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Washington County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Where probate begins | The Washington County Register of Wills, which admits the will to probate, grants letters testamentary (with a will) or letters of administration (without one), receives the Pennsylvania inheritance-tax return (REV-1500), and issues short certificates. In Washington County the Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court are held by one elected official |
| Who supervises administration | The Washington County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (27th Judicial District), which handles the inventory, accounts, distributions, guardianships, trusts, adoptions, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills; the filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court |
| Filing office | Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court, Crossroads Center, 95 West Beau Street, Suite 425, Washington, PA 15301 |
| Orphans' Court judges | The Orphans' Court Division judges of the 27th Judicial District are based at the Washington County Courthouse, 1 South Main Street, Washington, PA 15301, where hearings and contested matters are heard |
| Phone | (724) 228-6775 (the Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office) |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding county holidays. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published, so confirm the counter hours before making a trip |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Washington County and graduated by the estimated gross value of the estate, starting at $60.00 for an estate of $10,000 or less and rising to $575.00 for an estate of $400,000.01 to $500,000, then $100.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction; the petition fee includes two short certificates. The county schedule includes a $40.25 statutory fee on every Petition for Grant of Letters (42 Pa.C.S. § 3733(a.1)) and the county adds a $5.00 automation fee to filings requiring the JCP surcharge (Washington County Register of Wills fee schedule (Register 31, effective September 21, 2020), verified July 2026). 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; the office provides an estate checklist on request to families filing without counsel |
| E-filing | The grant of letters is opened in person: petitions for letters, original wills, inheritance-tax returns, and bonds are not accepted for e-filing in Washington County. The Orphans' Court accepts electronic filing of eligible documents through the C-Track public portal (efile.ctrack.washingtoncourts.us), available since March 1, 2025; a filer first obtains an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court |
| Case search | Washington County's own C-Track public portal at efile.ctrack.washingtoncourts.us is where Orphans' Court and estate records are searched, and parties can view their own case records for free after registering; the statewide UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch is the general court case search, with estate-record coverage that varies by county |
| Remote appearance | The Register offers administration of an oath by web conference for out-of-county or out-of-state filers (a $10.00 fee under the county schedule); hearing formats before the Orphans' Court Division are set by the court, so confirm any remote option before a scheduled date |
| Website | https://www.washingtoncourts.us/190/Register-of-Wills |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
The first Washington County question is which path fits the estate, and then which office you deal with first. Pennsylvania probate begins at the Register of Wills, where the will is admitted and letters are granted; the Orphans' Court Division then supervises the administration. A qualifying small estate of $50,000 or less 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). Those paths and their dollar thresholds are statewide and are covered on the Pennsylvania state page. A jointly owned home in Canonsburg, Peters Township, or the city of Washington, 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, vehicle, and parcel of Washington 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. Because the Washington County grant of letters is opened in person and the fee is graduated by the estate's estimated gross value, an accurate asset picture also lets you pay the right fee at filing. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Washington County Register of Wills and the Washington County Orphans' Court Division serve all of Washington County, in southwestern Pennsylvania's Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The county takes in the city of Washington (the county seat), the city of Monongahela, and boroughs and townships including Canonsburg, Charleroi, California, Bentleyville, Burgettstown, Donora, Finleyville, Houston, McDonald, Peters Township, North Strabane Township, South Strabane Township, Cecil Township, and Chartiers Township, along with the county's many other communities. 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), and a will may be probated only in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. A decedent who lived anywhere in Washington County has the estate opened here, regardless of which municipality within the county the person lived in.
Washington County is a single-county judicial district, the 27th Judicial District. The Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court filing office is in the Crossroads Center building at 95 West Beau Street, Suite 425, and the Orphans' Court Division judges are based at the Washington County Courthouse at 1 South Main Street. Most estate paperwork, from the grant of letters through the inventory and the inheritance-tax return, is lodged with the Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court, while contested matters and audits are heard by the judges at the courthouse.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm venue. Washington County is the right county when the decedent had a last family or principal residence here at death (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151); a will may be probated only in the county of domicile. The estate is opened with the Washington County Register of Wills regardless of which municipality 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 of $50,000 or less 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. The executor or administrator, and any witnesses for a will that is not self-proving, must appear in person to be sworn (self-proving wills are accepted on the notarized affidavit, and renunciations and out-of-state fiduciary bonds are handled at filing).
