Lancaster County Orphans' Court & Probate: A Local Guide

Probate for a Lancaster County resident runs through the Lancaster County Register of Wills and the Lancaster County Orphans' Court Division, both at the Lancaster County Courthouse, 50 North Duke Street, Lancaster, PA 17602.

This guide is for the executor of a Lancaster, Lititz, Manheim Township, or Ephrata estate — and for families who would rather plan around probate than through it. Schedule a free consultation to talk about your own situation.

The two offices that matter

• Lancaster County Register of Wills — probates the will, issues letters testamentary or letters of administration, accepts the inventory, and receives the Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (REV-1500).
• Lancaster County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas — guardianships, trust administration disputes, formal accountings, adoptions, and will contests.

Probate appointments at the Register's office are scheduled during standard weekday courthouse hours; the staff will confirm the documents and fees before you come in.

Step by step

1. Original will, then petition

The Register requires the original will, a certified death certificate, an estimated inventory, and identification. If there is no will, letters of administration are granted in the statutory order of priority under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3155.

2. Short certificate vs. long certificate

Short certificates prove your authority to banks and brokers and are typically expected to be recent; order several at the outset. Long (exemplified) certificates include the will and full record and are what out-of-state institutions and other counties' recorders will require — a real consideration in Lancaster County estates that include ground across the Susquehanna in York County.

3. Advertising

Under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3162 the grant of letters is advertised once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation (commonly *LNP | LancasterOnline*) and in the *Lancaster Law Review*, the county legal newspaper. That publication starts the one-year creditor claim period.

4. Notice, inventory, inheritance tax

Give Rule 10.5 written notice to beneficiaries and heirs within three months, file the inventory, and file the REV-1500 within nine months of death. Pay within three months for the 5% statutory discount.

5. Closing

Most Lancaster County estates close on receipts, releases, and a family settlement agreement rather than a formal Orphans' Court audit.

Local Lancaster County practice notes

• Agricultural real estate is the defining feature of Lancaster estates. The agricultural inheritance tax exemption under 72 P.S. § 9111(s) requires transfer to a qualifying family member who continues the agricultural use for seven years — with a recapture if that use stops.
• Plain Community families frequently hold land and business assets informally across generations; clean titling and written agreements before death are what keep the Register's office and Orphans' Court out of the picture.
• Closely held businesses may qualify for the family-owned business interest exemption under 72 P.S. § 9111(t), but only where ownership, employment, and continuity requirements are documented in advance.

Timeline and cost

Twelve to eighteen months is typical for an uncontested Lancaster County estate. Farm estates often run longer because of appraisal and exemption documentation.

Avoiding Lancaster County probate

Funded revocable living trusts, entity structuring for farm and business assets, and correct beneficiary designations can move nearly everything outside the Register's file. See our farm succession planning, probate avoidance, and revocable living trusts pages.