Pennsylvania — If Divorce Was Not Final When One Spouse Died: Can the Estranged Spouse Inherit?
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. This article provides general information about Pennsylvania law and is not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, consult a licensed Pennsylvania probate or family law attorney. Overview When a married person dies before a pending divorce is final, Pennsylvania law treats that person as still legally married. […]
Read article →Pennsylvania: Recovering Funeral Expenses and Pre-Settlement Costs — What You Need to Know
Detailed Answer Short answer: Yes — in Pennsylvania you can usually recover reasonable funeral and other pre-settlement expenses from the decedent's estate, but recovery depends on who paid, whether you followed the estate claims process, and whether the estate has enough assets. The personal representative (executor or administrator) normally pays allowable administrative expenses, including funeral […]
Read article →What steps do I need to take to re-record or update a joint survivorship deed after co-owners died? (PA)
Detailed Answer Short summary: When a co-owner listed on a deed dies, ownership can pass automatically to surviving joint owners if the deed creates a right of survivorship. To clean up county records you typically record the decedent’s certified death certificate plus a short affidavit or similar document at the Recorder (or Register) of Deeds. […]
Read article →How do I force my sibling to give me a copy of our parents’ estate plan in Pennsylvania after he ignored my formal request?
Can I force my sibling to give me a copy of our parents’ estate plan in Pennsylvania? Short answer: It depends on whether your parents are alive or deceased, and on whether you have a legal relationship (for example, power of attorney or guardianship) or credible concerns about abuse or incapacity. If your parents are […]
Read article →What documentation is required to prove I'm the next of kin and qualify as administrator in a reopened estate in PA?
Pennsylvania: What documentation proves you are next of kin and qualify as administrator in a reopened estate? Short answer: To reopen a Pennsylvania estate and be appointed administrator you will typically need a certified death certificate, documentary proof of your relationship to the decedent (birth, marriage, adoption records, name-change records, or affidavits of heirship), identification […]
Read article →How can I reopen my father's closed estate in Pennsylvania so I can be appointed as administrator?
FAQ: Reopening a Closed Estate in Pennsylvania to Be Appointed Administrator Detailed Answer Short answer: In Pennsylvania you usually must file a petition in the Orphans' Court (the probate court) that handled your father's estate asking the court to reopen the estate and to appoint you as administrator. The court will reopen the estate only […]
Read article →What steps do I need to take when the original estate administrator has died before completing the probate? (PA)
What to do if the original estate administrator died before completing probate in Pennsylvania This FAQ explains the practical steps to take when an appointed personal representative (executor or administrator) dies before finishing probate under Pennsylvania law. It assumes you have limited legal knowledge. This is educational only and not legal advice. For help with […]
Read article →What happens if the survey shows the property was conveyed out of my mother’s estate decades ago and I have no interest? — PA
Detailed answer — what a recorded conveyance decades ago usually means under Pennsylvania law If a recorded survey and deed show that the property was conveyed out of your mother’s estate decades ago, the most likely legal conclusion is that the person or entity named on that deed (and that person’s successors) owns the real […]
Read article →How do I get the probate court’s permission to sell the property when the clerk’s office won’t explain the filing requirements? – PA
Getting Probate Court Permission to Sell Real Property in Pennsylvania When the Clerk’s Office Won’t Explain Filing Requirements Quick answer: In Pennsylvania the person with authority over an estate (the executor or administrator) must ask the Orphans’ Court / Court of Common Pleas for permission to sell estate real estate unless the will or prior […]
Read article →Can I recover personal items heirs removed from the house before I took possession and enforce the court’s order? (PA)
Detailed answer — What Pennsylvania law allows you to do If someone removed personal items from a decedent’s house before you (as the person entitled to possession — for example a personal representative, devisee, or purchaser) took physical control, Pennsylvania law gives several civil remedies you can use to try to recover those items and […]
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