Last Writes

For many couples, a marriage license feels optional. You may share a home, combine finances, raise children, and build an entire life together without ever making it official. Under Pennsylvania estate law, though, that piece of paper can change almost everything.

If you die without a valid will, Pennsylvania’s intestacy laws determine who receives your probate estate. The law provides specific rights to a surviving spouse but not to an unmarried partner. Instead, the estate generally passes to the deceased partner’s children, parents, siblings, or other relatives. This ...