Q: My father in law died in Oct. He owned a home had a life insurance policy and a union pension. No will help?

A: Where there is no will, the PA statutes explain, in detail, who will be the "heirs at law" who inherit a decedent's property.

Whenever real estate is involved, unless it is held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, and the co-owner survives, a probate is necessary to clear the title of record. Without a will, a personal representative of the decedent's estate, call an Administrator, or Administratrix, will be appointed by the probate court. It's not difficult to do, and once done, the representative will be issue Letters, showing the court's authority for him/her to take possession of, and deal with, all of the decedent's property, as well as claim life insurance proceeds (if the decedent named his estate as the beneficiary).. The same applies to pension rights, and every other kind of property in which the decedent held an interest.

A: You will need to open an estate. You may contact me at emt@tarasilaw.com you’ll need to open the estate, name an administrator, get short certificates, advertise the estate, file the necessary probate forms, sell/transfer title of the property, file an inheritance tax return and pay the inheritance tax. You see there are quite a few steps in the process.

A: You need to engage a lawyer and open an estate.

A: My fellow attorneys here offer sound advice. The only point to add is that due to Covid -19 many of the Register of Wills offices have either special or emergency procedures for getting an estate probated. You should probably retain an estates attorney to assist you.

A: since your father in law died without a Will the first question is whether mother in law is still alive. if she is still alive then she is likely the beneficiary on the pension and life insurance and those companies should talk to her once she provides them with a death certificate. if mother in law predeceased then your husband should be able to talk to the companies but may have to provide them with copy of mother's death certificate as well. if there was a divorce they may require a divorce decree . you can get a copy of the Deed at the Recorder of Deeds Office in the county where the house is located. You can get a copy online in most counties in PA with either the owner name or street address or tax parcel #. If mother in law is deceased or divorced eventually your husband (and/or his siblings) will have to open an estate administration to transfer or sell the house and pay the PA inheritance tax. He and/or his siblings should consult with an experienced estates attorney for assistance in this matter.