THE COURTS
Title 255—LOCAL COURT RULES
LEHIGH COUNTY
Clerk of Orphans' Court Division, Fee Schedule; File No. AO-2022-0001
[52 Pa.B. 6155]
[Saturday, October 1, 2022]
Administrative Order Now, this 19th day of September, 2022, upon consideration of the motion of the Clerk of the Orphans' Court;
It Is Ordered pursuant to 42 P.S. § 21032.1 that the Fee Schedule for the Clerk of the Orphans' Court Division that is as follows hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, is approved, and the charges set forth therein shall be the fees for services rendered by the said Clerk of the Orphans' Court Division.
It Is Further Ordered that said Fee Schedule is effective November 1, 2022 and shall supersede any and all previously established fee schedules for the transaction of business with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court Division.
It Is Further Ordered that the District Court Administrator shall file seven (7) certified copies of this Order with the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts and shall file two (2) certified copies the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
It Is Further Ordered that the Clerk of the Orphans' Court shall cause a copy of the annexed Fee Schedule to be published in the Lehigh Law Journal.
By the Court
J. BRIAN JOHNSON,
President Judge
SCHEDULE OF FEES
Clerk of Orphans' Court Division, Lehigh County
FEES CHARGED TO INITIATE A CASE
In addition to the Orphans' Court filing fee
JUDICIAL COMPUTER FEE (JCS):
This is a statutorily created surcharge imposed upon ''first filings of petitions concerning Incapacitated Persons, Estates, all cases involving Minors and Inter Vivos trusts'' 42 P.S. § 3733.1 Effective October 30, 2017. This surcharge is in addition to the OC filing fee, the Lehigh County E-filing fee and Automation fee.$40.25 LEHIGH COUNTY E-FILING FEE:
This fee is imposed pursuant to 42 P.S. § 2107.2. It is in addition to the OC filing fee, JCS surcharge, if applicable, and Automation fee regarding all initial filings in OC cases.$5.00 AUTOMATION FEE:
This fee is imposed pursuant to 42 P.S. § 2107.2. It is in addition to the OC filing fee, JCS surcharge, if applicable, and the Lehigh County E-filing fee regarding all initial filings in OC cases.$5.00 ADMINISTRATIVE FEE:
Conversion of legal paper and/or exhibit presented for filing from paper to PDF for electronic filing. The paper copy shall be returned to the filing party for retention pursuant to Pa.O.C. Rule 4.7(c)(3).$1.00/page
A filing fee in an amount equal to that of the most similar pleading will be assessed
regarding pleadings not specifically enumerated in the fee schedule.Payment is expected at the time of filing and accepted in the form of cash, money
order payable to Orphans' Court, and credit/debit card (Master Card, Visa and
Discover accepted) 2.9% service fee is assessed on all credit/debit payments
**Personal Checks are not accepted**
ADOPTIONS—PARENTAL TERMINATIONS
Adoption Petition $150.00 Assisted Conception Birth Registration Petition $150.00 Confirmation of Consent Petition $150.00 Counseling Fund Fee1 $75.00 Foreign Adoption Registration—IR3 Visa (no hrg.) $75.00 Foreign Adoption Registration—IR4 Visa (Hrg.) $100.00 Voluntary/Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights Petition $100.00 Petition for Alternate Service $50.00 Petition for Access to Adoption Record Non-identifying info. $150.00
Identifying Information $200.00Search fee for out of County Authorized Agent $25.00 Post Adoption Cont. Contact Agreement Petition $100.00 Reprinted Adoption Certificate $25.00 Report of Intention to Adopt $50.00
ADOPTION INVESTIGATION FEES
(Court Appointed Investigator)
Adoptive Parent Only $350.00 Adoptive Parents and Biological Parents interviewed within Lehigh County or within fifty (50) mile radius to Lehigh County $450.00 Adoptive Parents and if one or both Biological Parents interviewed reside outside a fifty (50) mile radius to Lehigh County $500.00
