What rights does an administrator of an estate have

I am only licensed to practice in New York, so although I will be happy to give you a general answer, you should get an attorney who is licensed in Pennsylvania. If you have trouble finding one, I have a network of attorneys I could utilize to assist you. Generally an estate administrator will have to gather the assets, report faithfully to the court, pay the bills for the state, and then distribute the rest of the assets that are remaining in accordance with the laws of intestacy-meaning the laws that apply in the event that there is no will. If there is no surviving spouses would typically be to the children, or to the grandchildren of a deceased child. You really need to speak with an attorney for further details as it applies to your particular facts. As long as the above rules are followed, and administrator generally does not have any obligations to pay anything if the bills exceed the assets of the state. Your attorney can help you determine how to program any excess liability for the estate, and as long as you have a competent attorney, your task will be fairly easy. Best wishes Robert L. Brenna Jr Brenna Brenna and Boyce PLLC Rochester New York

The prior attorney has provided a solid overview of what is involved in most estate administrations. Pennsylvania follows many of these procedures but has some of its own particular procedures and of course it has an inheritance tax. You need to retain an experienced probate/estates lawyer to help you in this matter. Hope this helps. LEGAL DISCLAIMER Mr. Fromm is licensed to practice law in PA and has offices in Philadelphia and Montgomery County. He can be reached at 215-735-2336. He has recently been awarded a 5Star Wealth Manager in the November issue of the Philadelphia Magazine. The response herein is not legal advice and does not create an attorney/ client relationship. The response is in the form of legal education and is intended to provide general information about the matter within the question. Oftentimes the question does not include significant and important facts and timelines that if known could significantly change the reply unsuitable. Mr. Fromm strongly advises the questioner to confer with an attorney in their state in order to ensure proper advice is received.

Once you renounce your right to serve as administrator, your brother will have a great deal of authority. Be sure to agree in advance on how much detail and information you want as the administration progresses. The first answer is a good overview of the administrator's duties. But, you are welcomed to also download a free report that we have produced for Pennsylvania executors and administrators to make sure they they avoid the most common mistakes as well. You can get that report at http://www.PaEstatePlanners.com.