The Turning Point in 1917 of Pennsylvania Probate Law
Five laws passed in 1917 modernized estate inheritance and probate procedures in Pennsylvania. These laws were the turning point between colonial tradition and modern practices.
In 1917, Pennsylvania introduced a significant revision to its inheritance laws with five laws passed in June 1917. This legislation aimed to simplify and unify the rules governing inheritance for both testate and intestate estates, bringing much-needed clarity and fairness to the process.
The laws passed were:
- The Fiduciaries Act of June 6, 1917 (P. L. 447)
- The Revised Price Act of June 7, 1917 (P. L. 388)
- The Wills Act of June 7, 1917 (P. L. 403)
- The Register of Wills Act of June 7, 1917 (P. L. 415)
- The Intestate Act of June 7, 1917 (P. L. 429)
The laws can be read in their entirety in The Laws of Pennsylvania, 1917 in law libraries or in Raymond M. Remick’s The Statutory Law of Decedents' Estates in Pennsylvania with Annotations and Forms. The major changes notable for genealogists are the following: