Will Lawyer
We strive to make the process of estate planning and estate administration as simple and straightforward as possible. At American Wills and Estates we speak to our clients in plain English, and we are sensitive to the fact that many of our clients are still grieving the loss of a loved one. Our number one goal is to put our clients at ease and to reassure them with competency and compassion in their times of need.
What Happens if You Die Without a Will in Pennsylvania? PA Laws of Intestate Succession
If you die without a will in Pennsylvania, your assets will pass to your closet living next of kin pursuant to state “intestate succession” laws. Here are some basics on how intestate succession works in Pennsylvania.
Which Assets Are Affected?Only those assets that... Read More
Why Should You Choose Our Law Firm If You Need A Probate Estate Attorney?
American Wills & Estates is a locally founded, owned and operated Pittsburgh law firm with a practice limited to Probate Estate Administration, Estate Planning and Real Estate law.
We have been assisting clients throughout Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania through the often difficult and emotional probate estate administration process with competency,... Read More
The Elusive “Uncontestable” Will
Is there really any such thing as an “uncontestable” Will? The simple answer is no, but you can certainly takes steps to make such a challenge extremely difficult.
A lot of people think that putting a certain amount of time, work, or even money into drafting estate planning documents can prevent a troublesome family member from challenging a Will. That’s not how... Read More
Probate: Taking the First Steps After the Loss of a Loved One
If you're facing the prospect of having to administer the estate of a recently deceased loved one and have no idea where to begin, here's a nice little video that lays out some of the initial steps you'll need to take.
We've been guiding clients throughout Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania through the probate estate administration process with competency,... Read More
Estate Planning Mistake #4: Failing to Update Your Beneficiaries Following Life Changes
One of the most common problems we encounter as estate lawyers involve faulty, incomplete or mistaken beneficiary designations. We see over and over again cases where someone has passed away and there surviving spouse or other family members find out to late that they had either never made a beneficiary designation on a particular investment account or insurance policy or... Read More
Estate Planning Mistake #3: Letting Your Heirs Fight Over Your Personal Effects
It’s been my experience that parents are often the only thing keeping their adult children from tearing each other’s heads off over every disputed matter or perceived slight. And, once the parents are gone, the fighting often reaches new levels of insanity. This is often particularly the case when it comes to the division of a parent’s personal and household effects after... Read More
Estate Planning Mistake #2: Failing to Have or to Maintain a Valid Will
Even if you own nothing more than a house and a couple bank accounts, it’s absolutely essential that you keep and maintain a valid Will or Revocable Living Trust document. Otherwise, you will have no control over how your estate will pass after your death and who will be in charge of same.
I once handled an estate where gentleman passed away who was survived by... Read More
Estate Planning Mistake #1: Naming an Executor Who Doesn’t Get Along with Your Other Heirs
When you’re dealing with families, money and the emotional impact of losing a loved one, things can turn ugly quickly. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve seen unresolved siblings feuds lead to acrimonious and protracted litigation concerning the administration and distribution of the estate.
One estate that comes immediately to mind involved two sisters... Read More
PROBATE ESTATE AND TRUST ADMINISTRATION
The Personal Representative (sometimes called the Executor or Administrator) appointed by the court is responsible for carrying out the administration of a loved one’s estate. Since the Personal Representative will be handling money and assets for someone else (i.e. the decedent, the beneficiaries, the heirs, and potential creditors of the estate) he or she is acting and... Read More
ESTATE PLANNING – TAKING THE BASIC FIRST STEPS
Stop procrastinating, I know no one likes to talk about estate planning, but it certainly doesn’t have to be a scary process that you keep putting off until tomorrow. If you do absolutely nothing else, please take at the very least these basic steps:
GET THE BASIC DOCUMENTS IN PLACE
At a minimum, everyone should... Read More