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Lancaster County Register-Wills
Lancaster County
About visiting the probate court
About visiting the probate court
About visiting the probate court
Reviews
If I could give 0 stars I would. Some positions should not be elected. The current staff are terrible in this position. My mother passed in January. She had a will naming me, her only child, as the beneficiary. When the Will was created I was 8 so she named my Uncle as the Executor. We both agreed that because I am 36 it would be easier for me to be the Executor. This office has made processing my mother's Will torture and it has almost taken a year. I have talked to other VA & PA Register of Wills who were more helpful and who have agreed with my estate lawyer that the things this office has requested are ridiculous. This office told my lawyer that the two people listed as witnesses on the Will needed to be contacted to confirm they signed of their own free will. This is already stated on the Will. The witnesses couldn't be located. A document needed to be signed by two people claiming they recognized my mother's signature. My Great Aunt who lives in MD and my Husband, who lives in southern VA sought out Notaries and I sent the documents in. The Registers office told my lawyer that a Notary wasn't good enough and the paper needed to be signed in front of a Register of Wills. My lawyer confirmed that the people signing lived in states hours away from PA and asked if their were any other instructions. The Registers office said that they didn't care who signed the papers. My Aunt went to a Register in MD and my husband went in VA. Multiple Register bof Wills in PA and VA told me that it wasn't necessary. No one had ever heard of an office requiring this. I called and as my lawyer had stated the person I spoke with was rude. After a 20 minute conversation where I tried to make sure that this was required and what exactly this office wanted me to do so that I could move on with my life I finally learned that the office not only wanted this signed at a Register of Wills but at a Register of Wills in PA. This was not part of the instructions given to the lawyer and it was not what I was told until I asked the person multiple times to make sure I knew everything required for me to move forward. What the hell are people supposed to do who live farther away? Should they fly in and track down someone who knew their deceased loved one who may know what the person's signature looked like? This is a ridiculous request. I was lucky that I know people in the state who were able to take time out of work to do this for me. Even if this is legally required I would have saved hundreds of dollars in lawyer fees and saved so much time and frustration if complete simple instructions had been given months ago. Then the office requested that I put a deposit down because I lived out of state in case I mishandled the estate. This specifically is not required in my mother's Will. When I FINALLY received the short forms naming me executor it was Thanksgiving. I went to my bank to set up the estate account. The short forms were dated 9/5. Many of the places where my mother had retirement accounts require the short form be dated within 60 days of them receiving it. This office claims they mailed the form on October 31st. Even if that was the case the form was dated almost 60 days before they say they mailed it. Now they say I need to mail a request with a $10 check to request an updated form. When people are dealing with a death being able to deal with things and move on with life is important. Having this very simple part of the process turn into a year long ordeal is absolutely ridiculous.
First, I attempted to call to ask how to go about getting a copy of a document I filed. The woman who answered the phone just kept repeating that she could not give me legal advice! I wasn't ASKING for legal advice! So I went online to search the public records. But when you enter the information into the search engine, it does nothing. Literally, nothing. Today, I tried to call again and what I got was a message stating that my call could not be completed because the party I am trying to reach is busy!! Seriously?? Not even voicemail? So I guess I am going to have to make the two-hour round trip drive to the Lancaster courthouse in person, since I have nothing better to do with my time!! Way to go, PA!
