Probate & Estate Administration
Minimize The Impact Of Probate For Your Family
When a loved one passes away, concluding their affairs can be complicated and confusing, as well as emotionally draining. The loss of a loved one is always a difficult and emotional time, and the estate administration and probate process may seem difficult and intimidating. That is where our experienced attorneys can assist you.
For more than four decades, our attorneys have been guiding executors and performing estate administration and probate work. We have handled more than 1,000 estates and have experience in all estate-related matters and issues, making our lawyers some of the most trusted probate attorneys in Lancaster, PA. With the help of an experienced Lancaster probate estate administration attorney, it is possible to avoid any unfair or incorrect missteps and instead end up with proper asset distribution. For more than four decades, the attorneys at Goodman & Kenneff have helped their clients to interpret wills and apply estate laws and handle both routine and unusual or difficult estate situations. Assistance with estate administration can help to avoid or reduce family disputes and conflicts after death.
The Pennsylvania Probate Process
For estates requiring probate, the process begins with filing a petition with the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Register of Wills. Notice must then be sent to the deceased’s heirs listed on their will, if a will was left, or to their statutory heirs if the estate lacks a will.
If there is no will, or the will does not name an estate executor, an executor must be appointed. The estate executor must inventory and appraise the assets of the estate and sell estate assets to pay any taxes or resolve debts of the estate. Finally, the executor distributes the remaining assets to the deceased person’s heirs. Time for the probate process can vary depending on the estate’s value, the complexity of assets, and if a will was created. Our goal is to always conclude probate as promptly and efficiently as possible.
Handling Assets Correctly During Probate
If an estate is incorrectly handled or a will improperly interpreted, it may end up in court. These processes are always emotionally difficult and taxing, and many family relationships are strained or sometimes permanently damaged during these disputes. Having the help of an experienced estate planning attorney can help the process go more smoothly. At Goodman & Kenneff, we provide probate and estate administration services to clients residing in Millersville and throughout Lancaster County.
We help clients through all the duties and obstacles of probate, including:
- Opening the estate and probating the will
- Probate estate court paperwork
- Inventory and valuation of assets
- Paying creditors, debts and expenses of the estate
- Filing PA Inheritance Tax, income tax, and Federal Estate Tax
- Distributing assets to heirs
- Accounting for all the transactions and financial results
- Ongoing trust administration thereafter
Work With A Trusted Probate Lawyer In Lancaster
With the assistance of an attorney who is familiar with the process, you can understand the probate process in Pennsylvania in simple terms, rather than as intimidating and foreign. Our firm provides basic to full-service handling of estates in Lancaster and Pennsylvania. Our constant mission is to make the process as simple and stress-free as possible. We aim to take as much off the Executor of Executrix’s plate as we can. When potential disputes and other challenges arise, our estate administration attorneys adapt quickly and focus on vigorously protecting our clients’ financial and personal interests.
