Use This County Probate Reference Before You File
This page is built for the detailed county-level checks that generic probate guides usually miss: local filing fees, Register of Wills and Orphans' Court contact details, administrative orders, e-filing rules, and hearing logistics for Adams County.
Local Fee Schedule
Review county-specific probate filing charges before you estimate total case cost.
Court Rules and Orders
Check the local rules, judge procedures, and administrative orders that can change how a case moves.
Clerk and Filing Logistics
Confirm where to file, whether e-filing is allowed, and how hearings or notices are handled locally.
Adams County Register of Wills and Orphans' Court Guide
Adams County Court of Common Pleas · Register of Wills and Orphans' Court information · Updated May 2026
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Filing & Fees
Fee Schedule Signals
Source ↗Probate Filing Fees
| Filing Type | Fee |
|---|---|
Petition for Probate Standard probate filing fee | $41 |
Note: Pennsylvania Register of Wills grant-of-letters fees are a per-county sliding scale on the gross probate estate value. petition_probate ($41.25) records the statewide JCS/JCP surcharge (42 Pa.C.S.; Act 45 of 2025, eff. 11/17/2025) imposed on every petition for grant of letters; this county's graduated grant-of-letters fee was not machine-readable from its published schedule at audit time and must be confirmed from the linked fee schedule before quoting an estate total. Source: county Register of Wills fee schedule.
Pennsylvania Register of Wills grant-of-letters fees are a per-county sliding scale on the gross probate estate value. petition_probate ($41.25) records the statewide JCS/JCP surcharge (42 Pa.C.S.; Act 45 of 2025, eff. 11/17/2025) imposed on every petition for grant of letters; this county's graduated grant-of-letters fee was not machine-readable from its published schedule at audit time and must be confirmed from the linked fee schedule before quoting an estate total. Source: county Register of Wills fee schedule.
Required Documents
- County Register of Wills probate or administration petition packet(County ROW packet)
Opening forms are county-specific. Use the current Register of Wills packet for the county where probate or administration is being opened.
- Certified death certificate
Registers of Wills commonly require a certified death certificate for opening letters; confirm copy count and accepted format with the county office.
- Renunciations, consents, or bond papers
Whether these are needed depends on the will, priority to serve, bond requirements, and county packet instructions.
- Short certificate or certified-copy request
Request after appointment when banks, title companies, agencies, or other holders need certified proof of authority.
E-Filing & Filing Methods
Records portal
Use this county-linked source to check live court-record information when available. Search results may not include every probate record.
The Adams County Register of Wills page links a public records search/eSearch portal. Treat it as a lookup surface only; search results are not a complete probate index, legal title review, or certified record response.
Timelines & Proceedings
Deadlines & Creditor Claims
Key Deadlines
- Will Deposit
- Verify locally
- Creditor Claims
- 12 months
- Known Creditor Notice
- 60 days
Creditor Claims
- Period Starts
- first complete advertisement of grant of letters
- Statute
- 20 Pa.C.S. Section 3532
Publication Requirements
Related Proceedings
Property Recording
Source ↗Adams County Tax Claim Bureau
117 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325
Official Tax Claim pages describe collection, management, and distribution of delinquent real estate tax money and link a GovPayNow delinquent-tax payment surface. Payment/search context is not a certified tax status or title report.
Sources (7)
- https://www.adamscountypa.gov/departments/registerofwills
- https://www.adamscountypa.gov/departments/clerkoforphanscourt
- https://landrecordspa.adamscountypa.gov/external/User/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fexternal%2fIndex.aspx
- https://www.adamscountypa.gov/departments/registerofwills/estate-probate
- https://www.adamscountypa.gov/departments/registerofwills/forms
- https://www.adamscountypa.gov/departments/registerofwills/faq-s
- https://www.pacourts.us/forms/for-the-public