Estate Administration

Serving as the Executor of a loved one's estate is a great honor, but it's also a serious obligation and undertaking. Sometimes, mistakes can be made that will turn the job into a real nightmare.

Here's an interesting article that I came across in the Wall Street Journal that does a nice job of highlighting some of the big mistakes that every Executor should strive... Read More

Here's an article that I came across in Forbes magazine that really does a nice job of laying out why it's so very important to have at least a basic estate plan in place. The article relates one woman's personal story of what she learned about money and estate matters after her father's death. As she tells it, her father was good but complicated man and, unfortunately, he... Read More

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

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

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

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

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

A probate attorney is one whose practice is focused on counseling and assisting Personal Representatives (also called Executors or Administrators) through the process of administering a loved one’s estate.  In a nutshell, this means managing and settling all of the affairs of the deceased individual and carrying out their final wishes... Read More