Skip to Content

We are a Veteran Owned Business, providing 20% discounts for Veterans, First Responders, Elementary and High School teachers. Please contact us to set up a phone or Zoom meeting. Taking care of you and your family, It's What We Do!

Dying Without a Will – Foster Child Succession in Delaware County

Posted on Mon Nov 3, 2014, on Estate Planning

From our “Ask a Question” Mailbag: Dying Without a Will Foster Child Succession Delaware County, PA

Recently Updated July 7, 2018.

“If I die a widow without a will in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, will my foster-children inherit any of my estate or only my own children?”

Dying Without a Will Foster Child Succession Delaware County, PA

Dying Without a Will Foster Child Succession Delaware County

If you die without a will in Pennsylvania you are said to die “intestate”. If you die intestate, your probate assets are divided up under the Pennsylvania Intestate Rules. These rules can easily be avoided by writing a will, but if you do not have a will, the Intestacy Rules are in place to clearly state who inherits your probate property in order to avoid conflict.

In your case, you are an unmarried person with children. If all of your biological children are living when you die, they will equally divide up your probate estate. Your foster-children will inherit nothing through the intestacy rules unless you legally adopted them as your own children.

Remember, these rules apply to the “probate assets”. Many of your assets might pass outside of probate, such as:

  • Life Insurance
  • IRAs
  • Transfer on Death Accounts
  • Joint Accounts

At your death these non-probate assets pass to the person you have named as the beneficiary or joint owner. If you have named your foster-children as a beneficiary or a joint owner of one of your assets then your foster-children will receive something at your death.

Other Information

Whenever there is a blended family, such as yours, it is a good idea to have a will that plainly states your wishes. This can reduce the chances of conflict, confusion, suspicion and bad feelings between your children and foster-children following your death.

More Planning Questions?

Dying intestate with foster kids is only a piece of the Estate Planning process. By all means, if you want to learn more, please read my more detailed article, Estate Planning Everything You Need to Know.

In Conclusion: Dying Without a Will Foster Child Succession Delaware County

I hope that this article was helpful in explaining whether foster kids take in an intestate succession scenario. Further, I included links to even more detailed information on my website so you can learn more. Therefore, please contact me and let me know how I did. Certainly, your comments and questions are welcome!

Let our Estate Planning lawyers help walk you through what can be a confusing process. To begin with, call to speak to one of our experienced estate planning lawyers.  By all means, our lawyers are ready to answer your questions. In fact, feel free to contact our office for a free consultation. Ultimately our goal is to make the process as painless as possible!

Wills, Trusts, Probate, and Estate Litigation, It’s All We Do!

 

Tags:

Delaware County, Estate Planning, Estate Planning Attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Intestate, Intestate Succession, Pennsylvania, Rules of Intestacy

Peter KlenkPeter Klenk

What Our clients are saying

Klenk Law Logo
Stars

Jacqueline Gowen-Tolcott

We had an excellent experience. Everyone was very personable, professional and efficient.

Klenk Law Logo
Stars

Stephanie Sesker

We were extremely pleased with the work done by Peter Klenk and members of the staff at Klenk Law. They were very thorough and did the work in a timely fashion. Peter's explanations of the legal system were very clear and helpful. I highly recommend this firm and Peter.

Klenk Law Logo
Stars

James Palmer

Recently hired this firm to help me write a will (something I had been procrastinating on doing for too long). The process was quick, easy, painless and I'm glad that thanks to the great team at this firm I was able to cross this off my "to do" list!!

Klenk Law Logo
Stars

Denise Lowmaster

Our experience with Klenk Law has been exceptional. We’ve had help with estate planning and pre-nuptial agreements. They really take the time to explain everything and let us know our options. All of the staff are very professional, courteous and knowledgeable. They are very prompt with responding to calls and messages. We will continue to use them and recommend to friends and family.

Klenk Law Logo
Stars

Lu Han

I have worked with three different attorneys and law firms over the years, and I can confidently say that attorney Peter Klenk stands out as the most knowledgeable. He created the most thorough wills and trust documents I've ever had. Mr. Klenk took the time to gather all the necessary details about my current situation and goals. As a result, he put together comprehensive documents that I believe will effectively protect my assets and ensure my children's inheritance is secure.
What truly sets Mr. Klenk apart is his patience and dedication to understanding my questions. He provided detailed explanations that made complex legal concepts much easier to grasp. His team's communication and scheduling were equally impressive, making the entire process smooth and stress-free.
Thank you, Mr. Klenk, and your fantastic team, for your exceptional service!

Let us put our expertise to work for you.

Free consultation within 24 hours.