Tools for Planning Your Estate in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, a will needs no witnesses to be valid, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimony.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

21 tools for Pennsylvania

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Pennsylvania costs an estimated $26,087. Attorney fees run 1.9% to 3% of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Without a will in Pennsylvania, a surviving spouse takes the first $30,000 plus half of the rest when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representation.

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How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

Pennsylvania levies an inheritance tax, paid by the beneficiary at a rate set by relationship, and no estate tax; the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,000.

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Do I Need Probate?

In Pennsylvania, estates with personal property of $50,000 or less qualify for the Settlement of Small Estates on Petition, a court procedure short of full probate.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Pennsylvania runs $3,830 to $5,745 and a simple will $1,014 to $2,028, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Pennsylvania runs $3,830 to $5,745 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in Pennsylvania runs $1,014 to $2,028, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $26,087.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In Pennsylvania, four years at a public university cost about $114,932 and the cost of living is near the U.S. average; an inheritance tax falls on beneficiaries by relationship.

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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in Pennsylvania take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death, and the gain on a later sale faces ordinary income tax at the state's regular rates.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Pennsylvania automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Pennsylvania costs an estimated $26,087 and takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 1.9% to 3% of the estate. Estates under $50,000 can use a small-estate procedure instead.

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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In Pennsylvania, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18.

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What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in My State?

Pennsylvania allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written document, and that designation takes priority over the statutory order of next of kin who otherwise control disposition of the remains.

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How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in Pennsylvania takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 1.9% to 3% of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Pennsylvania does not authorize transfer on death deeds; sole-name real property goes through probate, at least 6 months for a simple estate, unless held in a trust or with a right of survivorship.

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Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

Pennsylvania does not offer a transfer-on-death designation on a vehicle title; a vehicle passes by will, trust, joint title, or probate.

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How Do I Open a Trust Account at My Bank?

Compare trust-account requirements bank by bank: how a revocable trust account is opened or retitled, and what proves the trust.

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A will in Pennsylvania costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $299 up front. An attorney in Pennsylvania charges around $338 an hour for wills and estates work, which puts a simple will at $1,014 to $2,028. The document is only part of the cost: probate adds about $26,087 on a $500,000 estate in fees the heirs pay later.

A revocable living trust in Pennsylvania costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription. An attorney in Pennsylvania charges around $383 an hour for trust work, which puts an attorney-prepared trust at $3,830 to $5,745 for an individual plan.

No. Pennsylvania does not allow transfer on death deeds. Pennsylvania does not allow TOD deeds for real property. Pennsylvania's TOD statute (20 Pa.C.S. Ch. 64, 6401-6413) is titled "Transfer on Death Security Registration" and applies only to securities, not real estate.

In Pennsylvania, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing. It needs your signature, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18. It can be recorded alongside the rest of an estate plan when you create a revocable living trust.

In Pennsylvania, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.9% to 3% of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee. The trust also distributes assets faster than the 6 months to 9 months probate timeline a simple estate takes.