A marriage certificate is required to show the date of the marriage but not the time, the marriage ceremony does not need to take place in the same county that issued the marriage license as long is it occurs in … Continue reading
Category Archives: Opinions
The mistaken beliefs by the settlors that transferring their home to an irrevocable trust would preserve their Medicaid eligibility and protect the home against health care claims were mistakes of law and not “circumstances that were apparently not anticipated” within … Continue reading
A testamentary gift by a wife to a trust created by the husband and wife, and the transfers for the benefit of the surviving husband within the trust, both qualified for the 0% inheritance tax rate as transfers “for the … Continue reading
The Orphans’ Court properly found that a coin collection was purchased with money from a joint account and was owned by the decedent and the surviving spouse as tenants by the entireties, and the property rights of the surviving spouse … Continue reading
It was error for the Orphans’ Court to enter an order declaring an agreement between the decedent’s widow and the administrator of the estate to be null and void when the motion regarding the agreement had been filed only two … Continue reading
A petition to the Orphans’ Court for approval to sell a liquor license held by the decedent did not require notice to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board as an indispensable party. In re: Gloria Deckard, Deceased, 3140 EDA 2023 (Pa. … Continue reading
Husband was alleged to have improperly converted assets held jointly with his wife into his own name before his death. An action by the estate of the deceased wife against the estate of the deceased husband was not barred by … Continue reading
In an appeal of a will contest alleging forgery, the appellant waived objections to the propriety of the Orphans’ Court relying on samples of the decedent’s signature that were not formally moved into or admitted into evidence because the court … Continue reading
The Orphans’ Court found that the witnesses who testified to the decedent’s signature on the disputed will were credible, and that factual finding was binding on the appellate court. The finding by the Orphans’ Court that the appellant had knowingly … Continue reading
The “testamentary exception” to the attorney-client privilege would allow the admission of evidence of communications between the decedent and his lawyer in order to carry out the testamentary intentions of the decedent, but the exception will not be extended to … Continue reading