FORMAL ACCOUNTS—EXCLUDING Charitable Trusts Amended Petition for Adjudication $25.00 Amended Statement of Proposed Distribution $25.00 Insolvent Estates $100.00 Restated Account $75.00 Supplemental Account $50.00 Filing fee is calculated on the gross estate
Valuation of Gross Estate
Cost
1
to
500,000
$300.00 500,001
to
1,000,000
$500.00 For each succeeding $500,000 or fraction thereof over $1,000,000 add an additional $50.00 ______
1 Charged in conjunction with the filing of a Report of Intention to Adopt pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 2505(e)
FORMAL ACCOUNT OF CHARITABLE TRUSTS OR
FOUNDATIONSCARRYING VALUE OF TRUST PRINCIPAL Less than $10,000,000
$500.00 . More than $10,000,000 but Less than $20,000,000
$750.00 More than $20,000,000
$1,000 This schedule does not apply to charitable remainder trusts during the lifetime of non-charitable beneficiaries
GUARDIANSHIP OF INCAPACITATED PERSON/MINOR Additional Petition Filed (e.g. sale of ward's realty) $50.00 Certified copy of Order/Guardian Certificate $10.00 Guardian's Inventory (Assets under $100.00, no charge for filing) $25.00 Guardian's Inventory (Supplemental) $15.00 Petition for Appointment of Guardian of Person of a Minor $50.00 Petition for Determination of Incapacity (Includes
1 certified copy of final order)$150.00 Petition for Review Hearing $50.00 Will Inspection $25.00
SETTLEMENT PETITIONS: MINOR'S
COMPROMISE/WRONGFUL DEATH-SURVIVAL/INCAP.
Settlement Petition—Action commenced in Civil, Non Lehigh County estate or ward, no minor beneficiaries $20.00 Settlement Petition—Action commenced in Civil Division Minor's Compromise or Existing Lehigh Co. Decedent's Estate/Incapacity file $25.00 Minor's Compromise Settlement Petition—No Civil action commenced $50.00 Settlement Petition—No Civil Action, existing Lehigh Co. Estate or Incapacity file $50.00 Refiling fee (Newly filed after dismissal) $25.00
MISCELLANEOUS FEES (In addition to applicable filing fees listed on page 1) Amended Petition $25.00 Answer to any Petition $25.00 Appeal to Higher Court (from OC Order) $125.002 Certified Copy of any pleading $10.00 Claim filed against Estate $35.00 Copies per page (include photocopies, microfiche copies, or printed copies of scanned images) .25 Corporate Fiduciary, Power/Sureties, Current Certificate $25.00 Disclaimer/Renunciation $25.00 Exercise of Elective Share Rights $50.00 Exceptions $50.00 Exemplification of any document $75.00 Informal Account/Praecipe to Docket Receipt, Release and Refunding Agreement $100.00 Motion $50.00 Objections $50.00 Petition for issuance of Citation/Notice to Plead $150.00 ______
2 In addition to the stated Orphans' Court fee there are additional appellate filling fees imposed by the Commonwealth, Superior and Supreme Courts. That fee payable to the appropriate appellate court by separate check must accompany the requisite notice of appeal and OC filing fee. Counsel is urged to contact the appellate court to obtain the correct filing fee.
MISCELLANEOUS FEES (In addition to applicable filing fees listed on page 1) Petition/No Notice required $75.00 Power of Attorney $50.00 Returned Check Charge (must be cash or check separate from the amount of the replacement check) $20.00 Request for Transcript form $10.00 Subpoena $15.00 Transcript Paper Copy (Post-filing) .75/page Transcript Electronic Copy (Post filing) .50/page
MARRIAGE LICENSE
Application for Marriage License (Includes 2 certified copies of the marriage record) $100.00 Certified copy of Marriage Record $10.00 Exemplification of Marriage Record $75.00 Petition to Amend Marriage Record $50.00 Petition to Waive 3 Day Waiting Period $25.00 Research Fee (Genealogy, Marriage, Birth, Death) $25.00
(Up to 6 names, $2.00 each additional name)
Reprinted Marriage License $20.00 Completion of out of state ML application $50.00
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 22-1509. Filed for public inspection September 30, 2022, 9:00 a.m.]
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