Being named the estate executor of a friend or loved one’s estate is a real honor but also an important and time-consuming responsibility. The consequences of not meeting this responsibility are also serious.
For one, an executor who makes a significant mistake has to live with the fact that he or she caused division in a family or cost the heirs money or property that they otherwise would have received. In the most serious cases, an executor may wind up getting sued and being expected to cover a family’s losses with his or her own funds.
Our law firm understands how easy it is for an executor, no matter who well intentioned, to make a costly mistake in the administration process. We also know how difficult keeping track of all the details of collecting and accounting for assets, paying off taxes and debts and distributing the proceeds of an estate can be.
We help executors in the greater Pittsburgh area take those steps necessary to handle a Pennsylvania estate promptly and accurately. We are intimately familiar with the details of administering an estate, and we are even located close to the Orphans’ Court, which handles matters involving wills and estates. We can help executors accurately prepare documents that need to be filed and do their other duties in a way that assures the heirs that their loved one’s wishes are being respected.
Although these sorts of services are helpful in all estates, they are of particular importance in a contentious estate in which it is possible that an executor will be accused of some sort of impropriety or carelessness. We stand to represent executors in contested cases and are able to help them defend their actions before a judge.