When a loved one passes away, the probate court looks to the deceased's will to ensure the distribution of their estate according to their written intentions. The court does not assume full control of this process, however - it falls to a trusted individual named by...
Estate Administration
What are my options to avoid probate?
Many Pennsylvania residents want to avoid probate with their estate plans. By doing so, they allow loved ones to receive their inheritances without a long, potentially expensive court supervision process. These are some of the key estate planning strategies to...
Are professional guardians a good choice?
When assigning guardianship over an adult, the courts will always look to family members first. It wants to ensure what is best for the individual and the general thought is that family is the most likely to achieve that. However, AARP explains that when there is no...
Estate Administration: What if David Bowie died without a will?
Estate administration can be seamless with the right estate planning. With the recent deaths of rock stars David Bowie and Glenn Frey, of the Eagles and actor Alan Rickman, people may be wondering who will be inheriting the fortunes amassed during a lifetime of...
Estate Administration: Who Gets Casey Kasem’s Estate?
In Estate Administration, dying without a will can be complicated. Casey Kasem, best known for his time as the "American Top 40" radio host, passed away one June 15, 2014 as a result of complications from dementia. He was 82 years old. Kasem is survived by his second...
Another Hollywood Estate Administration: Actor Paul Walker
Estate Administration: Fast and the Furious Star, Paul Walker, Dies in Car Crash at 40 Years OldAny one who has ever watched a Fast and the Furious movie was shocked over this past weekend to learn that one of the franchise's stars, Paul Walker, was killed in car...
Estate Administration & Will Contests, Part 2: Undue Influence
Estate Administration: Something Smells FunnyWill Contests - Part Two: Undue InfluenceIn part one of this blog on will contests, I discussed the issues with the estate of copper heiress Huguette Clark. Check out that post here (link to Part 1). Just to recap,...
Estate Administration & Will Contests, Part 2: Undue Influence
Estate Administration: Something Smells FunnyWill Contests - Part Two: Undue InfluenceIn part one of this blog on will contests, I discussed the issues with the estate of copper heiress Huguette Clark. Check out that post here (link to Part 1). Just to recap,...
Estate Administration: Will Contests
Estate Administration: What's in a Will Contest SeriesSomething Smells FunnyWill Contests - Part One: Lack of CapacityIn 2011, 104 year old copper heiress Hugette Clark died, leaving an estate worth approximately 300 million dollars. Ms. Clark's circumstance was...