In Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, probate is a legal procedure that a court must go through before giving effect to a will. Before putting a will into effect, a court has to determine that it is valid.

In the probate process, a Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania probate court has many duties, including ruling on a will's validity, making an inventory of the estate's assets, and making note of all the decedent's debts. Once the will is determined to be valid, the court will distribute the property according to its terms.

Wills commonly name a person as the executor of the estate. If not, the court in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania will name one. This is most often the adult individual who stands to inherit the most money or property from the will.

The executor is the person who initiates probate proceedings. The person who stands to inherit the most from the will is normally appointed the executor, because they will have the most motivation to help the process go as quickly as possible, so they can get their inheritance.

Duties of the Executor in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

There are quite a few things that an executor is responsible for. At the outset, they are required to file the probate action with the appropriate court. No progress, let alone any final disposition of the estate, can be made until this happens.

Furthermore, it's the executor's job to notify all interested parties that the person who made the will has died. "Interested parties" are typically people who are named in the will, or who would inherit the estate if the decedent had died without a will.

The executor will also have to gather and make available a list of all of the decedent's debts and assets, as well as a list of those who stand to inherit from the decedent.

Because the executor serves as the living embodiment of the decedent's estate, they are solely responsible for proving the validity of the will. This is a lot of work, but because executors are normally chosen based on how much they stand to inherit from a will once its validity is confirmed, they have a good incentive to see the process to completion.

How Can A Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Lawyer Help?

Because this can be (though isn't always) a fairly difficult process, it's a good idea to get a brilliant probate lawyer in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, especially if you find yourself being the executor of an estate, and aren't sure how to proceed.