The Register of Wills decides the probate of the will of any resident decedent of the county, or of any non-resident decedent whose real estate lies within the county.  She is the Agent for the Commonwealth for the collection of state inheritance taxes.  The Register of Wills has jurisdiction over the probate of wills and fiduciary accounts, and maintains records on wills, inventories of estates, fiduciary accounts, inheritance taxes, and other miscellaneous records of estates.

The initial documents required for probating an estate are: the Petition for Grant of Letters, the original Will/Codicil, a Death Certificate, An Estate Information Sheet, applicable Fees and when appropriate, Renunciations, Oaths of Subscribing or Non-Subscribing Witnesses.  Genealogy research often includes contacting this office.