What Probate Covers in Westmoreland County
Probate is the court process for settling what a person leaves behind. It proves a will, names someone to handle the estate, and oversees the payment of debts and the transfer of property. In Westmoreland County the work runs through the Register of Wills and the Clerk of Orphans' Court, a dual office held by Katie Pecarchik. There is no separate building called a probate court. The local term is Orphans' Court.
The office probates wills, grants letters testamentary or letters of administration, keeps estate-administration records, and collects inheritance tax as agent for the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. As Clerk of Orphans' Court, the same office dockets guardianships, adoptions, minors' estates, and marriage licenses. Estate records date back to 1773, which is why genealogists and heirs alike turn to this office.
Probate Terms Defined
Probate filings use words that trip up many people. A short glossary helps you read an estate file or talk to the office without getting lost.
- Testator
- A person who makes a will.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to settle the estate.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will, so state law decides who inherits.
- Letters testamentary
- The court order that gives an executor authority to act.
- Guardianship
- A court setup where one person is given authority over another who cannot manage their own affairs.
- Conservatorship
- Court-managed control of a person's property or finances.
How to Search Westmoreland County Orphans' Court Records
Most Orphans' Court and estate searches start with the Register of Wills. The county's Register of Wills genealogy page explains the records it keeps, and the record information page lists the date ranges. A first and last name are required to search; the person's domicile helps but is not required.
- Decide what you need: a will, an estate file, a guardianship, or a marriage record.
- Open the Register of Wills pages and check the date range for that record type.
- Contact the office with the full name, and the domicile if you have it, to request the file or a copy.
Some indexes may also surface through the county public-record search tools, and related dockets can appear on the statewide portal. For court case records beyond estates, see the Westmoreland County court records page.
Keep in mind that probate is opened where the person lived at death. So a Westmoreland County estate is one where the decedent was domiciled in the county. If you are not sure where an estate was opened, the office can help confirm whether a file exists here before you request copies.
Opening an Estate in Westmoreland County
When someone dies, the estate often must be opened before property can pass to heirs. The Register of Wills guides that process. The steps below follow the usual path, though a contested estate can take longer and may move into Orphans' Court for a hearing.
- Find out whether the person left a valid will.
- Contact the Register of Wills to open the estate.
- File the original will, the estate information, and the proposed personal representative.
- Pay the filing and probate fees the office sets.
- Receive letters testamentary or letters of administration if the court approves.
- Notify heirs, beneficiaries, and creditors as required.
- Inventory the assets, pay debts and taxes, and distribute what remains.
Inheritance tax and estate documents are filed along the way. A dispute over a will, an accounting, or a guardianship is resolved in Orphans' Court, which is why the same office dockets both the routine and the contested matters.
Register of Wills and Orphans' Court Offices
The filing office sits in the Courthouse Annex in Greensburg. The Register of Wills handles estates and inheritance tax. The Clerk of Orphans' Court side dockets guardianships, adoptions, and marriage licenses. Both run from the same county office.
Register of Wills
Courthouse Annex, 3rd Floor
2 N Main Street
Greensburg, PA 15601
Westmoreland County Probate Fees
The Register of Wills sets its own probate and copy fees, and a posted fee sheet was not found in the sources reviewed. Do not assume an amount. Confirm the current fee with the office before you file or request copies.
| Item | Where Set / How to Confirm |
|---|---|
| Original probate application | Set by the Register of Wills; confirm with the office. |
| Letters testamentary or administration | Confirm with the Register of Wills. |
| Certified or short certificate copy | Usually per copy; confirm before requesting. |
| Guardianship filing | Confirm with the Clerk of Orphans' Court. |
Note: Inheritance tax is collected by the Register of Wills as agent for the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, which is separate from the filing fee.
What Westmoreland County Orphans' Court Records Show
Estate and Orphans' Court files hold the paper trail of settling an estate or a guardianship. The exact contents depend on the case, but most files draw from a common set of documents.
- Wills admitted to probate.
- Estate petitions and decrees.
- Letters testamentary and letters of administration.
- Inventories and accountings of estate assets.
- Guardianship petitions and reports.
- Minors' estates and trust or fiduciary matters where filed.
Record date ranges matter for older searches. Estate and Orphans' Court records run from 1773 to the present. Marriage records run from 1885 to the present. Birth and death records exist from 1893 to 1905, with incomplete records from 1852 to 1855; later vital records go through Pennsylvania Vital Records.
Older files often live as bound books and index cards rather than as scans online. That is why a name and an approximate date help so much. For an estate, the inventory and the accounting show what the estate held and how it was paid out, which is what most heirs and researchers want to see. Copies of these documents can be requested from the office, and a certified copy may be needed for a bank, a title transfer, or another legal step.
Genealogy and Historical Estate Records
The Register of Wills is one of the richest sources of family history in the county. Because estate and Orphans' Court records reach back to 1773, researchers use the office to trace property, family ties, and old probate matters. Marriage records go back to 1885. Birth and death records exist from 1893 to 1905, with a few incomplete entries from 1852 to 1855, and later vital records move to Pennsylvania Vital Records.
To search older files, bring a first and last name. Domicile, meaning where the person lived, helps narrow the result but is not required. Many of these records sit in bound volumes and card indexes rather than online, so a phone call or a visit is often the fastest route. The office's genealogy and record-information pages explain what survives and how far back each record type runs, which saves a wasted trip for a record that predates the county's holdings.
Restricted Orphans' Court Records
Not every Orphans' Court record is open. Adoption files are confidential under Pennsylvania law and need statutory authority or a court order for access. Guardianship files can hold medical and financial details about a person who cannot manage their own affairs, and those details may be sealed or redacted.
Wills admitted to probate and ordinary estate filings are generally more open than adoptions or confidential guardianship material. When a record is restricted, the office can explain whether a redacted copy is available or whether you need court permission. A judge weighs the need for access against the privacy interest before opening a sealed file. For marriage and divorce questions, see the marriage and divorce records page.