Pennsylvania Probate & Estate Administration Attorney
You’ve been named executor. Someone you love has died. You’re facing legal deadlines, court filings, and personal liability, and you’re not sure where to begin.
We are.
At Chadwick Estate Law, we guide executors, administrators, and families through every stage of Pennsylvania probate — from opening the estate with the Register of Wills to distributing assets to beneficiaries. Whether the estate is straightforward or complex, we handle the legal heavy lifting so you can focus on your family.
Georgetown LL.M. in Taxation · AmLaw 100 Trained · Pennsylvania Orphans' Court Experience · Free Consultations · Five Locations Across Southeastern PA
Who This Page Is For
Whether You're an Executor, a Family Member, or a Beneficiary — We Can Help
You’ve Been Named Executor.
The will names you executor. You now have real legal obligations and real personal liability. Creditors must be notified. Tax returns must be filed. Assets must be inventoried and protected. The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (REV-1500) is due within nine months of death. You need an attorney who knows this process cold — and can keep you out of trouble.
A Parent or Spouse Has Died Without a Will
When someone dies intestate in Pennsylvania, the Orphans' Court appoints an administrator and state law decides who inherits what. The process is manageable, but it requires court petitions, proper notice, and strict compliance with Pennsylvania's intestacy statutes. We've done this many times. We'll guide you through it.
You’re a Beneficiary and Something Feels Wrong
You're entitled to transparency. If an executor is missing deadlines, withholding information, or mismanaging estate assets, you have rights — including the right to compel an accounting, petition for the executor's removal, or seek recovery of misused funds in Orphans' Court. We represent beneficiaries who need an advocate.
How We Help
Comprehensive Probate & Estate Administration Services in Pennsylvania
Opening the Estate
We prepare and file the Petition for Grant of Letters with the appropriate Register of Wills — Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Chester, or Bucks County. Once the court issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, you are legally authorized to act. We make sure it's done right the first time.
Estate Administration & Tax Compliance
We guide you through every administrative obligation: collecting and valuing assets, notifying creditors, paying valid debts and expenses, and preparing the Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Return (REV-1500). We coordinate with CPAs on federal estate and income tax filings when required. Executors who miss deadlines or make errors face personal liability — our job is to make sure that doesn't happen.
Executor & Administrator Representation
We represent personal representatives throughout the probate process — attending court proceedings, responding to creditor claims, and managing disputes with beneficiaries. If a beneficiary challenges your actions or demands an accounting, we defend you.
Beneficiary Representation
If you're a beneficiary and the executor is not communicating, is delaying distribution without cause, or you suspect asset misappropriation — we represent your interests. Pennsylvania Orphans' Court has specific remedies available to beneficiaries, and we know how to pursue them.
Will Contests & Orphans' Court Litigation
When a will is challenged on grounds of undue influence, fraud, lack of capacity, or improper execution — or when you need to defend a properly executed will — we represent clients before the Register of Wills and in Orphans' Court proceedings throughout southeastern Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Probate Process
1
Discovery Meeting
We meet with you to assess the estate: what assets exist, whether probate is required, and what process applies. Some estates can avoid formal probate entirely through small estate procedures or because assets pass by joint ownership or beneficiary designation. We identify the right path before any filings are made.
2
Opening the Estate
If probate is required, we prepare and file the petition with the Register of Wills in the county where the decedent resided. The court issues Letters Testamentary (if there is a will) or Letters of Administration (if there is not), authorizing you to act on behalf of the estate.
3
Estate Administration
With Letters in hand, we guide you through the administration phase: identifying, collecting, and valuing all estate assets; notifying heirs and creditors; paying valid debts and expenses; and filing the Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Return. This phase typically takes 6–12 months for straightforward estates. Complex or contested estates may take longer.
4
Distribution to Beneficiaries
Once debts, taxes, and expenses are resolved, we prepare distribution agreements that protect the personal representative from future liability and distribute assets according to the will — or Pennsylvania's intestacy laws if there is no will.
5
Closing the Estate
We close the estate through a formal Account and Petition for Adjudication, or a Family Settlement Agreement where appropriate. The personal representative is formally discharged, and the estate is concluded.
Big-Firm Training.
Personal Attention.
Direct Access to Your Attorney.
