse, 610 Monroe Street, phone (570) 517-3385. Send each filing to the right office.
Virtual probate is available, but only with an attorney. The Register of Wills offers virtual probate by Zoom video conference, which lets an attorney-represented estate be sworn without traveling to Stroudsburg. Virtual probate requires attorney representation, so a self-represented personal representative probates in person by appointment or by mail. Either way, opening probate involves being sworn before the Register, so it is not a simple mail-in step for everyone.
Orphans' Court e-filing arrives through CourtPro in mid-2026. Beginning June 29, 2026, attorneys and other authorized users may e-file to the Monroe County Orphans' Court through CourtPro, so inventories, accounts, and petitions can be filed online without a trip to the courthouse. The Register of Wills grant of letters remains an in-person, mail, or virtual-probate step and is not part of CourtPro. Direct e-filing questions to the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at (570) 517-3385.
Register of Wills estate records are online through Landex. The Monroe County Register of Wills publishes estate records online through Landex Remote Web, covering estates from 1836 to the present, which is separate from the statewide UJS Portal case search. Use Landex for Monroe County estate documents and the UJS Portal for the general court case search, whose Register of Wills and Orphans' Court coverage varies by county.
The county fee bill itemizes the surcharges. Monroe County's Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025, charges the $41.25 JCS fee and a $5.00 automation fee separately on every newly opened estate, added to the graduated grant-of-letters fee. Monroe's automation fee is $5.00, not the larger figure some counties charge, so budget the two surcharges on top of the letters fee rather than assuming they are included.
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| June 29, 2026 | Monroe County Orphans' Court e-filing through CourtPro becomes available to attorneys and other authorized users, allowing inventories, accounts, and petitions to be filed online (source: Monroe County prothonotary department page, monroecountypa.gov, verified July 2026). |
| November 17, 2025 | The Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill took effect, graduating the grant-of-letters fee by estate value and itemizing the $41.25 JCS fee and a $5.00 automation fee separately on every newly opened estate (source: Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, verified July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Monroe County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | A Pocono 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 Monroe County Register of Wills on Form RW-02, 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 Form RW-02 petition and the supporting documents. A vetted Monroe County probate attorney if the estate is contested or complex. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | If the parent lived in Monroe 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 can pass without any letters at all (20 Pa.C.S. § 3101). A larger estate is opened with the Register of Wills on Form RW-02. Because opening probate involves being sworn before the Register, an out-of-state child files in person by appointment or by mail, or uses virtual probate if represented by an attorney. | 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 Form RW-02 grant of letters, organized so an out-of-state filer can plan one trip to Stroudsburg. 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 Monroe County Register of Wills. Because there is no will, the parent petitions for letters of administration (Form RW-02), 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 Monroe County real estate; a contested step is heard by the Orphans' Court Division at 610 Monroe Street. | Asset discovery for the child's accounts and property. Packet generation for the administration petition, the inventory, and the sale papers. A vetted Monroe County probate attorney to run the administration and any contested step. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Monroe County Register of Wills (monroecountypa.gov/departments/register-of-wills) | The office that admits the will and grants letters: address, hours, the fee bill, the virtual-probate process, and the Landex online estate records link |
| Monroe County Courts and Orphans' Court (monroepacourts.us) | The 43rd Judicial District courts site: the Monroe County Courthouse, local Orphans' Court rules, and court calendars; the CourtPro Orphans' Court e-filing announcement and link are published on the county's prothonotary department page at monroecountypa.gov |
| Unified Judicial System forms and self-help (pacourts.us/forms/for-the-public/orphans-court-forms and pacourts.us/learn) | The statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court forms, including Form RW-02 and Form RW-09, and plain-language help with representing yourself |
| 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 inheritance-tax rates, the REV-1500 return, the nine-month deadline, and the three-month early-payment discount |
| North Penn Legal Services, Stroudsburg office, (570) 424-5338 or (800) 532-8282 (nplspa.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Monroe and Pike counties |
| Monroe County Bar Association Find a Lawyer Program, (570) 424-1340 (monroebar.org) | Referral to a local attorney who handles probate and estate matters in Monroe County; the association also publishes the Monroe Legal Reporter, the county legal journal used for estate notices |
| PALawHELP (palawhelp.org) | Plain-language legal information and legal-aid routing statewide |
When to hire an attorney
Pennsylvania does not require an attorney to open a probate estate, and many uncontested Monroe County estates are handled with the statewide forms and the Register of Wills. 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 Monroe County real estate, including Pocono resort or second-home property, must be sold and the terms are disputed; when the heirs are unknown or in conflict; or when a formal accounting or a dispute over the personal representative is filed. An attorney is also what makes the Register's virtual probate available, since virtual probate requires attorney representation. Sunset can connect families to a vetted Monroe 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, Monroe 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 Monroe County filing: the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02), 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 present to the Register of Wills in person, by mail, or through virtual probate.
