Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Pennsylvania

Re: Inheritance

If the woman left a will, and the will was probated, i.e. filed in

the County Court House (Register of Wills), you must receive notice

if you are mentioned as a beneficiary. This is true even if you are

a contingent beneficiary. (If my son dies before I do I leave it to my

good buddy, you.) You can go to the Court House and look at the file which will

have a copy of the will to see if you are a beneficiary. However, it is almost

impossible to keep you from getting what is due to you under the will if the

will was filed in the courthouse. The executor has a legal duty to notify you

of the proceedings and the court checks to see if the notices have been sent out.

It would not be out of line to ask a family member who the executor is, and then tell the

executor what the deceased said to you. That is probably the easiest way to see if

the deceased followed through and actually changed or wrote you into the will.