FAQS
Frequently Asked Questions About PA Legal Ads
What are legal journals?
Legal journals are the court's designated publication for the advertisement of legal notices in each county. In Pennsylvania, County Bar Associations are designated to publish that county's legal journal. In addition to the legal notices, County Legal Journals present the legal community and public alike with an insider's view from a local perspective. Between the covers of the publications, you will also find explanations of local cases, statutes, and administrative rules; discover time-saving forms and practice tips from some of our area's most respectful contributors.
What are legal notices?
Legal notices or public notices are those that are required by statute to be published. A few examples are Estate Notices, Fictitious Names, Incorporations, and Sheriff Sales. Many notices require dual publication in both a legal journal and a "newspaper of general circulation". Additional information can be found in Purdon's PA Statutes and Consolidated Statutes, Title 45 Pa.C.S.A. Legal Notices.
Who are you?
The Conference of County Legal Journals (CCLJ), established in 1988, is the statewide membership organization of the publishers of the official legal journals for the 67 counties in the Commonwealth of PA.
What do you do?
CCLJ members monitor changes in legislation that impact the publishing of legal notices and meet frequently to collaborate on best practices in publishing and customer service.
CCLJ also provides a free statewide searchable internet database for Pennsylvania legal notices at www.palegalads.org. All uploaded legal journals are archived on the site and are easily searched - free of charge - by county, by type of ad, and by keyword. [Note: public notices that are published in PA newspapers are online at www.mypublicnotices.com/ a site created by the PA NewsMedia Association.]
This centralized database provides taxpayers, business owners, contractors, and lawyers a convenient way to look for legal notices that may impact their town/county as well as their families.
Why is public access to Legal Ads important?
The publication of legal notices ensures that individuals have access to the information they are entitled to by law. It is a requirement in order to provide members of the public an opportunity to make their opinions known before a ruling is made or law is created.
I need to place a legal notice in a particular county's Legal Journal. How do I do that?
Search for that particular county through the search on this website and you will find the contact person and information for that particular county's Journal.