In accordance with the May 19, 2021 12th Amended Emergency Order and the June 28, 2021 13th Amended Emergency Order issued by the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County, all Orphans' Court matters will be conducted in person at the Courthouse unless directed otherwise by the assigned judge. Mandatory* e-filing has been implemented in the Orphans’ Court Division, for all case types other than Adoptions/Parental Terminations and ECT petition, using Odyssey File and Serve (OFS)) at https://pennsylvania.tylertech.cloud/OfsWeb/Home  It is anticipated that e-filing will be available for Adoption/TPR and ECT petition in the near future.  Please check the Schedule Changes and Important Notices section of the Court’s website at www.lccpa.org for that implementation announcement.

*Pursuant to Leh.O.C. Rule 7.4-1, 5511 Guardians’ Inventories and Annual Reports may be e-filed in Orphans’ Court through OFS, filed in paper form in the Clerk of the Orphans, Court Office, or filed electronically through OFS.

Currently there are five judges assigned to the Orphans' Court Division. Orphans' Court matters are scheduled approximately every six weeks. Orphans' Court Motions are heard on Fridays within the normal 6 week cycle, and  generally follow the same schedule as Audits.  Motions are heard by the Administrative Judge of the Division. All Orphans' Court matters are scheduled through the office of the Clerk of the Orphans' Court Division and not the Court Administrator's Office. Orphans' Court Calendars, as well as Orphans' Court praecipe/application forms are available at www. https://www.lccpa.org/forms/orphans/

In addition to the assigned judges, the Orphans' Court Division staff is comprised of the following. The Clerk of Orphans' Court,  appointed by the Court. The Clerk is the official custodian of all Orphans' Court records and manages the day to day operations of the Orphans' Court Office. In addition to the Clerk, there are currently four full-time assistants and an assistant/analyst, who is responsible for auditing all formally filed fiduciary accounts.  Also working in the Clerk's Office full-time, Orphans' Court Counsel and Law Clerk.  Both positions are held by attorneys  employed by the Court and report directly to the judges assigned to the division.

The Clerk of Orphans' Court is appointed by the Court. The Clerk is the official custodian of all Orphans' Court records and manages the day to day operations of the Orphans' Court Office. In addition to the Clerk, there are currently two full-time assistants and one part-time employee working the Clerk's Office.

In Lehigh County the Register of Wills is a separate office that is a division of the Clerk of Judicial Records who is an elected official. That office is responsible for probate and inheritance tax filings regarding decedents' estates. The Register of Wills Division of the Clerk of Judicial Records can be contacted at (610) 782-3170.