If you wish to serve as the executor of an estate, you certainly hope to resolve the legal affairs as efficiently as possible. The first thing you should do as a proposed executor is locate the original will and ensure all of the pages are accounted for. The signature pages are obviously quite important. We are often asked by proposed executors whether a will which was not notarized is valid in Pennsylvania.
What happens when one of the heirs to a loved one’s estate requests the other heirs to sign a renunciation form? What is a renunciation and why is it necessary to probate an estate?
If the decedent died with a will, the will should state who the representative will be. But if the person named in the will is unable to serve, or there is no will, then the estate heirs will have to agree on a representative.
The purpose of the renunciation form is to defer the right to serve as the representative to another person. No one can be forced to sign a renunciation. But if the heirs cannot agree, then a petition must be filed with the Register of Wills to decide who will serve.
A will is an important document which directs who receives the deceased’s money and property at death. But a will also states who will serve as the personal representative of the estate to handle the legal and financial matters.
If the deceased died without a will, an estate representative called an administrator/ administratrix must be appointed. The process below describes the guidelines and process for appointment of an administrator.