- File in person with the Register of Wills. Present the petition, the original will, and the death certificate at the Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office, Crossroads Center, 95 West Beau Street, Suite 425. Opening probate is an in-person step in Washington County: petitions for letters, original wills, inheritance-tax returns, and bonds are not accepted for e-filing. An out-of-county or out-of-state filer can arrange administration of the oath by web conference for a $10.00 fee.
- Pay the county filing fee. Washington's Register of Wills fee is graduated by the estimated gross value of the estate, starting at $60.00 for an estate of $10,000 or less and rising to $575.00 for an estate of $400,000.01 to $500,000, then $100.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction; the petition fee includes two short certificates, and additional short certificates are $5.00 each. The county schedule includes a $40.25 statutory fee on every Petition for Grant of Letters (42 Pa.C.S. § 3733(a.1)) and adds a $5.00 automation fee to filings requiring the JCP surcharge (Washington County Register of Wills fee schedule (Register 31, effective September 21, 2020), verified July 2026). If the estate's value is underestimated, the balance is collected when the inventory is filed.
- 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). 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) in duplicate with the Register of Wills, which acts as the collection agent; inheritance-tax payment checks are made payable to Register of Wills, Agent. Pennsylvania inheritance tax is keyed to the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent, becomes delinquent nine months after the date of 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. The county inventory fee is $20.00.
- Administer and close. Collect the assets, pay valid claims and taxes, and account to the interested parties. Accounts, petitions for distribution, and contested matters are filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court and heard by the Orphans' Court Division; eligible Orphans' Court documents can be e-filed through the C-Track portal since March 1, 2025. 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 Washington County
Pennsylvania uses one statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, and Washington 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. The Washington County office provides an estate checklist on request to families filing without counsel, though its staff cannot complete the forms for you. In Washington County the grant-of-letters filing is presented in person at the Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office, 95 West Beau Street, Suite 425, while eligible Orphans' Court documents can be filed electronically through the C-Track portal.
| Resource | What it provides |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Washington County Register of Wills (washingtoncourts.us) | The county office page, with the address, hours, the estate checklist, the fee schedule, and probate contact information |
| C-Track public portal (efile.ctrack.washingtoncourts.us) | The county's own online records and Orphans' Court e-filing system, where estate records are searched and eligible Orphans' Court documents are filed |
Fees
Pennsylvania sets probate filing fees per county, and Washington County publishes its own Register of Wills fee schedule, graduated by the estimated gross value of the estate. The petition fee includes the cost of filing renunciations, bonds where applicable, and death certificates, along with two short certificates. The county schedule includes a $40.25 statutory fee on every Petition for Grant of Letters (42 Pa.C.S. § 3733(a.1)) and the county adds a $5.00 automation fee to filings requiring the JCP surcharge; the general authority for per-county fees is 42 P.S. § 21022.1. Confirm the current schedule before you file; each figure below comes from the county's published fee bill.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grant of letters, estate $10,000 or less | $60.00 | The minimum grant-of-letters fee; the petition fee includes two short certificates (Washington County Register of Wills fee schedule (Register 31, effective September 21, 2020), verified July 2026) |
| Grant of letters, estate $50,000.01 to $100,000 | $175.00 | An example mid-range tier; the fee rises in steps with the estimated gross value of the estate (Washington County Register of Wills fee schedule (Register 31, effective September 21, 2020), verified July 2026) |
| Grant of letters, estate $400,000.01 to $500,000 | $575.00 | The top published tier, then $100.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction of estate value (Washington County Register of Wills fee schedule (Register 31, effective September 21, 2020), verified July 2026) |
| Additional short certificate | $5.00 each | Two short certificates are included in the petition fee; extra certified copies of the letters are $5.00 each (Washington County Register of Wills fee schedule (Register 31, effective September 21, 2020), verified July 2026) |
| Probate of will only | $50.00 | For probating a will where no grant of letters is sought (Washington County Register of Wills fee schedule (Register 31, effective September 21, 2020), verified July 2026) |
| Inventory (Form RW-09) | $20.00 | Filed with the Register of Wills (Washington County Register of Wills fee schedule (Register 31, effective September 21, 2020), verified July 2026) |
| Inheritance-tax return filing | $10.00 when letters issued; $25.00 when no letters | The REV-1500 is filed in duplicate with the Register of Wills as collection agent (Washington County Register of Wills fee schedule (Register 31, effective September 21, 2020), verified July 2026) |
| Settlement of a small estate (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) | $60.00 | Filed with the Orphans' Court division; from the Orphans' Court portion (Register 30) of the same county fee bill, effective September 21, 2020, verified July 2026 |
Local nuance
Washington County-specific considerations
