Norristown Estate Litigation Lawyer
Families are brought together in mourning the death of a loved one. However, during the administration of the deceased person's estate, conflict within the family can arise. A family member may feel unfairly omitted from the will. Other interested parties may have concerns over recent changes to the decedent's estate plan, particularly if a caregiver or family member who offered considerable bedside support received a disproportionate share.
I am attorney Eric J. Cox, and I assist clients with pursuing or defending inheritance disputes. With over 30 years of legal experience, I have the skills needed to handle complex estate litigation. Contact the Law Office of Eric J. Cox, in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, to discuss your concerns involving a probate dispute.
Resolving Will Contests and Other Probate Disputes in Pennsylvania Probate Court
Estate litigation can evolve from an array of issues — from dubious creditor claims to allegations of a breach of fiduciary duty.
I provide experienced representation in all aspects of estate litigation, including:
- Breach of fiduciary duty: The personal representative owes a fiduciary duty to the estate and its beneficiaries. He or she must properly address all claims against the estate, as well as claims by the estate against third parties. In addition, the personal representative must always put the estate's interests before their own. Breach of fiduciary duty claims may involve allegations of fraud, commingling of assets, mismanagement of estate assets, favoring one beneficiary over another or other misconduct.
- Creditor claims/Debtor disputes: All creditor claims must be carefully reviewed to determine if the claim is legitimate and to ensure that the claim has not already been satisfied. I can assist personal representatives in litigating inappropriate creditor claims, as well pending liability disputes against the decedent. Furthermore, I can help ensure that all funds owed to the estate are collected in full.
- Will contests: Disputes over the validity of a will may arise when someone feels they were mistakenly left out of the will, they were given an unfair inheritance, or that the will does not reflect the true intentions of the decedent. In representing those contesting the will, I review the conditions in which the will was created to determine if there were any technical deficiencies or competency concerns (fraud, undue influence/duress, lack of mental capacity, etc.). When representing the personal representative, I do everything in my power to identify and uphold the true intentions of the decedent and protect the interests of the estate.
- Other inheritance disputes: I also assist beneficiaries, personal representatives and other interested parties in resolving estate litigation arising from trust disputes/trust litigation, disputes over gifts or transfers made prior to the decedent's death, disputes over recent changes to beneficiary designations of a life insurance policy, and all other probate disputes.
Contact Eric J. Cox
Contact my office to schedule an initial appointment to discuss your estate litigation needs. Call 484-534-2495.
