Accounts

Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Order under date of December 1, 2015, and the recently adopted Supreme Court Rules, which seek to standardize procedures throughout the Commonwealth and promote uniformity, complete new forms and information about the requirements for Accounts filed in the Orphans' Court can be accessed on the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania's website. and are currently being accepted by our office.  As of September 1, 2016, we are no longer accept any of the old Account forms.

New Filing Requirements

Pursuant to the new Orphans' Court Rules, Accounts must adhere to the following requirements:

  • Attorney/Bank Certified/Cashier Checks made payable to Register of Wills
  • Cannot file until after 4 months from date of first complete advertisement of the Estate (latter of first 2 advertising dates)
  • Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for confirmation notice
  • Typewritten with original signatures and acknowledgements

Order of Filing

Please organize your filing in following order:

  1. Notice Coversheet - on our Forms page under "Orphans' Court Forms."
  2. Real Estate Decree - filed in duplicate originals with backs completed for any real estate that has not been sold and is now being distributed on our Forms page under "Orphans' Court Forms."
  3. Account - select proper fill-in account from our Forms page under "Orphans' Court Forms."
    • All schedules shall include dates of all receipts and disbursements, description of receipt/disbursement and totals
  4. Petition for Adjudication/Distribution - link on our Forms page will direct you to the State Website - select proper fill-in petition
  5. Original Proofs of Publication attached
    • Copies of Will and any other pertaining instruments to the adjudication
    • Original, notarized Affidavit of Service of Notice form complete with names/addresses/date and manner of service of all Account/Petition documents for everyone served
  6. Decree for Judge to sign with attached Schedule of Distribution
  7. Notice of Charitable Gift (Pennsylvania Orphan's Court Rule 5.5) - if a charity is involved - on our Forms page under "Orphans' Court Forms."

Fees

  • $5 for Decree
  • $10 for Decree of Realty
  • $25 for Petition for Adjudication/Statement of Proposed Distribution
  • $125 for Account (includes up to 20 pages) - $2  for each extra page