Title 255—LOCAL
COURT RULESLEHIGH COUNTY Clerk of Orphans' Court Division; Fee Schedule; File No. AO2014-0001 [44 Pa.B. 2054]
[Saturday, April 5, 2014]Administrative Order Now, this 19th day of March, 2014, upon consideration of the motion of the Clerk of the Orphans' Court Division,
It Is Ordered pursuant to 42 P. S. § 21032.1 that the Fee Schedule for the Clerk of the Orphans' Court Division that 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 May 1, 2014 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 Division shall cause a copy of the annexed Fee Schedule to be published in the Lehigh Law Journal.
By the Court
CAROL K. McGINLEY,
President JudgeSCHEDULE OF FEES
Clerk of the Orphans' Court Lehigh CountyADOPTIONS—PARENTAL TERMINATIONS Report of Intention to Adopt 25.00 Counseling Fund Fee 75.00 Adoption Petition/Gestational Birth Carrier
Petition100.00 Involuntary Term/Voluntary Relinquishment
Petitions75.00 Foreign Adoption Registration IR3 Visa (no
hearing)75.00 Foreign Adoption Registration/Re-Adoption
IR4 Visa (hearing)100.00 Adoption Search 100.00 Reprinted Adoption Certificate 15.00 ADOPTION INVESTIGATION FEES Adoptive Parents Only 350.00 Adoptive Parents and Biological Parents
interviewed within Lehigh County or
within fifty (50) mile radius450.00 Adoptive Parents and if one or both biological
parents interviewed reside outside fifty (50)
mile radius500.00 GUARDIANSHIP OF INCAPACITATED PERSON/MINORS Petition for Determination of Incapacity
(includes 1 certified copy of final decree)110.00 Petition for Appt of Guardian of Person of
Minor50.00 Guardian Certificate 10.00 Will Inspection 10.00 Guardian's Inventory 15.00 Guardian's Inventory {Supplemental} 10.00 Petition for Review Hearing 25.00 Additional Petition Filed (e.g. sale of ward's
realty)10.00 MARRIAGE LICENSES Marriage Application 50.00 Certified Copy Marriage Record 10.00 Exemplification of Marriage Record 50.00 Certification of No Marriage 10.00 Petition for Court Approval—Applicant
Under 16 years25.00 Waiver of 3 Day Waiting Period 10.00 Search Fee {Marriage/Birth/Death/O. C.} 25.00 Reprinted Marriage License 15.00 Completion of out of state ML application 25.00 FORMAL ACCOUNTS—EXCLUDING Charitable Trusts Insolvent Estates
100.00Filing fee is calculated on the gross estate Valuation of Gross Estate Cost 1 to 300,000 200.00 300,001 to 500,000 300.00 500,001 to 750,000 400.00 750,001 to 1,000,000 500.00 1,000,001 to 2,000,000 600.00 For each succeeding $500,000 or fraction thereof over $2,000,000 add an additional $100
FORMAL ACCOUNT OF CHARITABLE TRUSTS OR FOUNDATIONS Carrying Value of Trust Principal Filing Fee determined by Account Period 1-24 months 24+ months
to 48 months48+ months
to 60 months60+ months Up to 5,000,000 $750 $1,125 $1,675 $2,450 5,000,001 to 15,000,000 $1,000 $1,500 $2,250 $3,250 15,000,001 to 25,000,000 $1,500 $2,250 $3,375 $4,875 25,000,001 to 50,000,000 $2,250 $3,375 $5,075 $7,300 50,000,001 or more $3,250 $4,875 $7,300 $10,575 This scheduled does NOT apply to charitable remainder trusts during the lifetimes of non-charitable beneficiaries
Amended Petition for Distribution 25.00 Answer/Reply to any Petition 25.00 Appeal to Appellate Court 125.00 Automation Fee1 5.00 Appeal to Appellate Court2 125.00 Certified copy of any document 10.00 Claim, Notice of, 25.00 Copies/ per page (photocopies, microfiche copies
or copies from scanned images).25 Corporate Fiduciary Power/Sureties Current
Certificate10.00 Disclaimer/Renunciation 25.00 Exercise of Elective Share rights 25.00 Exceptions 25.00 Exemplification 50.00 Informal Account 75.00 Judicial Computer System3 23.50 Lehigh County E-filing fee4 5.00 Minors' Compromise Order (time-stamped copy
of Order filed in Civil Division)25.00 Minors' Compromise Petition + Order (No action
commenced in Civil Division)50.00 Miscellaneous Transactions5 **** Objections 25.00 Petition {Contested} 100.00 Petition {Uncontested} 50.00 Power of Attorney 25.00 Returned Check Charge {separate check} 20.00 Small Estate Petition 50.00 Subpoena 10.00 Will Contest Proceeding 100.00 1 This $5.00 fee imposed pursuant to 42 P. S. § 2102.1, is in addition to the OC filing fee, the LCE fee and the JCS fee, regarding all initial filings.
2 In addition to the stated Orphans' Court fee there are appellate filing fees imposed by the 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 appellate filing fee.
3 This is a statutorily created fee imposed upon ''first filings in petitions concerning adoptions, incapacitated persons, estates of minors and inter vivos trusts.'' 42 P. S. § 3733. Effective December 8, 2009, the JCS fee was increased from $10.00 to $23.50. This $23.50 JCS fee is in addition to the OC filing fee, the LCE fee and the Automation fee.
4 Imposed upon all initial filings pursuant to 42 P. S. § 2102.1.
5 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.
A 2.9% service charge will be assessed for payment by credit/debit cards. (MasterCard, Visa, Discover)
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 14-707. Filed for public inspection April 4, 2014, 9:00 a.m.]
