Every Westmoreland County estate starts at the Register of Wills — Suite 301, third floor of the Courthouse Annex, 2 N. Main Street, Greensburg, open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., (724) 830-3177. This is where wills are filed, executors are sworn in, short certificates are issued, and estate records are kept. The office also offers video qualification, so in many estates the executor never needs to make the trip at all. Here's how the office actually works.
What the Register of Wills Does
The Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court is the county office that opens and oversees the paperwork of every probate estate. In practice, it's where you (or your attorney) will:
- File the original will and petition for probate after a death
- Qualify as executor or administrator — the swearing-in that produces your Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Obtain short certificates — the proof-of-authority document banks and transfer agents ask for (what a short certificate is and why you need several)
- File the inventory, inheritance-tax return, and estate filings as the administration proceeds
- Search estate records — probated wills and estate filings are public records once filed
Location, Hours & Contact
The office sits in Suite 301, on the third floor of the Courthouse Annex — part of the courthouse complex at 2 N. Main Street in downtown Greensburg. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the office is reached at (724) 830-3177. As of this writing the office is led by Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court Jonathon A. Wian.
Parking and getting in
- Easiest parking: the Robert Bell Parking Garage at 106 West Otterman Street, one block behind the courthouse — $1.00 per hour, pay at the elevator (cash or card) or at the gate (card only).
- Metered lots with ten-hour meters sit on Maple Avenue near the YMCA, North Main Street, South Pennsylvania Avenue, and Ehalt Street by the train station; meters take quarters or the Meter Feeder app.
- Security screening: everyone enters through metal detectors, and bags are X-rayed — travel light, leave pocket knives and anything questionable in the car, and note that cameras aren't permitted beyond the lobby. All three entrances have ramps and automatic doors.
Opening an Estate: What to Bring
Qualification is usually a single, short appointment — if the paperwork arrives complete. Typically you'll need:
- The original will (the Register probates originals, not photocopies)
- An original death certificate
- A completed petition for probate and supporting forms
- Photo ID for each personal representative being sworn in
- A reasonable estimate of the estate's value — the probate filing fee is graduated by estate size under the county's fee schedule
- Payment for filing fees and the short certificates you'll want to order while you're there
Fee amounts are set by the county's bill of costs and change periodically — the county last amended it effective July 2024 — so confirm current figures with the office or check the county's published fee schedule before you go. When we handle an estate, we prepare the petition, schedule the appointment, and tell you exactly what to bring, so qualification takes one visit — or none.
Video Qualification: Skipping the Trip Entirely
Westmoreland County offers virtual probate service: the swearing-in that once required a courthouse visit can be done by video appointment, offered Monday through Friday, for a county fee of $100 under the current bill of costs. For out-of-state executors — or anyone who can't take a morning off for a trip to Greensburg — this is the single most useful thing the office does. Appointments are scheduled through the office at (724) 830-3177; when we administer an estate, we arrange the video appointment, prepare the paperwork in advance, and are on the line with you. It's why most Westmoreland County estates we handle never require the family to set foot in the courthouse.
Searching Estate Records
Probated wills and estate filings are public records. Westmoreland County's online public record search covers Register of Wills estate records — most filings from the late 1980s forward are searchable by the decedent's first and last name (both are required), and documents can be viewed, printed, or saved directly. Older records are kept at the office and can be viewed in person, or you can call or email the office for help with a records request. Worth noting for your own planning: a probated will eventually becomes a public record exactly like the ones you're searching — which is why families who want the outcome private pair their planning with a properly funded trust that passes assets without a public probate file.
A Note on What the Register Can't Do
The Register of Wills staff are consistently helpful — but they are court officials, not your counsel. They cannot tell you whether the will is valid, whether you need probate at all, how to classify a joint account, or what your duties as executor require. Those are exactly the questions that determine whether an estate goes smoothly, and they're the ones we answer every day.
Opening an Estate in Westmoreland County?
We practice at this courthouse constantly — we know the office, the process, and the paperwork. One free consultation and you'll know exactly what the estate needs, what it will cost, and whether you need to make the trip to Greensburg at all.