Posted on Mon Jul 20, 2015, on Probate and Estate Administration
From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: The lawyer serving as the executor for my aunt’s Philadelphia estate has sent me documents called an Informal Account and a Receipt, Release, Refunding and Indemnification Agreement. If I sign this, do I waive my rights to ask any questions?
As a beneficiary of your aunt’s estate, you have the right to have a probate attorney force the executor to file a Formal Account with the Philadelphia County Orphans’ Court. But, assembling a Formal Accounting will be a cost to the estate and may reduce your inheritance. Typically, when there are no disputes, the executor will instead assemble an Informal Accounting of the estate’s assets and expenses. This Informal Accounting is then submitted to the Beneficiaries for review.