Lehigh Cnty. C.P. eFiling Guidelines

Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas

Orphans’ Court Division

Lehigh County Courthouse

455 West Hamilton Street

Allentown, Pennsylvania 18101-1614

Wendy A. W. Parr Janet Thwaites, Esquire

Clerk of the Orphans’ Court Orphans’ Court Counsel

ORPHANS’ COURT EFILING GUIDELINES THROUGH ODYSSEY FILE &

SERVE (OFS)

These guidelines are provided to supplement the procedural requirements for efiling in

the Orphans’ Court Division set forth at Leh. O.C. Rule 4.7-1 et. seq. It is the obligation of the

filer to comply with all requirements and resubmit filings that are rejected. The filing date is the

date when a filing is accepted by the Clerk of the Orphans’ Court. Additional information

regarding efiling through OFS can be found at https://pennsylvania.tylertech.cloud/ofsweb or OFS

OrphansCourtSupport@lehighcounty.org

I. General E-filing:

A. All documents filed through OFS must include page numbers, be in proper sequential order,

in legible PDF format and contain all the following:

1. A 3-inch margin at the top of the first page for timestamp and other official use.

2. File Number. NOTE: If a Register of Wills (“ROW”) file exists for a decedent’s

estate, that file number will be assigned to the Decedent’s Estate case type in the

Orphans’ Court (“OC”).

3. A caption that includes the name of the decedent, trust, incapacitated person, or

minor, and not the names of petitioners/respondents fiduciaries, or parents of

minors. (e.g. In re: Estate of Jane Doe, dec’d; In re: Jane Doe Testamentary Trust;

In re: Guardianship of Jane Doe, an Alleged Incapacitated Person; In re: Jane Doe,

a minor)

4. Accurate and concise title, e.g. Petition; Answer; Brief; Affidavit of Service

5. Digitized signature or the name of the filer preceded by /s/ accompanied by the

attorney/pro se filer’s printed name.

B. A proposed order filed through OFS must:

1. Contain a 3-inch margin at the top of the first page for timestamp and other official

use.

2. Be titled “Order” (not “Proposed Order”)

3. Contain the correct File Number

4. Include the exact name of the pleading to which it relates and a blank space for

insertion of the date on which that pleading was filed (e.g. “Upon consideration of the

Petition For Appointment of Successor Trustee filed ______________,”)

C. Party information and addresses must be entered using upper and lower case letters and

without using any punctuation. (e.g. John Doe Jr )

D. A Praecipe to Attach is to be filed as the Lead Document and the supplied information is to

be filed as an attachment (e.g. Praecipe to Attach is the lead document and “bank account

statements” the attachment)

E. Multiple pleadings are to be filed in single envelope as separate Lead Documents (exhibits

referenced in a petition are to be included as part of that Lead Document, unless an exhibit is

a Confidential Document, See, Section II (3) below).

F. In order for a new party to be able to file to an existing case for the first time, their counsel

must first complete and file an Entry Of Appearance form, or the unrepresented new party

must complete and file an Entry Of Appearance of Self-Representation form. Upon

acceptance of that form, a new party will be able to file to an existing Orphans’ Court case.

G. Complete the Case Information Section by selecting “Orphans’ Court” as the Location:

and “Family” as the Category, and selecting a Case Type from the dropdown menu

then complete the Party Information Section and the Filings Section

NOTE: If “Petition for Issuance of Citation/Notice To Plead” is selected from the

Filing Code dropdown menu, anyone requiring notice who is not already a

party must be added to the Parties Section as Respondent and/or Party In

Interest

II. Public Access Policy and Electronic Filing:

A. When required by §7.0(D) of the state Case Records Public Access Policy, the Certificate

of Compliance is to be filed as part of each pleading and NOT filed as a separate Lead

Document.

B. When required by §8.0 of the state Case Records Public Access Policy, redacted pleadings

filed with a Confidential Information Form, are to be filed as two separate Lead Documents

within the same envelope, e.g. “ Minor’s Compromise Petition (redacted)”

“ Confidential Information Form” “ Proposed Order”)

C. When an exhibit to a pleading is a Confidential Document as defined in §8.0 of the Case

Records Public Access Policy, the exhibit and the Confidential Document Form required

by §8.0 are to be filed as the same Lead Documents within the same envelope as the

pleading (e.g. “Minor’s Compromise Petition;” “Confidential Information Form”,

“Confidential Document Form – Medical/Psyc Records;” “Proposed Order”).

