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Pennsylvania court costs guide
Filing for divorce in Pennsylvania costs County-set in court filing fees. This guide covers the verified filing fees for divorce, name change, general civil cases, and probate in Pennsylvania — every figure from the official schedule or statute named at the foot of the page.
| Pennsylvania at a glance | Figure |
|---|---|
| Court | Court of Common Pleas |
| Divorce filing fee | County-set — Pennsylvania filing fees are set by each county. We read no verified county divorce example on an official schedule, so we print none: confirm with your county's prothonotary. |
| Name change filing fee | County-set. Verified example: Philadelphia's official First Judicial District packet (rev. 1/20/26) totals $349.23. |
| Name-change publication | Required — Required — 54 Pa.C.S. §701(a.1)(3)(ii)(A): publish in TWO newspapers of general circulation in the county of residence (or a contiguous county). Waived, with the record sealed, if safety would be jeopardised (§701(a.1)(3)(iii)). |
| General civil filing fee | County-set; no verified example figure read — see the divorce note. |
| Probate filing fee | County-set through the Register of Wills. Philadelphia tiers by estate value: $189.25 ($0–$250) rising to $1,330.25 at $1,000,000, plus $75 per additional $100,000 (Register of Wills schedule, 11/18/2024). |
Filing fee + service + publication + certified copies is the real number. Stack all four for your state and procedure in the calculator.
Open the cost calculatorDivorce filing fees
County-set — Pennsylvania filing fees are set by each county. We read no verified county divorce example on an official schedule, so we print none: confirm with your county's prothonotary.
See the national picture — including the states where the fee is set county by county — in our divorce filing cost guide.
Name change: fee and publication
County-set. Verified example: Philadelphia's official First Judicial District packet (rev. 1/20/26) totals $349.23.
Publication: Required — 54 Pa.C.S. §701(a.1)(3)(ii)(A): publish in TWO newspapers of general circulation in the county of residence (or a contiguous county). Waived, with the record sealed, if safety would be jeopardised (§701(a.1)(3)(iii)).
Publication is the step readers most often get wrong, because the rule changed recently in several states. The full state-by-state picture is in our name change cost guide.
General civil filing fees
County-set; no verified example figure read — see the divorce note.
Probate court costs
County-set through the Register of Wills. Philadelphia tiers by estate value: $189.25 ($0–$250) rising to $1,330.25 at $1,000,000, plus $75 per additional $100,000 (Register of Wills schedule, 11/18/2024).
How filing works in Pennsylvania
- Prepare the petition or complaint for the Court of Common Pleas — most Pennsylvania courts publish the forms on their self-help pages.
- File with the clerk and pay the filing fee above. Keep the stamped copy; it is your proof of filing.
- Arrange service of process on the other party where the case requires it (divorce and general civil cases do; a name change usually does not).
- Complete any publication the rules require — for a Pennsylvania name change: required.
- Attend the hearing or, in uncontested matters, submit the proposed decree for the judge's signature.
Worked total: what a divorce filing costs
Because the filing fee itself is not a single statewide figure in Pennsylvania, a worked total would be a made-up number — we don't publish those. Budget the county filing fee from the note above, plus $50–$100 for service of process if the other party must be served, and confirm the filing fee with the clerk before you file.
Sources: 54 Pa.C.S. §701 — Pennsylvania Legislature · Philadelphia Courts — Name Change Petition packet · Philadelphia Register of Wills — Fee Schedule. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court clerk.
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