Find a local probate attorney. When an estate is contested, taxable, or otherwise calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted Monroe 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 Monroe County, Pennsylvania?
Probate begins with the Monroe County Register of Wills, One Quaker Plaza, Room 106, Stroudsburg, PA 18360, phone (570) 517-3347. That is where the original will is filed, the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02) is presented, and letters are issued. The Orphans' Court Division that later supervises the administration files through the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at the Monroe County Courthouse, 610 Monroe Street, phone (570) 517-3385.
Can I e-file a probate in Monroe County?
Not for the grant of letters. The Monroe County Register of Wills handles probate in person by appointment or by mail, and offers virtual probate by Zoom video conference only for attorney-represented estates. For the administration that follows, the Monroe County Orphans' Court is bringing e-filing online through CourtPro beginning June 29, 2026, for attorneys and other authorized users. Confirm the current options for your matter with the office.
How much does it cost to open a probate estate in Monroe County?
Monroe's Register of Wills grant-of-letters fee is set by the county and graduated by the value of the estate, from $40.00 for an estate of $1,000 to $4,999 up to $110.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000. A $41.25 JCS fee and a $5.00 automation fee are charged separately on every newly opened estate, and a short certificate is $5.00 each (Monroe County Register of Wills fee bill, effective November 17, 2025). Confirm the current schedule with the Register of Wills.
What are the Monroe County Register of Wills hours?
The Register of Wills at One Quaker Plaza, Room 106, Stroudsburg, is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is closed on all major holidays. Because opening probate involves being sworn before the Register, email [email protected] or call (570) 517-3347 to arrange an in-person appointment or confirm a mail filing before you go.
How do I look up a Monroe County estate or probate record?
The Monroe County Register of Wills publishes estate records online through Landex Remote Web, covering estates from 1836 to the present. 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 Monroe County estate?
Pennsylvania's statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court forms, the same set used in every county. The core filings are Form RW-02 (Petition for Grant of Letters) and Form RW-09 (Inventory), published on pacourts.us/forms/for-the-public/orphans-court-forms. The small-estate petition (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) is a county petition filed with the Orphans' Court division; contact the Monroe County Register of Wills office for it. Monroe County has no separate numbered county form set.
Do I have to appear in person to open probate in Monroe County?
Opening probate involves being sworn before the Register, so it is not a simple mail-in step. A self-represented personal representative probates in person by appointment or by mail. An attorney-represented estate can instead use the Register's virtual probate by Zoom video conference. Confirm what your matter requires with the Register of Wills at (570) 517-3347.
Does Monroe County charge inheritance tax, and where do I file the return?
Pennsylvania has a state inheritance tax keyed to the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent, and it applies to Monroe County estates. The REV-1500 resident return is filed in duplicate with the Monroe County Register of Wills ($25.00 filing fee). The tax becomes delinquent nine months after death, with a 5% discount for tax paid within three months. The rate detail is on the Pennsylvania state page.
How do I handle a small estate in Monroe County?
A qualifying small estate can be settled on a petition to the Orphans' Court division under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 rather than a full grant of letters, and some assets can be released without any letters at all under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3101. The small-estate petition is a county form; contact the Monroe County Register of Wills office for it. The statewide thresholds are covered on the Pennsylvania state page.
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.