Most law firms assign estate matters to junior associates. At Chadwick Estate Law, you work directly with Bass W. Chadwick from your first call to the final distribution. Bass trained at an AmLaw 100 firm handling sophisticated tax, trust, and estate matters before earning his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center — one of the most respected programs in the country for tax and estate law. He holds a Juris Doctor from Charleston School of Law and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania. He focuses exclusively on estate planning, probate, and trust and estate litigation. That focus matters. When probate questions arise — complex asset valuations, contested accountings, creditor disputes, Orphans' Court proceedings — Bass has handled them before.
→ Learn more about Bass
What Clients and Colleagues Say
Bass Chadwick at Chadwick Estate Law is outstanding. He made the estate planning process clear, efficient, and far less intimidating than we expected. Bass is knowledgeable, responsive, and extremely detail-oriented, and he took the time to understand our situation and provide thoughtful guidance. I would highly recommend him to anyone needing wills, trusts, or estate planning in Pennsylvania
-William, Client
Working with Bass was such a pleasure. He took everything off my plate and gave me peace of mind. I would recommend Bass to anyone needing to update their estate planning or dealing with an estate planning issue.
-Kathy, Client
Bass is the most intelligent, efficient, and professional attorney I've encountered. I worked in Mayor Giuliani's office — Bass would be in the top one percent in that environment.
-Jenna, Former Colleague
Does Your Situation Sound Like One of These?
- A parent died and left you as executor — you've never done this before and don't know where to start
- A spouse passed away and you need to retitle assets, navigate the Register of Wills, and understand what the inheritance tax means for you
- A family member died without a will and the family disagrees about who should administer the estate
- You're an out-of-state executor responsible for a Pennsylvania estate
- You're a beneficiary who hasn't heard from the executor in months
- You believe the executor is mismanaging assets or favoring certain beneficiaries
- A family member changed their will shortly before death under circumstances that don't feel right
If any of these describe your situation, contact us. The first conversation is free.
Pennsylvania-Focused FAQs
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Most estates close within 6 to 12 months. Estates with contested wills, complex assets, outstanding creditor claims, or IRS involvement can take significantly longer. Pennsylvania requires that the inheritance tax return be filed within nine months of death — regardless of how long the full estate takes to close.
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You are not legally required to hire an attorney, but executors who proceed without one regularly make errors that create personal liability. Missing a creditor notice deadline, distributing assets before debts are paid, or filing an incorrect inheritance tax return can expose you personally. Most executors find that the cost of an attorney is far less than the cost of a mistake.
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A Short Certificate is a certified copy of Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issued by the Register of Wills. Banks, financial institutions, and government agencies require it before releasing estate assets to an executor. We obtain these as part of opening the estate.
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Pennsylvania imposes an inheritance tax on assets transferred at death. The rate depends on the relationship between the decedent and the beneficiary: 0% for transfers to a surviving spouse or a child under 21; 4.5% for transfers to direct descendants; 12% for transfers to siblings; 15% for transfers to all others. The estate pays the tax, though beneficiaries are ultimately responsible. The REV-1500 must be filed within nine months of death.
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Yes — partially or entirely, depending on how assets are titled and whether beneficiary designations are in place. Assets held in a revocable living trust, jointly owned property with right of survivorship, and accounts with transfer-on-death or payable-on-death designations generally pass outside of probate. We can review your situation and identify what can be structured to minimize future probate exposure.
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Beneficiaries have legally enforceable rights in Pennsylvania. You can demand a formal accounting, petition Orphans' Court for the executor's removal, or seek to surcharge the executor for losses caused by misconduct. We represent beneficiaries in these disputes regularly.
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Pennsylvania's intestacy laws govern the estate. The Orphans' Court appoints an administrator — typically a close relative — who has the same responsibilities as an executor. The estate passes to heirs in a specific order: surviving spouse and children first, then parents, siblings, and more distant relatives. We handle intestate estates throughout southeastern Pennsylvania.
Probate Services Across Southeastern Pennsylvania
Office/Address
Radnor (Main): 150 N. Radnor Chester Rd., Suite F-200, Radnor, PA 19087
Philadelphia: 1515 Market Street, Suite 1200, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Bala Cynwyd: Two Bala Plaza, Suite 300, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
Plymouth Meeting: 600 W. Germantown Pike, Suite 400, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19426
Malvern: 101 Lindenwood Drive, Suite 225, Malvern, PA 19355
We serve clients in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Bucks Counties — including the Main Line, the western suburbs, and Center City Philadelphia.
You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone
Probate is complicated. The deadlines are real. So is the personal liability. Chadwick Estate Law has the experience to guide you through it — and the first conversation costs you nothing.
Schedule Your Free Consultation
Mon – Fri: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm | In-Person & Virtual Appointments Available
