Probate in Pennsylvania & New Jersey
Estate administration in Bucks County, Pennsylvania is the process of administering a Bucks County estate according to the last will and testament of a Decedent. Probating a will in Bucks County, Pennsylvania is generally known as the act of presenting an original will for filing, after a Bucks County resident’s death, to the Bucks County Register of Wills office at the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
A Petition for Probate must be prepared in accordance with local Bucks County and Pennsylvania court rules. The Petition for Probate and the original will are then presented in person to the Bucks County Register of Wills by the proposed executor or personal representative. In Bucks County, an executor is also known as a personal representative.
If the will is not “self proved,” the proposed Bucks County executor will have to find the people who witnessed the Decedent signing the will and present them along with the will to the Bucks County Register of Wills.
Under certain circumstances, the Bucks County Register of Wills will require an executor to be bonded. An executor’s bond will then have to be purchased from a bonding company before the Bucks County Register of Wills will issue Letters Testamentary to an executor.
If the Bucks County Register of Wills accepts the will, an executor or personal representative will be appointed to administer the Bucks County estate. Letters Testamentary is the official document from the Bucks County Register of Wills naming the executor. A Bucks County Executor has important responsibilities called fiduciary duties to protect estate assets in the best interests of the estate beneficiaries.
If an executor does not fulfill his or her duties according to Pennsylvania estate law, he or she could be held personally liable for any wrongdoings. Responsible Bucks County executors retain the services of an experienced Bucks County estate attorney such as the lawyers at Saile & Saile LLP to help them carry out their legal responsibilities.