In a long-term care crisis?
In a long-term care crisis?
When a loved one dies, you trust the person in charge of the estate to play it straight. In a Cranberry Township probate case, that person is the estate’s personal representative. If you start to see missing information, unclear accountings, or decisions that seem to benefit the personal representative more than the heirs, you may worry that something is off.
At Sechler Law Firm, we help families determine whether conduct in a probate case is simply messy or constitutes a breach of fiduciary duty in Cranberry Township probate. We review the personal representative’s actions to date, compare them to Pennsylvania law, and discuss practical ways to protect the estate with you. Our dedicated probate attorneys handle probate, trust, and estate administration matters on a daily basis, so we understand how these disputes typically unfold.
In Pennsylvania, “fiduciary” is a broad term. It includes personal representatives, guardians, and trustees who are under the Orphans’ Court’s authority. A personal representative must collect estate assets, safeguard them, and file a verified inventory of the property with the register of wills. Those duties are not suggestions.
A personal representative in Cranberry Township probate must prioritize the estate and beneficiaries over personal interests by keeping property separate, avoiding conflicts, and making sound decisions. Using estate assets for personal gain or neglecting duties indicates fiduciary duty issues. Breaching this duty can lead to financial liability.
Most families do not walk into court asking for “breach of fiduciary duty” relief on day one. They start with more minor warning signs. In a Cranberry Township probate case, warning signs might include extended periods with no information, refusal to share basic documents, or sudden decisions to sell property without explanation.
You may also see more serious red flags, such as:
When these patterns appear, beneficiaries often feel stuck, suspecting a problem but avoiding family conflict. Legally, this can lead to breach of fiduciary duty disputes in Cranberry Township probate. State courts use surcharges to require fiduciaries to repay estate losses from misconduct. In serious cases, courts can also remove the fiduciary and appoint a replacement.
If you suspect something is wrong, the first step is to gather information, rather than guessing at motives. Keep copies of any accountings, bank statements, real estate closing documents, and letters or emails from the personal representative. Make a simple timeline of what has happened so far in your probate issue: key dates, major transactions, and what you were told at the time.
Next, consider asking for reasonable transparency in writing. You can request a copy of the inventory, recent statements, or a status update on remaining tasks. Sometimes that request prompts better communication and clears up misunderstandings. If it does not, those written requests still help show that you tried to resolve things informally.
At some point, it makes sense to sit down with a Cranberry Township probate lawyer and review the file. Our attorneys can explain whether the conduct you are seeing is unfortunate but lawful, sloppy but fixable, or serious enough to justify court action.
When examining a possible breach of fiduciary duty in Cranberry Township probate, we focus on two key questions: what the personal representative was supposed to do, and what they actually did with the estate’s money and property. That comparison drives decisions about next steps, whether you’re hoping for a quiet correction or a formal challenge in court.
If you are concerned about a personal representative managing an estate in Cranberry Township, we can review the documents, discuss options, and advise on the best course of action. To learn more about your rights and estate issues, contact us or join our elder law workshop on our site.
