Standing to Object

A standing to object Pennsylvania probate statutes lawyer will advise an individual about whether or not they have the right standing to object regarding the administration of an estate. As with all filing materials in Pennsylvania, you are not always within your rights to bring forward a claim. This is because of a rule known as the statute of limitations.

In addition to the time limit applied to certain kinds of probate issues, there are other rules in the court that must be followed by each person involved in the administration of an estate. This is a critical distinction because every person who wants to challenge the validity of a will or to question a fiduciary’s role might not be classified as an interested party. Only an interested party, someone who has a direct interest in the outcome of a particular allegation beyond mere interest, can get involved in a broad range of probate concerns and probate administration disputes. This means that the person in question should always speaking to an attorney first to verify that grounds and standing exist.

A standing to object probate administration lawyer in Pennsylvania will know all of the various facets of the law that can typically trip people off and cause problems in lodging these lawsuits. Any person who is interested in an estate administration; meaning that he or she has some connection to the decedent and is entitled to assets inside the estate, will maintain standing to object to the appointment of a personal representative. A Pennsylvania standing to object lawyer can help to explain what legal requirements must be met in order to initiate this. A caveat must be filed immediately if there is any belief that a person requesting an appointment is not fit. This is outlined under 20 Pa. C.S. 906. The register of wills has to notify the caveator prior to probating a will or issuing any letters. This is typically the first step in initiating a will contest with the help of a probate administration dispute lawyer. The county rules will determine what must be followed in order to succeed with this. Furthermore, as outlined under 20 Pa. C.S. 3181, the register can revoke a personal representative's appointment if it seems that the applicant is not entitled to a grant of letters for any reason.

While these are limited circumstances, there are several other options to remedy the objection to the appointment of a personal representative. The first of these is filing a petition for citation to show why the personal representative should not be removed with the Orphan's Court. This is explained under Pennsylvania probate statutes 20 Pa. C.S. 3181 through 3182. The Orphan's Court maintains exclusive power to remove personal representatives who jeopardize the estate's interests, have been charged with homicide or voluntary manslaughter not related to homicide by a vehicle, have moved from Pennsylvania without furnishing security as ordered by the court, has become incapacitated to handle the duties of this office, or who mismanages or wastes the estate. It is important to understand that working directly with an attorney who is familiar with the miscellaneous estate proceedings and processes is extremely important and this lawyer can provide valuable counsel as an estate unfolds. As attorney is required or strongly recommended when there are difficult questions that must be answered or when a beneficiary or interested party believes that there are grounds to initiate a probate dispute. The sooner such an interested party contacts a knowledgeable lawyer, the easier it will be to pursue relevant estate related disputes.