One officer holds both offices, in two buildings. In Washington County a single elected official serves as both the Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, and that filing office is in the Crossroads Center building at 95 West Beau Street, Suite 425, not at the historic courthouse. The Orphans' Court Division judges of the 27th Judicial District are based at the Washington County Courthouse, 1 South Main Street. Most estate paperwork is lodged at 95 West Beau Street even though contested matters and audits are heard before the judges at the courthouse. This is a common correction: older listings place the office at 1 South Main Street.
Opening probate is an in-person step. The grant of letters cannot be handled online in Washington County. Petitions for letters, original wills, inheritance-tax returns, and bonds are not accepted for e-filing because they require swearing-in, certification, a variable payment, or a variable deadline. The executor or administrator, and any witnesses for a will that is not self-proving, must appear to be sworn, so plan to file at the Register of Wills office. An out-of-county or out-of-state filer can arrange administration of the oath by web conference for a $10.00 fee under the county schedule.
Washington County runs its own C-Track records and Orphans' Court e-filing. The county maintains its own online records and e-filing system on the C-Track public portal at efile.ctrack.washingtoncourts.us, where Orphans' Court and estate records are searched and eligible Orphans' Court documents are filed. Parties to a case can view their own records for free after registering. This is separate from the statewide UJS Portal case search. Orphans' Court e-filing became available on March 1, 2025, and a filer first obtains an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court.
The fee is graduated and paid in full before an estate closes. The Register of Wills fee is graduated by the estimated gross value of the estate, and if the value is underestimated at filing the balance is collected when the inventory is filed. All fees due the Register of Wills, including any balance on the letters, must be paid in full before a finalization or estate settlement will be accepted for filing. Because the fee turns on estate value, an accurate asset picture at the start avoids a later balance-due surprise.
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| March 1, 2025 | Washington County Orphans' Court electronic filing became available for eligible documents through the C-Track public portal (efile.ctrack.washingtoncourts.us); a filer obtains an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. Petitions for letters, original wills, inheritance-tax returns, and bonds remain in-person filings (source: Washington County Orphans' Court e-filing page, verified July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Washington County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | A home in the city of Washington, Canonsburg, or a surrounding township 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 in person with the Washington 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 Washington County probate attorney if the estate is contested or complex. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | If the parent lived in Washington County and left a qualifying small estate of $50,000 or less, 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 is in person, an out-of-state child should call ahead to plan the visit or arrange administration of the oath by web conference. | 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. 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 Washington 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 Washington County real estate; a contested step is heard by the Orphans' Court Division at the courthouse. | Asset discovery for the child's accounts and property. Packet generation for the administration petition, the inventory, and the sale papers. A vetted Washington County probate attorney to run the administration and any contested step. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Washington County Register of Wills (washingtoncourts.us/190/Register-of-Wills) | The county office page for the Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court: address, hours, the probate process, the estate checklist available on request, and the fee schedule |
| Washington County Orphans' Court and e-filing (washingtoncourts.us/294/Orphans-Court) | The Orphans' Court Division's page and the March 2025 Orphans' Court e-filing information, including how to obtain an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court |
| C-Track public portal (efile.ctrack.washingtoncourts.us) | The county's own online records and e-filing system, where Orphans' Court and estate records are searched and eligible documents are filed |
| 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 |
| Summit Legal Aid (summitlegal.org, central intake 1-800-846-0871; Washington office 10 West Cherry Avenue, (724) 225-6170) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Washington County and nine nearby counties, including Greene, Fayette, and Somerset; formed in the 2023 merger of Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Aid and Laurel Legal Services |
| Washington County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, (724) 225-6710 (washcobar.org) | Referral to a qualified local attorney; the current half-hour consultation fee is $50 |
| 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 Washington 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. 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 Washington 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 accounting is required. The Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court can explain procedure but cannot give legal advice or complete the forms for you. Sunset can connect families to a vetted Washington 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, Washington 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, and pay the correct graduated county fee, before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the Washington 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 in person to the Register of Wills at 95 West Beau Street.
