Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 7 - Orphans' Court Divisions
Section 711 - Mandatory exercise of jurisdiction through orphans' court division in general

Except as provided in section 712 (relating to nonmandatory exercise of jurisdiction through the orphans' court division) and section 713 (relating to special provisions for Philadelphia County), the jurisdiction of the court of common pleas over the following shall be exercised through its orphans' court division:
(1) Decedents' estates.--The administration and distribution of the real and personal property of decedents' estates and the control of the decedent's burial.
(2) Testamentary trusts.--The administration and distribution of the real and personal property of testamentary trusts, and the reformation and setting aside of any such trusts, whether created before or after the effective date of this chapter, except any testamentary trust created before the effective date of the Fiduciaries Act of 1917, jurisdiction of which was acquired by the court of common pleas prior to January 1, 1969 unless the president judge of such court orders the jurisdiction of the trust to be exercised through the orphans' court division.
(3) Inter vivos trusts.--The administration and distribution of the real and personal property of inter vivos trusts, and the reformation or setting aside of any such trusts, whether created before or after the effective date of this chapter, except any inter vivos trust jurisdiction of which was acquired by the court of common pleas prior to January 1, 1969 unless the president judge of such court orders the jurisdiction of the trust to be exercised through the orphans' court division.
"Inter vivos trust" means an express trust other than a trust created by a will, taking effect during the lifetime or at or after the death of the settlor.
It includes:
(i) a life insurance trust;
(ii) a trust created under a deed, agreement, or declaration except as hereinafter excluded;
(iii) a common trust fund or mortgage investment fund created by a corporate fiduciary for the investment of funds held by it as fiduciary or co-fiduciary;
(iv) a tentative trust; and
(v) similar trusts.
"Inter vivos trust" does not include:
(vi) a resulting or constructive trust created by operation of law;
(vii) a trust for creditors;
(viii) an escrow relationship;
(ix) a temporary trust to hold disputed property;
(x) a principal and agent relationship;
(xi) a trust primarily for the benefit of business employees, their families or appointees, under a stock bonus, pension, disability or death benefit, profit-sharing or other employee-benefit plan;
(xii) a trust for bondholders;
(xiii) a mortgagee in possession relationship;
(xiv) a business trust, including a trust subject to 15 Pa.C.S. Ch. 95 (relating to business trusts); and
(xv) similar trusts or fiduciary relationships.
(4) Minors' estates.--The administration and distribution of the real and personal property of minors' estates.
(5) Custodianships for minors' property.--Matters relating to custodianship of the property of minors, as provided by law.
(6) Guardian of persons of minors.--The appointment, control and removal of the guardian of the person of any minor.
(7) Adoptions.--Adoptions, subject to the provisions of section 713.
(8) Custody of minors.--The determination of the right to the custody of a minor in connection with any proceeding for his adoption or for the appointment of a guardian of his person, except as provided in section 713.
(9) Birth records.--Except as provided in section 713, all proceedings which may be necessary to be presented to a court for determination with regard to issues concerning recordation of birth and birth records or the alteration, amendment or modification of such birth records or the right to obtain a certified copy of the same. Whenever a person is entitled to take an appeal from the action of the Department of Health in connection with any matters concerning birth records the appeal shall be taken to the orphans' court division of the county in which the person is a resident. In all other matters in which a petition is addressed to a court in connection with matters of birth records, the filing of which petition is not in the nature of an appeal but is an original proceeding, shall be filed and determined by the orphans' court division of the county in which the petitioner resides.
(10) Incapacitated persons' estates.--The administration and distribution of the real and personal property of the estates of incapacitated persons, except where jurisdiction thereof was acquired by the court of common pleas prior to January 1, 1969 unless the president judge of such court orders the jurisdiction of the estate to be exercised through the orphans' court division.
(11) Absentees' and presumed decedents' estates.--The administration and distribution of the real and personal property of absent persons and of presumed decedents.
(12) Fiduciaries.--The appointment, control, settlement of the accounts of, removal and discharge of, and allowance to and allocation of compensation among, all fiduciaries of estates and trusts, jurisdiction of which is exercised through the orphans' court division, except that the register shall continue to grant letters testamentary and of administration to personal representatives as heretofore.
(13) Specific performance of contracts.--To enforce specifically the performance by either party of any agreement made by a decedent to purchase or sell real or personal property.
(14) Legacies, annuities and charges.--Proceedings for the enforcement of legacies, annuities and charges placed on real or personal property by will, inter vivos trust, or decree of an orphans' court or orphans' court division or for the discharge of the lien thereof.
(15) Construction of administrative power.--The construction of an administrative power as to real estate proposed to be exercised by a fiduciary of an estate or trust, jurisdiction of which is exercised through the orphans' court division.
(16) Disposition of title to real estate to render it freely alienable.--The disposition of any interest in real estate of one disabled from dealing with it when title to it has been acquired by descent or will, or is in an estate or trust jurisdiction of which is exercised through the orphans' court division.
(17) Title to personal property.--The adjudication of the title to personal property in the possession of the personal representative, or registered in the name of the decedent or his nominee, or alleged by the personal representative to have been in the possession of the decedent at the time of his death.
(18) Appeals and proceedings from registers.--Appeals from and proceedings removed from registers.
(19) Marriage licenses.--Marriage licenses, as provided by law.
(20) Inheritance and estate taxes.--Matters relating to inheritance and estate taxes, as provided by law.
(21) Nonprofit corporations.--The administration and proper application of funds awarded by an orphans' court or an orphans' court division to a nonprofit corporation heretofore or hereafter organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a charitable purpose at the direction of the orphans' court or orphans' court division or at the direction of a settlor or testator of a trust or estate, jurisdiction of which is exercised through the orphans' court division except as the administrative, presiding or president judge of such division disclaims the exercise of future jurisdiction thereof.
(22) Agents.--All matters pertaining to the exercise of powers by agents acting under powers of attorney as provided in Subchapter C of Chapter 54 (relating to health care agents and representatives) or in Chapter 56 (relating to powers of attorney).
(23) Digital assets.--All matters pertaining to Chapter 39 (relating to uniform fiduciary access to digital assets).
(Dec. 10, 1974, P.L.867, No.293, eff. imd.; Dec. 21, 1988, P.L.1444, No.177, eff. Oct. 1, 1989; Apr. 16, 1992, P.L.108, No.24, eff. 60 days; Dec. 16, 1992, P.L.1163, No.152, eff. imd.; Oct. 12, 1999, P.L.422, No.39, eff. 60 days; Nov. 29, 2006, P.L.1484, No.169, eff. 60 days; July 23, 2020, P.L.684, No.72, eff. 180 days)

2020 Amendment. Act 72 added par. (23).
2006 Amendment. Act 169 amended par. (22).
1992 Amendments. Act 24 amended par. (10) and Act 152 amended par. (2). See section 21 of Act 24 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to applicability. See section 27(b) of Act 152 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to applicability of other provisions.
1988 Amendment. Act 177 amended par. (3).
1974 Amendment. Act 293 amended the intro. par. and par. (10).
References in Text. The act of June 7, 1917, P.L.447, No.193, known as the Fiduciaries Act of 1917, referred to in this section, was repealed by the act of April 18, 1949, P.L.512, No.121, known as the Fiduciaries Act of 1949.
Cross References. Section 711 is referred to in sections 712, 713 of this title; section 102 of Title 15 (Corporations and Unincorporated Associations); section 933 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure).

Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes