--Letters testamentary shall be granted by the register to the executor designated in the will, whether or not he has declined a trust under the will.
Under Pennsylvania law, executors have a duty to provide an accounting to beneficiaries. An accounting is a detailed report that outlines the assets, liabilities, income, and expenses associated with the estate, as well as the executor's actions in managing and distributing the estate.
The personal representative must prepare a final accounting, showing what the estate contained, how the assets have been managed, and the plan for distributing them to beneficiaries. It's common for the beneficiaries to approve the accounting by signing a document called a family settlement agreement.
Ing to PA Orphans' Court Rule 10.5, whenever the deceased left a Will, the personal representative must give notice to all beneficiaries listed in the Will, plus the deceased's surviving spouse and all of the deceased's children.
In Pennsylvania, it is only necessary to probate if the decedent owned assets, whether financial or real estate holdings, solely in their name which did not already have a beneficiary designated. Such assets are called probate assets, and in order to convey ownership of them it is necessary to probate.
Rule 10.6. This is a report, due within two years of date of death, and if administration has not been completed, annually thereafter until administration of the estate is complete. The Status Report Under Pa. O. C.
Section 3156, there are only two requirements for a person to be named executor in a will. These are that the person must be 18 years old or older, and that they must be of sound mind. In other words, they have not been judged as being incapacitated by a court.
The length of time an executor has to settle an estate in Pennsylvania can vary considerably, typically spanning from several months to over a year, depending on factors like the size and complexity of the estate, the clarity of the will, and whether the probate process is contested.