Union County Probate Court Records
Union County probate court records are maintained by the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court offices in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The office is located at the County Courthouse, 103 South 2nd Street, Lewisburg, PA 17837. The office phone is (570) 524-8762, and the fax number is (570) 524-0104. Union County probate matters have been documented since the county's creation in 1813. Lisa A. Seward serves as Register of Wills, and Diane Miller serves as Clerk of Orphans' Court. Online records for Union County include Wills and Administrations from 1813 to 1818, making this one of the few Pennsylvania counties with digitized records from its earliest years available for public access.
Union County Quick Facts
Union County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court
Union County maintains separate positions for the Register of Wills and the Clerk of Orphans' Court. Lisa A. Seward serves as Union County's Register of Wills, responsible for probating wills, issuing letters testamentary to named executors, and issuing letters of administration for intestate estates. Diane Miller serves as Clerk of Orphans' Court, maintaining the docket for Union County Orphans' Court proceedings. This division of responsibilities allows each office to focus on its specific function within the Union County courthouse in Lewisburg.
Union County's online availability of Wills and Administrations from 1813 to 1818 makes it particularly accessible for early genealogical research. These digitized early Union County probate records provide direct access to documents from the county's founding years without requiring an in-person visit to the Lewisburg courthouse. Researchers tracing family history in central Pennsylvania will find these early Union County wills and administrations especially valuable for documenting family relationships and property ownership in the first years of the county's existence.
The FamilySearch Union County genealogy wiki provides a comprehensive inventory of available record collections for Union County, Pennsylvania, including probate records, vital records, and other genealogical sources. This resource helps researchers understand what Union County records are available online versus what requires an in-person visit to the Lewisburg courthouse. FamilySearch is particularly useful for identifying which Union County probate records have been microfilmed or digitized and made available through partner libraries and archives.
Note: For Union County probate records, the RWOCAP county officials page at RWOCAP County Officials lists current elected officials for Union County, including the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court.
Union County Probate Records Since 1813
Union County was created in 1813 from Northumberland County, and probate records in Lewisburg date from that year. The early Union County wills and estate inventories document the lives of families who settled this central Pennsylvania region during the early nineteenth century. These historical documents include original wills, estate inventories listing personal property and landholdings, and administration bonds posted by court-appointed administrators. For genealogical researchers, these early Union County probate records often provide the most detailed surviving evidence of family structure and property ownership from the period before formal vital records registration.
The availability of digitized Wills and Administrations from 1813 to 1818 sets Union County apart from many other Pennsylvania counties and makes the earliest estate records accessible to researchers worldwide. These online Union County probate records from the founding years of the county allow family history researchers to examine the first documented estate filings without traveling to Lewisburg. The documents from this period reflect the predominantly agricultural character of early Union County and the Scots-Irish and German families who formed the county's early population.
Snyder County was separated from Union County in 1855, meaning that pre-1855 records relating to families in what is now Snyder County would be found in the Union County probate records in Lewisburg. Researchers tracing families in the broader Susquehanna Valley region of central Pennsylvania should be aware of this jurisdictional split when planning their research into Union County probate records.
Filing Probate in Union County
Union County probate filings begin at the Register of Wills office at 103 South 2nd Street in Lewisburg. The executor named in the decedent's will presents the original will, the death certificate, and an initial summary of estate assets to Register Lisa A. Seward's office. The Register reviews the will, admits it to probate if it meets Pennsylvania's legal requirements, and issues letters testamentary. For intestate Union County estates, the Register issues letters of administration following the same intake process. Both types of letters authorize the executor or administrator to act on behalf of the Union County estate.
Pennsylvania law governs all Union County probate proceedings. The PA Title 20 Probate Code establishes the legal framework for will probation and estate administration throughout the Commonwealth. The PA Code Title 231 covers the procedural rules for Orphans' Court practice applicable in Union County. Executors and administrators should review these statutes or consult legal counsel before proceeding with Union County estate administration.
Inheritance tax requirements apply to most Union County probate matters where assets pass to non-exempt beneficiaries. The Register of Wills in Lewisburg assists with inheritance tax collection as a state agent. The PA Dept of Revenue Inheritance Tax page details current rates and payment deadlines applicable to Union County estates. Paying inheritance tax through the Union County probate process on time avoids penalty interest on any outstanding tax obligation.
Union County Orphans' Court and Estate Proceedings
Union County's Clerk of Orphans' Court, Diane Miller, maintains the docket for all Orphans' Court proceedings in Lewisburg. The Orphans' Court handles matters that require judicial oversight beyond routine probate administration, including contested wills, disputed estate accountings, guardianship proceedings, and other matters requiring court approval. When a Union County probate matter becomes disputed, it proceeds to formal Orphans' Court proceedings handled by the Court of Common Pleas.
Standardized forms for Union County Orphans' Court proceedings are available at Orphans' Court Forms. Using the correct forms ensures proper filing and prevents avoidable delays. The UJS Portal provides online access to Union County Orphans' Court docket entries for cases in formal court proceedings. Researchers examining contested Union County estate matters should consult both the Register of Wills records and the Orphans' Court docket for a complete picture.
The image below is from the Pennsylvania Registers of Wills and Clerks of Orphans' Courts Association page, providing statewide context for how Union County's dual-office structure fits within Pennsylvania's broader estate administration system.
The RWOCAP organization connects the Union County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court with counterpart offices across all 67 Pennsylvania counties, promoting consistent probate practice statewide.
The image below is from the PA Probate Help website, which provides plain-language guidance on wills and estate administration relevant to Union County residents and families navigating the Lewisburg probate process.
PA Probate Help is a practical starting point for Union County residents encountering the probate process for the first time and needing clear guidance on what steps to take.
Accessing and Researching Union County Probate Records
The Register of Wills office in Lewisburg is the primary resource for Union County probate records. In-person visits allow researchers to review estate files and request copies of wills, letters, and inventories. The fax number (570) 524-0104 is available for submitting documents when in-person visits are not possible. Staff under Register Lisa A. Seward's direction can assist with locating records by decedent name and can explain the process for both current estate filings and historical record requests.
For Union County genealogical research, the combination of digitized online records from 1813 to 1818, the FamilySearch Union County genealogy resources, and the in-person courthouse collection provides an unusually accessible starting point. The PA Probate Help resource offers accessible explanations of the Pennsylvania probate process, making it useful for Union County families handling an estate for the first time. Whether you are dealing with a current Union County estate matter or researching historical Lewisburg-area probate records, these combined resources support a thorough and well-informed approach.
Nearby Counties
Union County borders several other central Pennsylvania counties, each maintaining its own probate court records and Register of Wills office.