Find a local probate attorney. When an estate is contested, taxable, or otherwise calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted Washington 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 Washington County, Pennsylvania?
With the Washington County Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court, in the Crossroads Center building at 95 West Beau Street, Suite 425, Washington, PA 15301, (724) 228-6775. 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 is based at the Washington County Courthouse, 1 South Main Street. Note that older listings place the office at 1 South Main Street, but the filing office is now at 95 West Beau Street.
Can I e-file a probate in Washington County?
Not to open the estate. The grant of letters is an in-person step: petitions for letters, original wills, inheritance-tax returns, and bonds are not accepted for e-filing in Washington County. The county does offer Orphans' Court e-filing for eligible documents through the C-Track public portal at efile.ctrack.washingtoncourts.us, available since March 1, 2025, and a filer first obtains an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. Confirm what your specific matter requires with the office.
How much does it cost to open a probate estate in Washington County?
Washington's Register of Wills fee is set by the county and graduated by the estimated gross value of the estate, starting at $60.00 for an estate of $10,000 or less and rising to $575.00 for an estate of $400,000.01 to $500,000, then $100.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction; the petition fee includes two short certificates. The schedule includes a $40.25 statutory fee on every Petition for Grant of Letters (42 Pa.C.S. § 3733(a.1)), and the county adds a $5.00 automation fee to filings requiring the JCP surcharge. Probating a will without letters is $50.00 (Washington County Register of Wills fee schedule, verified July 2026).
What are the Washington County Register of Wills hours?
The Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is closed on weekends and county holidays. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published, so confirm the counter hours before making a trip to 95 West Beau Street, Suite 425.
How do I look up a Washington County estate or probate record?
Washington County's own C-Track public portal at efile.ctrack.washingtoncourts.us is where Orphans' Court and estate records are searched, and parties to a case can view their own records for free after registering. 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.
What forms do I use for a Washington 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, and the county office provides an estate checklist on request to families filing without counsel.
Do I have to appear in person to open probate in Washington County?
Yes, to open the estate. The executor or administrator, and any witnesses for a will that is not self-proving, must appear before the Register of Wills to be sworn, and the grant of letters is not accepted for e-filing. An out-of-county or out-of-state filer can arrange administration of the oath by web conference for a $10.00 fee under the county schedule, so ask the office before you travel.
Does Washington County charge inheritance tax, and where do I file the return?
Pennsylvania has no state estate tax, but it does have a state inheritance tax keyed to the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent, and it applies to Washington County estates. The REV-1500 resident return is filed in duplicate with the Register of Wills, which acts as the collection agent; payment checks are made payable to Register of Wills, Agent. 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 Washington County?
A qualifying small estate of $50,000 or less 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 filed with the Orphans' Court division; the filing fee is $60.00 under the Orphans' Court portion of the county fee bill, effective September 21, 2020 (verified July 2026), and 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.