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Did one of your loved ones pass away without leaving a will? Learn how the state of Pennsylvania handles a case of someone dying without a will in this video.

People have said in the past, “I don't need a will. My wife is going to get everything.” That is not the case if you have surviving parents or surviving children. In Pennsylvania, the commonwealth has come up with a statutory provision called intestate laws. These intestate laws dictate how property is divided upon your death if you do not have a will. For example, if you die and you leave a surviving spouse and you have no parents and no children, your entire estate will go to your spouse. If you die and you have a surviving spouse, your surviving spouse will receive the first $30,000, plus the next half of your estate and the remaining half will go to your children.

On the other hand, if you die and leave a surviving spouse and no children, but you have surviving parents, the spouse will get the first $30,000 of your estate, the next half and the remaining half will go up the tree to your parents. We always encourage clients to come in to talk to us about their options and their wishes. Having a will gives you the power to decide where and to what extent you want your property to be distributed and it removes the state from making that decision for you. The rules of intestate are inflexible and there's no way around them. That is why we encourage everybody to draft a will.

Have you had a recently deceased family member not leave behind a will? Contact our experienced Pittsburgh estate planning attorneys at Giuffre Law Office today for a free confidential consultation and case evaluation.
Let our experience work for you.