Lackawanna County Probate Records Office
Probate venue in Lackawanna County is the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court. Frances Roland Kovaleski serves in that combined office. The office is part of Pennsylvania's Court of Common Pleas structure, but its public counter is at the Lackawanna County Government Center, 123 Wyoming Avenue, Suite 521 on the fifth floor, Scranton, PA 18503. The phone number is 570-963-6702, the fax is 570-963-6377, and posted hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except holidays.
The Register of Wills legally establishes the validity of a decedent's will. If a person dies without a will, the office appoints a personal representative under Pennsylvania intestacy law. The same office acts as an agent for the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue for inheritance tax and stores filings dating back to 1878. The Orphans' Court side handles guardianships, accountings, trust and estate petitions, incapacitated-person matters, confidential adoptions, and other Orphans' Court filings.
The official Register of Wills page identifies the probate office and its core estate functions.
The Register of Wills page is the best first stop for probate appointments, inheritance-tax material, and the local no-refund payment notice.
Lackawanna County Probate Terms
Probate records use terms that are precise but easy to mix up. These definitions help separate the person who died, the person handling the estate, and the type of case that may appear in Orphans' Court.
- Testator
- A person who made a will before death.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to carry out estate duties after probate.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will, which leads to appointment under Pennsylvania intestacy law.
- Guardianship
- A court-supervised matter for a minor or incapacitated person.
- Conservatorship
- A protective financial role often discussed with guardianship, though Pennsylvania Orphans' Court materials here use guardianship language.
Search Lackawanna County Probate Records
Online access for Lackawanna County probate records uses Lackawanna Public Access Inquiries, the INFOCON system linked for Register of Wills, Orphans' Court, and marriage records. The launch page opens the public inquiry application in a pop-up. If a search page does not appear, check browser pop-up settings and use the county's listed Infocon support number, 814-472-6146, for system help.
- Start with the INFOCON public inquiry link for Register of Wills, Orphans' Court, and marriage records.
- Search by the best available estate, party, decedent, or docket information shown by the system.
- Use the office counter or phone line when the online result does not show the full file or copy options.
- Request certified copies from the office when a filing must be used for legal or estate administration purposes.
Older probate and marriage files may also be searched through the genealogy process. The county says the office's records date as far back as 1878, while marriage licenses date from October 1885. Office-conducted genealogy searches cost $25 per search.
Lackawanna County Orphans' Court Contact
The probate contact path is the same public office for the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. Probate itself is by appointment only, so calling before bringing an original will or estate papers is part of the local process.
Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court
Official: Frances Roland Kovaleski
123 Wyoming Avenue, Suite 521
Scranton, PA 18503
570-963-6702
Fax: 570-963-6377
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Lackawanna County Probate Process
The county's process starts with appointment scheduling. The office states that probates are by appointment only. A petitioner should confirm whether the decedent left a will, gather the original will if one exists, bring the death certificate, prepare petitioner and estate information, and bring required payment. The Register of Wills then admits a valid will or appoints a personal representative when there is no will.
Estate administration may continue after the first appointment. Some Lackawanna County probate records involve inheritance-tax filings, notices, accountings, petitions for adjudication, or Orphans' Court review. Guardianship, accounting, and trust matters may require separate Orphans' Court forms. Adoption records are confidential and should not be treated as open genealogy or estate files.
The office also serves as an agent for the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. That role matters because probate records and inheritance-tax records often move together during estate administration. A requester looking for a complete estate file should ask whether the file contains only the will and letters, or whether later tax, accounting, notice, or adjudication documents are also available for copy.
Important: Orphans' Court pages state a no-refund policy, so confirm filing type and fee schedule before submitting payment.
Lackawanna County Probate Fees
The research captured fee rules but not each current probate filing amount. The official office links a fee schedule, and exact amounts should be checked there before filing. Payment options listed for Orphans' Court include cash, check, credit card, and debit card, with the no-refund policy noted by the county.
| Item | Amount or Note |
|---|---|
| Probate filing amounts | Use the official Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court fee schedule |
| Office-conducted genealogy search | $25 per search |
| Payment methods | Cash, check, credit card, and debit card |
| No-refund rule | County Orphans' Court pages state that payments are not refunded |
Lackawanna County Probate Forms
The Clerk of Orphans' Court page lists form categories and documents used for estate and guardianship filings. Accountings and adjudication petitions are important because they show how an estate, trust, or guardianship is presented for court review.
The Orphans' Court page connects probate users to accounting checklists, adjudication petitions, local rules, AOPC forms, and inheritance-tax resources.
- Accounting and audit checklist forms support formal review of fiduciary accounts.
- Petition for Adjudication Decedent's Estate is used in estate matters.
- Guardian adjudication petitions cover incapacitated-person and minor estate matters.
- Trust and power-of-attorney adjudication petitions are listed for related Orphans' Court filings.
Note: Use Orphans' Court record searches for estate and guardianship matters, and use Marriage & Divorce for license copies.
Lackawanna County Probate Genealogy Records
The county's genealogy research page explains that files are on site and public except adoption records. This is especially useful for older Lackawanna County probate records because the office reports wills and related records dating to 1878.
The genealogy page helps separate public estate and marriage history from confidential adoption records before a search request is made.
Genealogy searches should include names, date ranges, and the record type when possible. A will file, estate docket, marriage license, and adoption file do not have the same access status. The county's long record span is useful, but it also means older spellings, incomplete dates, and changed family names can affect how a search is handled by the office.