New Montgomery County Register of Wills Uses Technology to Increase Efficiency

Montgomery County Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans’ Court, Tina Lawson, has had a whirlwind first 100 days of office – rising to the challenge to improve overall efficiency and operation of the office.

Within a month of taking office in January 2024, Lawson has worked to clear the backlog of the processing of inheritance tax returns. The office is also the agent for the State of Pennsylvania in the collection of inheritance taxes, averaging $200 million annually. Just last week the office collected over $10 million in Inheritance taxes resulting in increased revenue for the County and State.

Lawson observed that the office’s staff were “working harder, not smarter,” and began incorporating needed technology, including check processors and scanners, and each employee is equipped with a double monitor to make their jobs easier. Lawson predicts that the efficiencies provide better support to residents seeking such services as a marriage license, filing Inheritance tax returns, submitting Orphans’ Court filings and probating of estates.

“I’m trying to make the office run more efficiently,” she said. “(Residents) need services. We need to be responsive.”

Now, instead of keeping a handwritten log of the many checks received per day, Lawson and her staff are scanning checks. The office has also recently changed its phone system to make sure every call is answered.

“We brought every employee in initially and asked ‘what are you doing? How can we make this easier for you?’” Lawson said, adding that staff had previously worked piecemeal completing a task before passing it to another employee and then another. “Now they can do the work from beginning to end.”

To ensure tasks are completed seamlessly, Lawson upgraded the office’s software and is adding credit card machines.  Employees are excited about the upgrades, including the planning of a new state-of-the-art video conference room that’s being transformed from a storage room.

“We have to be accessible to the public,” she said. “The technology we put in place will help constituents coming to the office in person or applying online obtain services a bit faster.”

In addition, under Lawson’s leadership, the office is beta testing a new self-scheduling feature that will allow residents to complete online filings and schedule appointments online for probates and marriage licenses.

The next step to increasing efficiency is to go paperless, which Lawson is moving toward with the addition of scanners.

“We’re cutting down on paper,” she said. “We’re cutting down on time to accomplish tasks. We’re making it all very efficient.”

Lawson is planning an open house very soon so that constituents can see the amazing changes.

Lawson, a longtime Upper Dublin resident, has been an attorney in the probates and Estates field for the last 30 years. She hopes to impress upon the general public the grave importance of creating Estate planning documents, including Wills. She also intends to help the office engage with the public about the services the Register of Wills offers.

To help get her message out about the revamped Register of Wills, Lawson plans to offer educational seminars. The new Register will also perform community outreach at community fairs, senior centers, local events and through partnering with a variety of organizations and governmental agencies.