Originally Posted by
Inovermyhead
My Mother who lives in Pennsylvania has terminal cancer and am trying to get her estate in order. She has no real estate property, variable annuities with beneficiaries, certificate of deposits with joint ownership, mutual funds with beneficiaries, life insurance with beneficiary, and bank accounts with joint ownership, and no survivorship. With this will we have to go through Pennsylvania probate? She has a will. Thank you for any and all help you can give me.
All the assets you mentioned are jointly held and therefore will pass to the joint owner. The annuity(s), life insurance all have named beneficiaries and will pass to the named beneficiay(s), whatever else she owns i.e. furnture, vehicles, personal items will be distributed per her will but as to your specific question as to whether you you or the will will have to go through Probate Court, I think your best and most reliable answer can only come from an attornet who practices law in PA. I know what I would do, but it's only my untrained opinion, I would call the Probate Court and ask for the chief clerk, keeping in mind that most Courts will advise you that they cannot give legal advice, and what needs to be done to settle the estate. Be prepared for the answer "we cannot give legal advice?
