(Credit: Katalinas Communications.)
Just last week, Tina Lawson's office collected more than $10 million in inheritance taxes, resulting in increased revenue for the County.
(The following information was provided by Katalinas Communications.)
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 clear about $100 million in inheritance checks and tax returns stockpiled in 65 bins, improve customer experiences, and increase staff efficiency.
Within a month of taking office in January, Lawson had worked to clear the 65-bin backlog of inheritance checks and tax returns to a meager 2 and a half bins. The office is also agent for the State of Pennsylvania in the collection of inheritance taxes, averaging more than $200 million annually. Just last week her office collected over $10 million in Inheritance taxes resulting in increased revenue for the County.
Seeing that the office’s staff were “working harder, not smarter,” Lawson added needed technology, including check processors and scanners, to make their jobs easier. In turn, the efficiencies provide better service to residents seeking such services as a marriage license, filing Inheritance tax returns, submitting Orphans’ Court filings or processing 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 a couple hundred 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. All staff also have double monitors. 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.
The office has been mostly closed to the public since the pandemic in March 2020, which Lawson has worked to rectify.
“We have to be accessible to the public,” she said. “The technology we put in place will help constituents coming in 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 filings and schedule appointments online via Zoom or Webex for probates, which will clear up the backlog of probate cases 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, of Upper Dublin, has been an attorney practicing in this field for the last 30 years. She ran for her current position in large part to impress upon the general public the grave importance of having a Will and education about the services the office offers.
To help get her message across, Lawson plans on doing outreach through community fairs, senior centers, local events and partnering with relevant organizations.
“So many people don’t have Wills and don’t understand estate planning,” Lawson said. “Every adult needs a Will.”
