Carbon County has entered into an agreement with McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC of York to defend the prothonotary in a class-action suit against 54 of the 67 counties.

On Thursday, the county commissioners approved an engagement agreement with the law firm.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and the firm are helping the prothonotaries because they don’t have the financial resources to litigate something of this nature.

The class-action suit was filed by Chester Upland School District and the Chichester School District, both of Delaware County, on April 30. It alleges that 54 of the 67 counties in the state were overcharging fees when filing complaints in the prothonotary offices.

Nothstein said Kayla Semmel assured him that Carbon’s fees are within the parameters that they should be.

CCAP decided to join in the suit to help the counties because it could mean a huge cost to counties if it is found that there was overcharging, Nothstein said.

“We’re in it for the fight and hopefully we will be successful for all the counties named in the suit,” he added.