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...
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,...
The last thing you want is for your loved ones to have to deal with lengthy, and often costly, probate court proceedings after you pass away. If you’ve bequeathed them gifts in your will, you want them to have what you’ve given them without any stress or difficult...
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...
Most people think about their will when they’re discussing an estate plan. While the will is a valuable tool, it isn’t suitable for everything. Establishing trusts can help to ensure that your assets are handed out as you intend. Trusts have several benefits you...
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...
If your loved one left behind a will, it must be executed as per their instructions. However, there are legal procedures that must be followed for that to happen. A will is a legal document, and the court has to be involved in its execution. This happens in a process...
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...
Debt is a common part of modern life, and most people will still have outside financial obligations left unpaid when they die. Those responsibilities will pass to their estates. The executors or personal representatives managing probate proceedings in Pennsylvania...
As you look over your estate plan, one tool that you don’t want to forget about is a trust. Trusts come in a number of forms, but they have a few important purposes. They can help you protect your legacy, control your wealth, pass on your assets and protect your...