Practice Areas

• Medicaid
• Living Trusts
• Estate Administration and Probate
• Asset Protection
• Veterans Benefits

Blog

Estate Administration and Probate

• Why Was Probate Created?
• Before you add your child's name to your bank accounts, ask yourself this question: Do you know how much credit card debt your child has? Are you really familar with your child's credit scores?
• Finding Tips On Estate Planning at the Theatre
• Update on the Status of Federal Estate Tax
• Michael Jackson Estate Makes Land Mark Estate Deal With Sony

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News

• What Next For the Estate Tax?...
  Posted on 8/5/2010
• The Growing Rate of Dementia and Alzheimer's...
  Posted on 3/9/2010
• Let it snow! Pittsburgh Extends Property Tax Deadline...
  Posted on 2/9/2010
• Estate Tax, Medicaid, Social Security Changes Ring In New Year...
  Posted on 1/13/2010
• Main beneficiary to Michael Jackson’s estate shakes up her probate team...
  Posted on 10/22/2009

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Library

Estate Administration and Probate

• What Determines the Necessity For Probate?
• What happens in Estate matters when an individual becomes incompetent?
• When Pennsylvania Estate Recovery Can Take Place By Law
• Joint Bank Accounts - Risks and Benefits
• Guidelines for Gifts and Joint Accounts

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Does the lawyer who writes the will has to probate the estate?

A: If you remember this statement alone it was worth reading this page. You do not have to go to the attorney who wrote the will to probate the estate. Sometimes, it can be helpful if the attorney has known the family for a long time and knows the intimate details of the estate, family dynamics and the assets. But typically, the family should consider another lawyer if only to compare attorneys’ fees for probating the estate. Fees to vary greatly between firms. Remember, as AARP stated in its results from its study on probate, that probate is a “cash cow” for attorneys. The old attorney joke is “How do you make a lot of money as an estate attorney? You write a lot of wills and outlive your clients.” Lawyers only cover their costs for what they charge for wills (some even give away “free” wills) but the hope is that the lawyer will get a big payday when the estate is probated. This is so true we once offered to give away “free wills” to seminar attendees in the hope that someday, we will probate the estate. A “reasonable” fee for probating a typical estate is usually between 3% to 7% of the probatable estate in Pennsylvania. On a $200,000 probatable estate, the “reasonable attorneys fee” would be about $9,750.

Special Report

Order our Pennsylvania Elder Law Attorney's Guide To Alzheimer's Care

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questions

Estate Administration and Probate

• When Can Estate Recovery Take Place By Law?
• Do witnesses have to actually witness the signing?
• What is a reasonable attorney fee for probating an Estate?

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