Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Pennsylvania

My father passed away in December of 2011, and according to my aunt the lawyer still hasn't filed his will with the courts, and the accountant has his taxes prepared too. I have asked her who the lawyer is but each time we seem to somehow get disconnected....can you recommend a lawyer I can contact in berks county in regards to investigating this matter and possibly filing his estate?


Asked on 3/08/12, 9:06 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Who is the personal representative under the will? That is the person with authority to act. That person is obligated to produce the will and submit it for probate, not the lawyer. If the lawyer is not doing the job for the personal representative, then the personal representative needs to fire the lawyer and find another.

This is not a legal referral service. There are attorneys at Law Guru who may practice in this area (Miriam Jacobsen comes to mind as she is active at Law Guru but I am sure there are others). Have the personal representative contact the Berks County Bar Association and see if they can provide a referral. Do a Google Search or look in the phone book.

Failing that, contact the Berks County Register of Wills at the Orphans' Court and see what can be done. Do you have the original will? If so, you can submit it on your own and file a petition for probate. Why is your aunt involved? Is she the personal representative? You need to put forth more details about who the will names as personal representative and why this has not been probated.

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Answered on 3/08/12, 12:17 pm


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