North Wales Estate Administration Lawyers
Knowledgeable Attorneys Help Families Through the Process of Estate Administration in PA
Losing a loved one is understandably a painful experience for you and your family. However, you may find yourself quickly faced with the obligation to administer your departed loved one’s estate and wind up his or her affairs and pass on wealth to your fellow family members. This process, known as estate administration, can easily seem overwhelming to someone who has never experienced being the executor administrator of an estate.
For more than six decades, the North Wales estate administration attorneys of Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford have helped clients and families by taking the burdens of the complex tasks of estate administration off their shoulders and handling the legal details that are part of every estate.
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Contact us today to set up a free initial case evaluation to learn more about how our skilled attorneys can help you and your family through the process of estate administration.
Process of Administering an Estate in North Wales, PA
In Pennsylvania, the process of administering an estate begins with notifying the court of the decedent’s passing, usually by submitting a certificate of death for the decedent. If the decedent left behind a will, the person nominated as executor in the will (or a family member of the decedent) will submit the will to the court for probate — this is the process where the court reviews the will and determines whether it is valid and enforceable.
Assuming the court accepts the will, it will appoint a person or persons to serve as executor(s) or administrator(s) of the decedent’s estate. The personal representative of the estate is responsible for collecting all assets owned by the decedent at the time of his or her death, paying all taxes and debts owed by the decedent and his or her estate, and then distributing the remaining estate to the beneficiaries and heirs of the decedent named in the will or according to state intestacy laws.
The executor or administrator will give notice to the decedent’s creditors, typically through advertisement. The executor or administrator will also notify the beneficiaries named in the decedent’s will (if any) along with other family members of the decedent.
The executor or administrator will also open accounts to hold property and pay for the expenses of the estate; he or she will also file the decedent’s last income tax return along with income tax returns for the estate and state and federal estate/inheritance taxes.
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After collecting and valuing the decedent’s assets and paying off the decedent’s and estate’s debts, expenses, and taxes, the executor or administrator will then distribute the remaining assets to the beneficiaries or heirs, making distributions of property according to specific bequests in the will, and then liquidating assets and making general bequests under the will or intestacy laws.
Contact our estate administration lawyers in North Wales if you need legal assistance with your estate in PA.
Our North Wales Estate Administration Lawyers Can Provide You With the Support You and Your Family Need During Estate Administration
Administering a loved one’s estate following his or her passing is an already complex process made more difficult by the fact that you are already dealing with the emotional difficulties of losing a loved one. Our firm can provide you and your family with the compassionate, experienced legal representation you need to ensure that the estate administration proceeds as smoothly as possible with the minimum amount of expense or personal/family conflict. Let us help you through the complexities of collecting assets, preparing inventories and estate accountings, filing tax returns, and addressing creditor claims or legal challenges to the will or the administration of the estate.
Contact Our Firm Today for a Free Consultation to Learn More about How Our North Wales Estate Administration Attorneys Can Help
Losing a loved one is already a difficult time for any family. Trying to process the grief of losing a loved one while also needing to handle the practical matters of winding up your departed loved one’s affairs can put a strain on any family. Let a North Wales estate administration attorney from Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford help you and your family through the estate administration process so that you and your family can focus on what’s important. Contact our firm today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to learn more.
About North Wales, PA
North Wales is a borough in Montgomery County, PA. A present-day suburb of Philadelphia, North Wales is one of three historic communities, along with Lansdale and Hatfield, that make up the North Penn Valley region. Named for the Welsh settlers who came to the region in the early 1700s, North Penn saw rapid residential development following the establishment of railroad and trolley lines into Allentown and Philadelphia. Many of the homes built in the late 19th century and early 20th century are today preserved through the North Wales Historic Preservation District, the first such district in the North Penn Valley region.
Frequently Asked Questions about Estate Administration in North Wales, PA
Probate involves two separate processes. First, if a decedent left a will, probate includes the process by which a court determines the validity and enforceability of the will. Second, probate in all cases involves the process of appointing an executor or administrator for a decedent’s estate; the executor or administrator will then collect, value, and maintain the decedent’s assets, pay off his or her remaining debts and taxes, and distribute the remainder of the estate according to the decedent’s will or the state intestacy laws.
Typically, all assets that are titled in the name of the decedent (such as real estate, vehicles, or boats) along with non-titled items of personal property, such as furniture, jewelry, art, clothing, or household goods, must go through probate and included in the inventory prepared by the executor or administrator. Certain assets will not need to go through probate, including properly held jointly by the decedent in tenancies with rights of survivorship, properties with designated beneficiaries (such as bank accounts, IRAs, insurance policies, or other accounts titled as pay-on-death or transfer-on-death) unless the designated beneficiary is the decedent’s estate or the decedent designated no beneficiary. Finally, all property transferred to a trust prior to the decedent’s death will avoid probate; property transferred to a trust by a will must still be probated.
