The personal representative of an estate has a lot of work ahead of them. Probate proceedings and estate administration can consume months of their time. They may need to attend court hearings, communicate with various interested parties and physically distribute...
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Specific times when you should update an estate plan
Estate plans need to be reviewed – and potentially updated – regularly after they are created to make sure that they are current concerning the assets that a person owns and the goals they want to accomplish. Instead of updating the plan every one-to-three years, you...
A deceased loved one left multiple wills. Now what?
Maybe you’d been gently nagging an older parent to get their estate plan in place – for them to at least draft a will. When they passed away suddenly, you were surprised to find not one will but two or even more in their files or elsewhere in their home. What should...
3 mistakes people make when estate planning
Estate planning is a process that all adults need to tackle. For example, everyone should have advanced medical directives in place in the event of an emergency and a plan for their possessions after they pass away, even if someone perceives the value of their estate...
Could a simple addition to your will prevent a probate challenge?
Whether you want most of your property to go to your grandchildren instead of your children or hope to allocate resources to a charitable cause, you might anticipate that your family members will be unhappy about your estate plan. Those who feel upset about not...
Reduce the cost of probating your estate with these simple tips
Probate is the process of winding up the decedent’s estate, identifying their assets and designated beneficiaries, paying off debts and applicable taxes and distributing what is left according to their wishes or Pennsylvania intestacy laws. But as you probably know,...
2 important traits to look for when choosing a business partner
There might come a time in your business life when it makes sense to get into a partnership. Perhaps you want to broaden your business reach and with it, your customer base or you want to bring in new expertise. No matter your motivation, a business partnership can be...
How do executors handle “problem” heirs?
As the executor of a loved one’s estate you understand that it’s your duty to secure their assets, handle the probate process and all that entails – but you didn’t count on having so many problems with the heirs. The loss of a loved one can trigger a lot of strong...
4 mistakes when making a will
Many people fall under the wrong impression about how complicated wills are to make. In theory, all you have to do is list out who your assets will go to after you die, but this is far from true. In practice, there are a lot of key details people fail to include. If...
How does a family choose the right representative for an estate?
One of the most controversial decisions during estate administration involves the difficult process of selecting an executor or personal representative for the estate. Many testators perseverate over this decision for weeks, struggling to identify the one person who...