Checklists, county offices, and plain-language definitions for the words that show up in Pennsylvania estate paperwork.
Twelve points covering witnesses, notarization, the statutory notice, the agent acknowledgment, and what to do when a bank refuses.
What to do, in order, in the month after a death in Pennsylvania: the death certificates, the Register of Wills appointment, the accounts to freeze, and the valuation dates that decide the 5% discount.
One page listing every account type that overrides your will, with space to record who is currently named and when you last checked.
An estate is opened in the county where the person lived. Each Register of Wills runs its own counter, its own fee schedule and its own appointment system.
| County | Register of Wills seat | Official site |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | City Hall, Room 180 | phila.gov |
| Montgomery | Norristown | montgomerycountypa.gov |
| Bucks | Doylestown | buckscounty.gov |
| Delaware | Media | delcopa.gov |
| Chester | West Chester | chesco.org |
| Statewide | Inheritance tax return, Form REV-1500 | revenue.pa.gov |
Links open official county and Commonwealth sites. Confirm addresses and filing fees with the office before you travel.
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