Western PA's Premier Estate Administration & Estate Planning Law Firm

Probate Law

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.


PITTSBURGH PROBATE ASSISTANCE

PROBATE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!

If you are about to enter into the often difficult and confusing process of administering a loved one’s estate, stop and do your homework before you jump in.  Just because your loved one left a Will, it does not necessarily mean that you are going to have to open and probate their estate.

Probate is triggered not by the fact that someone had or did not have a Will at... Read More

How much do estate attorneys charge

ESTATE ATTORNEYS: FEES AND COSTS

If you find yourself in need of hiring an estate attorney to assist you in the administration of a loved one’s estate, make sure you don’t end up paying way more than you need to.

Estate attorneys typically bill one of three ways: on a percentage basis; on an hourly basis; or on a flat fee basis.  So which billing method is the right choice for you?  Well let’s take... Read More

Lloyd Welling Pittsburgh Estate Attorney

PITTSBURGH'S PREMIER PROBATE ESTATE ADMINISTRATION LAW FIRM

AMERICAN WILLS & ESTATES – 5-STAR RATED BY CLIENTS

We are a locally owned and founded law firm that has been assisting and guiding clients in Pittsburgh and throughout Western Pennsylvania through the Probate Estate Administration process with competency, compassion and care for over 25 years.

We offer free legal consultations and provide most of our Estate... Read More

Pittsburgh Probate Lawyers

Don't try to muddle through the probate estate administration process on your own.  Things can get complicated fast and mistakes can be costly.

American Wills & Estates is a locally founded, owned and operated law firm with a practice limited to Estate Planning, Probate Estate Administration and Real Estate law. We have seven offices conveniently located... Read More

What Are The Responsibilities of An Executor?

So you’ve been appointed to handle the administration of a loved one’s estate.  What now?  This is a very serious role that you’re about to enter into.  Rule number one, don’t take your responsibilities lightly.  As the personal representative of the estate, you will have a fiduciary obligation to the heirs, beneficiaries and potential creditors of the estate.  If you make... Read More

How to Avoid Probate Estate and Trust Litigation

So what kind of situations can lead to litigation in probate court? Well, the simple answer is many different things. However, I recently came across an article by an estate attorney in California that does a nice job of identifying 10 of the primary reasons folks end up in estate litigation.

If you are the Executor of a loved one's estate or the Trustee of their... Read More

Avoiding Probate

How a Transfer on Death (TOD) Designation Can Help Avoid Probate

I'm always talking to my clients about simple steps they can take that go along ways toward avoiding probate costs and expenses for their children. Here's a great article on how a Transfer on Death (TOD) designation can go along way toward helping you avoid probate. Take a look.

https://goo.gl/rE6JWV

If you'd like to find out more about steps that you can take... Read More

Estate Planning: Don't Wait Until You're Old

Yes Millennials, even you folks need to start thinking about estate planning. Here's a great article from the Denver Post about why it's so important to start early when it comes to implementing a well drafted estate plan. This is an especially important consideration for all those families out there with very young children and no succession plan whatsoever in place. Take... Read More

Pittsburgh Probate

What To Expect From a Probate Estate Administration Law Firm

The Probate process is initiated by obtaining either Letters Testamentary (if there is a Will) or Letters of Administration (if the Decedent died without having made a Will).

This is the beginning of a process that often includes interconnected layers of complexity that require legal professionals who specialize in Probate Estate Administration—like the attorneys at... Read More

Pennsylvania Estate Planning and Dying Without a Will

What Happens if You Die Without a Will in Pennsylvania? PA Laws of Intestate Succession

Creating an Estate Plan Doesn’t Have to be Hard, But Not Having One Can be Very Hard on Your Family!

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

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Pittsburgh Probate Estate Administration and Estate Planning Lawyers