Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Court Filing
Fee Lookup

Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — home to approximately 1,600,788 residents and the most populous jurisdiction in Pennsylvania — handles court filings through the Philadelphia County Orphans' Court in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania's court structure (Court of Common Pleas (civil/family/orphans') / Magisterial District Court (small claims)) determines which courthouse accepts which case types and what fees apply.

For residents of Philadelphia County, the filing fee amounts depend on both the state's statutory schedule and any local surcharges added by the county.

The birthplace of American democracy and the nation's sixth-largest city, Philadelphia anchors a major healthcare, education, and life sciences economy with world-class institutions like Penn and Temple University. These local economic characteristics shape the types of legal proceedings filed in Philadelphia County — from probate of estates that include commercial property or business interests near Philadelphia to civil disputes arising from the county's primary industries.

The Philadelphia County Orphans' Court handles the full range of case types for this community, with filing fees applying uniformly based on case type regardless of the underlying subject matter.

Philadelphia County is known for landmarks including Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Philadelphia Museum of Art. For residents and businesses in the areas surrounding these community anchors, knowing the applicable filing fees and court procedures in advance helps legal matters proceed efficiently at the Philadelphia County Orphans' Court in Philadelphia.

• Filing fees in Philadelphia County are based on Pennsylvania's statutory schedule, which applies statewide, plus any local surcharges assessed by the county. For reference, the statewide base fees by case type are: probate and estate filings — $50–$150 (Orphans' Court Division — varies by county)
• civil complaints and appearances — $200–$350 (Court of Common Pleas) / $60–$100 (Magisterial District Court)
• family law matters (divorce, custody, support) — $200–$350 (Court of Common Pleas — Family Division)
• small claims filings — $60–$100 (Magisterial District Court). These figures represent the state-level base
• the total amount due at the Philadelphia County Orphans' Court in Philadelphia may include additional local charges.

As one of Pennsylvania's larger jurisdictions, Philadelphia County may assess higher local surcharges than the state's rural counties, reflecting the greater administrative cost of operating a high-volume court in Philadelphia.

• Beyond the initial filing fee, Philadelphia County litigants and estate administrators should budget for recurring court costs throughout the proceeding: fees for filing subsequent motions and responses, charges for certified copies of letters testamentary or court orders (typically $5 to $25 per document in Pennsylvania), jury demand deposits in civil cases, and in probate matters, fees associated with filing the inventory, accountings, and petition for discharge.
• For a complete picture of expected court costs in Philadelphia County, request the full fee schedule from the Philadelphia County Orphans' Court clerk in Philadelphia before initiating the proceeding.

Pennsylvania has been expanding electronic filing (e-filing) capabilities across its court system. Philadelphia County is among the jurisdictions where e-filing is more established.

For this major county, the Philadelphia County Orphans' Court in Philadelphia likely participates in the state's e-filing system, and represented parties in civil and family matters may be required to file electronically. Contact the Philadelphia County Orphans' Court clerk directly to confirm the current e-filing requirements for your specific case type.

When e-filing is available in Philadelphia County, the system charges a convenience fee per transaction — typically $2 to $8 — in addition to the applicable statutory court fees. This convenience fee is charged by the e-filing service provider rather than the court itself and is generally non-waivable even for litigants who have received a court fee waiver.

Self-represented litigants (pro se filers) are often exempt from mandatory e-filing requirements and may file in paper at the Philadelphia County Orphans' Court clerk's window in Philadelphia during regular business hours.

For probate and estate matters in Philadelphia County, e-filing availability may differ from civil cases. Some Pennsylvania probate courts have been slower to adopt e-filing given the document-intensive nature of estate proceedings — original wills, certified death certificates, and original deeds often require in-person or mail submission regardless of whether other case types accept electronic filing.

Verify with the Philadelphia County Orphans' Court in Philadelphia which documents can be e-filed and which require physical originals before planning your filing strategy.

• Philadelphia County residents who cannot afford court filing fees may apply for a fee waiver under Pa.
• R.C.P.
• No.
• 240.
• To apply, file a declaration of financial condition with the Philadelphia County Orphans' Court clerk's office in Philadelphia at the time of your initial filing.
• The declaration lists all household income sources, monthly expenses, assets, and liabilities.
• A judge or court commissioner reviews the application and issues an order granting or denying the waiver, typically within a few days of submission.

• Eligibility for a fee waiver in Philadelphia County generally requires that household income fall at or below 125% to 200% of the federal poverty level, or that the applicant is receiving qualifying public benefits — commonly Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or public housing assistance.
• The specific income thresholds and qualifying programs are defined in Pa.
• R.C.P.
• No.
• 240 and may have been updated by recent legislation.
• Ask the Philadelphia County Orphans' Court clerk in Philadelphia for the current income guidelines before completing your declaration.

• A granted fee waiver covers filing fees charged by the Philadelphia County Orphans' Court — including initial filing fees and subsequent filings in the same case — but does not cover costs owed to third parties.
• In Philadelphia County probate proceedings, a fee waiver does not eliminate the cost of publishing a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation (a statutory requirement in most states), service of process fees paid to process servers or the sheriff's office, or costs for court-ordered appraisals.
• Budget for these additional costs separately even when a fee waiver is in effect.