Blog & Resources

My Grandmother died three years ago in Bucks County leaving me a lump sum in her Will. The house is sold, the taxes are paid but I have not received my inheritance. The executor will not return my calls, what can I do?

As the heir of a Bucks County estate, you do have the right to force the Executor to provide you with a time line when you will receive your inheritance.

I am the personal representative of my brother’s Gloucester County, New Jersey estate and all the assets pass into trust for his minor children. I am worried his ex-wife will object to everything that I do as executor as she is unhappy that she doesn’t get control over the children’s money. What can I do to avoid trouble?

This is one of those situations where no good deed goes unpunished. You are serving as your brother’s executor to make sure your nieces and nephews are properly cared for, but by serving as personal representative you are also responsible for any mistakes or errors you make that reduce the children’s inheritance.

I am the personal representative of my brother’s Camden County, New Jersey estate and all the assets pass into trust for his minor children. I am worried his ex-wife will object to everything that I do as executor as she is unhappy that she doesn’t get control over the children’s money. What can I do to avoid trouble?

This is one of those situations where no good deed goes unpunished. You are serving as your brother’s executor to make sure your nieces and nephews are properly cared for, but by serving as personal representative you are also responsible for any mistakes or errors you make that reduce the children’s inheritance.

I am an administrator of my mother’s Delaware County estate. She died 4 years ago in a car accident without a Will, unmarried and survived by my nephew and myself. My brother died before my mother, and my brother had one son, my nephew. I opened up her estate with the Register of Wills in Delaware County. Later, I hired a lawyer to bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the man who ran into my mother. That lawsuit is about to be settled, and my attorney is asking me to approve that settlement. The funds are to be divided 90% Wrongful Death and 10% Survival Action. Is this fair to my nephew, and as administrator, do I have a duty to pursue a different mix?

This is an issue you should certainly be concerned about.

My Grandmother died three years ago in Montgomery County, leaving me a lump sum in her Will. The house is sold, the taxes are paid but I have not received my inheritance. The executor will not return my calls. What can I do?

As the heir of a Montgomery County estate, you do have the right to force the Executor to provide you with a time line when you will receive your inheritance. If the executor will not give you one voluntarily, you can have your Montgomery County Orphans’ Court lawyer file a Petition for Accounting with the Montgomery County Orphans’ Court.

I am the executor of my mother’s estate in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. I have sold the real estate, liquidated all the assets and am ready to distribute, but my sister will not give me a release of liability. What can I do?

You are right to be concerned. Prior to making distributions from the estate you should insist on getting a release of liability. This is typically done informally by using what is broadly referred to as a Family Settlement Agreement.

My Grandmother died three years ago in Philadelphia leaving me a lump sum in her Will. The house is sold, the taxes are paid but I have not received my inheritance. The executor will not return my calls, what can I do?

As the heir of a Philadelphia estate, you do have the right to force the Executor to provide you with a time line when you will receive your inheritance. If the executor will not give you one voluntarily, you can have your Philadelphia Orphans’ Court lawyer file a Petition for Accounting with the Philadelphia Orphans’ Court. The executor must reply, or face potential removal and surcharge.

If you can’t find your loved one’s Will – or can only find a copy of the Will – what happens? Let’s look at an example of a judge addressing a typical case. In Falcone Will, the Orphans’ Court Division of Chester County analyzes what happens when beneficiaries attempt to probate a copy of a lost Will in Pennsylvania.

My parents were both residents of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. When they died they put my inheritance in a trust and appointed my brother as trustee. What information is he required to give me as trustee of my Trust? As a Beneficiary, is the trustee required to give me updates and financial information of my trust?

In 2006, Pennsylvania adopted the PA Uniform Trust Act. This law imposes a duty on trustees to inform Beneficiaries about the existence of the trust, along with certain current information on the trust.

My husband died several years ago, and our son is still a minor. After my husband’s death, my father-in-law was killed in a car accident and his estate was opened in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. My father-in-law’s personal representative brought a lawsuit against the driver. My father-in-law had no Will, was not married and was survived by my husband’s brother and sister. Because he died without a will, a portion of my father-in-law’s estate passes to my son. The wrongful death suit is being settled, and I am being asked as my son’s mother to approve the settlement. That settlement divides the settlement amount 90% as Wrongful Death and 10% as Survival. Does this division matter to my son?