What Probate Covers in Erie County
The Erie County Register of Wills maintains estates and probate of wills. Estate opening is by appointment only, and the filing packet must be submitted before the opening appointment is set. Probate work commonly involves a Petition for Probate and Grant of Letters, estate information, death proof, and the original will when there is one.
The Clerk of Orphans' Court accepts adoptions, guardians of incapacitated persons, court-related estate proceedings, miscellaneous petitions, and guardians of estate of minors. Other guardianship matters involving minors are custody matters rather than Orphans' Court filings. These matters often require a hearing before an Orphans' Court judge. Pennsylvania probate law appears in 20 Pa.C.S. Title 20, including Chapter 31 for estate administration, while adoption law is under Chapter 29 of 23 Pa.C.S. Title 23.
Erie County Probate Terms Defined
Probate filings use formal terms that identify who died, who may act for the estate, and what type of proceeding is being opened. Erie County staff may provide forms, but they do not provide legal advice about which filing is correct.
- Testator
- A person who made a Last Will and Testament.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to carry out estate administration after appointment.
- Intestate
- A death without a valid will, usually requiring an administrator rather than a named executor.
- Guardianship
- A court proceeding involving authority for an incapacitated person or an estate of a minor within Orphans' Court jurisdiction.
- Conservatorship
- A protective fiduciary concept for managing another person's affairs, where applicable under the governing court process.
How to Search Erie County Orphans' Court
Erie County transitioned Register of Wills records to CourtPro on March 3, 2025. No filings or dockets are added to INFOCON after that date. CourtPro includes Prothonotary, Register of Wills, Orphans' Court, and Marriage Bureau records. Existing Prothonotary CourtPro users do not need a second registration.
- Use CourtPro for Erie County Register of Wills, Orphans' Court, Marriage Bureau, and Prothonotary record access where public access is available.
- For older records or workflow questions, remember that INFOCON no longer receives new Register of Wills filings or dockets after March 3, 2025.
- Contact the Register of Wills or Clerk of Orphans' Court when the record type is restricted, sealed, impounded, or not clear from the online index.
Probate Courts in Erie County
Erie County probate and Orphans' Court work is located at the Erie County Courthouse. The Register of Wills is in Room 122, and the Clerk of Orphans' Court operates under the Clerk of Records. Clerk of Records Aubrea Hagerty-Haynes is the named county officer in the project research.
Register of Wills
Room 122
Erie County Courthouse
140 West Sixth Street
Erie, PA 16501
814-451-6250
Clerk of Orphans' Court
Under the Clerk of Records
Erie County Courthouse
140 West Sixth Street
Erie, PA 16501
814-451-6250
Erie County Probate Filing Fees
The research requires a completed filing packet and fee before an estate opening appointment, but it does not provide a fee schedule amount. Because unsupported fees cannot be invented, the fee table identifies the confirmed fee trigger and directs users to the Register of Wills for the current amount.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estate opening packet | Current fee required before opening, confirm with Register of Wills |
| Letters testamentary or administration | Confirm with Register of Wills |
| Certified copy | Confirm with Register of Wills or Clerk of Orphans' Court |
| Guardianship or miscellaneous petition | Confirm with Clerk of Orphans' Court |
What Erie County Orphans' Court Records Show
For estate openings, Erie County requires the Petition for Probate and Grant of Letters, Estate Information Sheet, certified death certificate, and original Last Will and Testament if applicable. Other documents may be needed depending on the estate. After the office receives the submitted material, a representative contacts the filer about missing documents and about the appointment for the executor or administrator to sign the petition and be sworn before the clerk.
Appointments may be in person or by videoconference. A working email address is needed for video appointments. Orphans' Court records may also show adoption filings, guardians of incapacitated persons, court-related estate proceedings, miscellaneous petitions, and guardians of estate of minors.
Restricted Erie County Orphans' Court Records
All Register of Wills and Orphans' Court records are public except adoption records, which are impounded by law and available only by court order. Guardianship and estate matters may still require careful handling because public access does not mean staff can give legal advice or disclose information outside the rules governing the specific file.
Remote access can also be narrower than courthouse access. The Pennsylvania public access policy limits what family, probate, estate, and fiduciary records may display online, often reducing remote public fields to party names, limited location information, counsel information, docket number, general docket entries, orders, opinions, filing date, and case type. A CourtPro result may therefore identify the file without showing every petition, inventory, accounting, or supporting document. For adoption files, the answer is different: Erie County research states those records are impounded by law and available only by court order.
When a guardianship concerns custody rather than a minor's estate, Erie County routes it through the custody office instead. Confirm venue first.