If a sibling filed a final accounting for your parent’s estate in Pennsylvania and you never received notice, you have options. Pennsylvania trusts and estates matters are handled under Title 20 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes and in the Orphans’ Court. Start by confirming your status as an interested party (heir or beneficiary), then move quickly: probate matters have procedural deadlines, but lack of notice can give you grounds to ask the court to reopen the matter or set aside the accounting.

Step-by-step actions to challenge a final accounting

1. Confirm you are an interested party. Heirs, beneficiaries named in a will, and certain creditors are considered interested parties who have standing to object to an accounting. If you are an heir or named beneficiary, you have the right to be informed and to contest fiduciary actions. (See Pennsylvania probate laws in Title 20: 20 Pa.C.S. (Title 20).)
2. Get a certified copy of the probate file and the final accounting. Visit the county Register of Wills where the estate was opened and request copies of the will (if any), letters testamentary or letters of administration, inventories, interim and final accountings, and any court orders. A good place to start: Pennsylvania Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans’ Court. Knowing exactly what was filed and when is essential.
3. Check whether notice was legally required and whether it was given. Many probate filings require that interested parties receive notice (for example, citation or service under Orphans’ Court practice). If you did not receive required notice, the court may consider that a denial of due process and may allow relief. The Orphans’ Court rules govern the procedures for filing and objecting to accounts; review the rules for timing and content requirements: Pa. Orphans’ Court Rules.
4. Act promptly to preserve your rights. There are deadlines for filing exceptions (objections) to an account. Even if you missed the formal deadline because you never received notice, you should move quickly. File a petition with the Orphans’ Court (often called a petition to strike the account, exceptions to account, or a petition to open or reopen the estate) explaining that you were not given notice and asking the court to set aside the final accounting or to permit late objections.
5. Explain the basis for relief. Tell the court whether the lack of notice was an oversight, intentional, or linked to misconduct (concealment of assets, self-dealing, failure to account, fraud). Common remedies you can ask for include: (a) vacating or striking the final account; (b) ordering a new account or clarification; (c) surcharge or hold the fiduciary personally liable for losses; (d) removal of the fiduciary; (e) reopening the estate to allow further administration. Grounds and remedies depend on the facts and the court’s discretion.
6. Gather documents and evidence. Collect proof of your relationship to the decedent, any communications (or lack thereof) showing you were not notified, bank statements, asset records, and any correspondence with the fiduciary. Evidence that the fiduciary failed to follow statutory duties (inventory, account, proper distribution) strengthens your case.
7. Consider emergency or interim relief if you suspect asset loss. If you fear assets are being moved or dissipated, you may ask the court for temporary injunctive relief, a freeze of estate distributions, or an immediate accounting. The Orphans’ Court has authority to issue interim orders to protect estate assets.
8. Hire an attorney experienced in Pennsylvania probate and Orphans’ Court practice. Probate litigation involves strict procedural rules and local practices. An attorney can draft the correct petitions, request proper relief, and represent you in hearings. If cost is a concern, ask about limited-scope representation or an initial consultation to evaluate your case.

What the court will look at

The court will consider whether you were entitled to notice, whether the absence of notice prejudiced your rights, and whether the fiduciary met their statutory and fiduciary duties. The court will balance finality of the estate administration against fairness and due process. If the court finds notice was inadequate, it often provides a remedy to allow the interested party to be heard rather than allowing a flawed accounting to stand unchallenged.

Where to find the governing law and rules

• Pennsylvania statutes governing decedents’ estates and fiduciaries: 20 Pa.C.S. (Title 20).
• Pennsylvania Orphans’ Court procedural rules and local practice guides: Pa. Orphans’ Court Rules.
• Register of Wills and county Orphans’ Court information (to obtain filed accountings and filings): Pennsylvania Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans’ Court.

Helpful Hints

• Request certified copies of everything from the Register of Wills right away — dates on filings matter.
• Keep a timeline: when the decedent died, when the estate opened, when the accounting was filed, and when you first learned of it.
• Document attempts to contact the fiduciary and any responses (or lack of responses).
• If you do not live in the county where the estate is probated, find local counsel; Orphans’ Court practice can vary by county.
• If money is at risk, ask the court for temporary protective relief (an emergency petition) right away.
• Even if you missed a deadline, explain lack of notice immediately — courts often prefer to hear meritorious claims when notice failure is shown.
• Consider alternative dispute resolution (mediation) if the estate is essentially settled but parties dispute distributions. Many Orphans’ Courts encourage or require mediation before trial.