D. Because all incapacity pleadings filed pursuant to Chapter 55 of the PEF Code, other than

a decree of adjudication, are unavailable to the public pursuant to §9.0 of the state Case

Records Public Access Policy, such pleadings are not to be redacted and need not be filed

with Confidential Information Form and exhibits are not to be separately filed with

Confidential Document forms.

III. Notes For Certain Case Types

A. Formal Fiduciary Accounts

• Select either “Decedent’s Estates,” “Power of Attorney,” “Trust,” “Minor’s

Guardianship” or “Incapacitated Persons/Adult” as the Case Type

• Select the filing code fee that most closely approximates the value of the

estate/trust; any shortfall will be billed to the filer

• “Petition for Adjudication/Statement of Proposed Distribution (OC Forms OC-01

through OC-05)” must be filed as a separate lead document in the same envelope

• “Application for Listing” on a scheduled Audit List must be filed as separate lead

document in the same envelope

B. Minor’s, Decedent’s and Incapacitated Person’s Settlement Petitions required to be

submitted for review before filing pursuant to Leh. R.C.P. 2039, 2206 and 2056.

1. Initial Draft

a. If a civil action has been instituted, the petition. exhibits and proposed order

( collectively “Civil Settlement Petition”), are to be drafted under the civil

caption and number

b. If no civil action has been instituted, and the minor resides in or the

decedent’s or guardianship estate was raised in, Lehigh County, the petition

exhibits and proposed order (collectively “Orphans’ Court Settlement

Petition”) are to be drafted under the Orphans’ Court caption and file

number.

c. All Civil Settlement Petitions as well as Orphans’ Court Settlement

Petitions must be electronically submitted through OFS for Orphans’

Court review as follows:

(i) Minor’s Compromise

 Select a “Start A New Case”

 Select “Orphans’ Court” as the Location

 Select “Family” as the Category

 Select “Minor’s Settlement” as Case Type

 In Party Information section:

• Enter full name of minor’s parent/guardian as

“Petitioner”

• Enter Minor’s initials and full name

 Select Draft Petition Settlement Minor’s Comp as

the Filing Code.

 Upload the petition, exhibits and proposed order.

(ii.) Death Case

 Select a “Start A New Case”

 Select “Orphans’ Court” as the Location

 Select “Family” as the Category

 Select “Death Case Settlement” as Case Type

 In Party Information section:

• Enter name of Executor/Administrator as the

Petitioner

• Enter full name of Decedent

 Select Draft Petition Settlement Death Case as the

Filing Code.

 Upload the petition, exhibits and proposed order

(iii.) Incapacitated Person

 Select a “Start A New Case”

 Select “Orphans’ Court” as the Location

 Select “Family” as the Category

 Select “Incapacitated Person’s Settlement” as Case

Type

 In Party Information section:

• Enter name of the Guardian of the Estate

“Petitioner”

• Enter name of the incapacitated

plaintiff/person as the “Alleged Incapacitated

Person”

 Select Draft Petition Settlement Incapacitated

Person as the Filing Code.

 Upload the petition, exhibits and proposed order

2. Settlement Petitions Approved for Filing

a. Upon completion of Orphans’ Court review, Settlement Case

Management Order are issued with Directions that include specific filing

codes to be used to formally file the settlement petition and proposed

order

3. Proof of Compliance with Orders Approving Minors’ Settlements and Death

Case Settlements that include awards to minors

a. File in Orphan’s Court (NOT in Civil Division) using the Minor’s

Settlement case type and OC number, or the Death Case Settlement

case type and OC number, by selecting from the following Filing Codes:

 Affidavit of Deposit of Minor’s Funds

 Attorney’s Certificate of Compliance re Deposit of Minor’s

Funds

 Parent/Guardian’s Certification of Establishment of

Restricted Account For Minor

 Proof of Purchase of Annuity

NOTE: E-filing is NOT YET AVAILABLE for Adoptions, Parental Terminations, or

Marriage Licenses

Date: April 1, 2023