About
The Wills/Orphans' Court Records Division probates wills, grants letters to representatives of estates and receives and maintains Orphans’ Court case documents. In some cases, we have a duty to take testimony and enter decrees or findings when facts are disputed regarding a will. Those decrees are appealable to the Orphans’ Court.
The cases heard in the Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas include all matters involving decedent's estates, trusts, wills, guardians of the persons and estates of minors, guardians of the persons and estates of incapacitated persons, powers of attorney, termination of parental rights and adoptions, civil commitments, marriage licenses, nonprofit associations and corporations and inheritance and estate tax matters.
We issue marriage licenses and maintains marriage records. We collect PA Inheritance Tax payments as an agent for the PA Department of Revenue. Additionally, we accept U.S. Passport applications as a Passport Acceptance Facility for the United States Department of State.
Functions
Electronic Filing
Our eFiling and Retrieval System allows for electronic filing of court documents. You can see the docket, the official list of documents filed in the case and scanned images of the documents filed for cases, unless the case is sealed by order of court or if statutes or local rules of court prohibit public access.
In addition, couples planning to marry can complete the marriage license application online before appearing in person at the Marriage License Office. This reduces the time in the office for a couple applying for a marriage license.