Doylestown is the county seat of Bucks County and home to the Bucks County Courthouse, the Register of Wills, and the Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas. If you live in Doylestown Borough, Doylestown Township, or surrounding communities like Buckingham, New Britain, or Plumstead, your estate matters will be filed and adjudicated at the courthouse on East Court Street.
A complete estate plan for a Doylestown family typically includes a last will and testament, a revocable or irrevocable trust when appropriate, a durable financial power of attorney, and a healthcare power of attorney with living will. The documents need to comply with Pennsylvania's execution requirements under 20 Pa.C.S. Β§ 2502 β two witnesses and a notarized self-proving affidavit are standard practice.
Central Bucks County households often have specific planning concerns: homes with significant equity, retirement accounts requiring beneficiary designation review, blended family situations where inheritance distribution needs careful drafting, and business interests that require succession planning. Doylestown's proximity to the courthouse also means Orphans' Court litigation β will contests, trust disputes, guardianship proceedings β moves through a familiar local system.
Our Bristol office is approximately 25 minutes from Doylestown. We routinely appear at the Bucks County Courthouse for probate filings, Orphans' Court hearings, and real estate matters. Clients in Doylestown get the benefit of an attorney who knows the local Register of Wills' procedures, the judges in Orphans' Court, and the specific filing requirements that apply in Bucks County β combined with the litigation experience at firms in New York and Philadelphia to handle contested matters if they arise.
Doylestown clients frequently ask about the probate process at the Register of Wills (which now accepts e-filed petitions followed by Zoom appointments), Pennsylvania inheritance tax rates and the 5% discount for prepayment, whether a revocable trust can help their family avoid probate, and how to handle real estate in an estate when the property is the primary asset.
If you're in Doylestown or anywhere in central Bucks County and need estate planning guidance, we offer free consultations by phone or video. Call 215-826-3133 or request a consultation online.
Free consultations for most practice areas. Call or request one online β we respond within one business day.
Request a Free Consultation