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, clerk contact details, administrative orders, e-filing rules, and hearing logistics for Lehigh 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.
Lehigh County Probate Court Guide
Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas probate court information · Updated May 2026
Filing & Fees
Fee Schedule Signals
Source ↗Probate Filing Fees
Specific fee amounts are not available for this county. Use the current Lehigh County Register of Wills 2026 fee schedule before quoting filing totals. Additional probate fees may apply when inheritance-tax return assessment values exceed the original estimate.
Use the current Lehigh County Register of Wills 2026 fee schedule before quoting filing totals. Additional probate fees may apply when inheritance-tax return assessment values exceed the original estimate.
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
Source ↗Records portal
Use this county-linked source to check live court-record information when available. Search results may not include every probate record.
Official Lehigh County ORA/Odyssey materials list Register of Wills records and Orphans' Court cases, with exceptions for adoption and parental termination/relinquishment records. Access is account/subscription based and should not be treated as a complete public probate index or certified record response.
Timelines & Proceedings
Deadlines & Creditor Claims
Key Deadlines
- Will Deposit
- 0 days
- 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 ↗Lehigh County Tax Claim Bureau
Lehigh County Government Center, 17 South 7th Street, Room 120, Allentown, PA 18101
Official Tax Claim Bureau/Elite Revenue site provides property search, payment options, tax collectors, and certified tax search instructions. Certified tax searches require prepayment and the map number; current county real estate taxes are handled by the county Fiscal Office.
Sources (8)
- https://www.lehighcounty.org/Departments/Clerk-of-Judicial-Records/Register-of-Wills
- https://www.lccpa.org/division/orphans/
- https://home.lehighcounty.org/fiscal/ora/public/
- https://home.lehighcounty.org/ORA.UI/Resources/oraFaqs.pdf
- https://www.lehighcounty.org/Portals/0/PDF/Judicial/Odyssey%20Public%20Access%20FAQ%27s.pdf?ver=ebQlzTFNV3HCFiLoFwudbw%3D%3D
- https://www.lehighcounty.org/Portals/0/PDF/Judicial/Wills/Probate%20Proceedings%20-%2011-2023.pdf?ver=6cQW9iic1yd7hLplIbkDwQ%3D%3D
- https://www.lehighcounty.org/Departments/Clerk-of-Judicial-Records/Register-of-Wills
- https://www.lccpa.org/rules/