Do I need a specialized probate attorney for this situation?
probate attorney Pennsylvania Aug 16, 2026
A brief background: I spoke to the Register of Wills yesterday, and he emailed me the entire case file regarding my brother, a decedent from location: Pennsylvania who died without a will, wife or children in July 2026. His siblings became heirs of equal standing. I discovered in the case file that my sibling relationship to my brother was intentionally left off a Petition for Grant of Letters by my sister and her probate attorney. She filed the petition last week and the probate attorney went before the judge yesterday. She became the administrator yesterday, August 14, 2026. I am not listed as an heir in any place in the case file. I suspect this omission was intentional because I accused her of intermeddling in my brother's estate beginning in July 2026 just after our brother died. I also refused to sign the renunciation form to allow her to become administrator. I have proof of her intermeddling and have saved the texts. She admitted to claiming only a small amount for household on the probate form to, "keep the taxes low for everyone", she admitted to entering his home and throwing bags of paperwork away, donating his clothing and personal effects, distributing furniture, encouraging relatives to, "take what you want, just ask others about big ticket items", moving his solely owned car off his property to another relative's garage for "safe keeping", and co-mingling funds all *before* becoming administrator of the estate. She has access to his laptop and his passwords to bank accounts, credit cards, insurance, etc. I don't trust this sister as she has pulled some shady dealings in the past with other relative's estates. An inventory has not been filed yet, and today, she rented a dumpster and executed a total and final cleanout of his solely owned house along with help from other siblings only 24 hours after receiving Letters of Administration from the court. The house has a remaining mortgage and has yet to be appraised. She wants to get the house on the market asap and sold. I'm planning to consult with different attorneys next week to see if my rights for due process have been bypassed and if my sister and her attorney committed a fraud upon the court in any way. Should I hire a probate attorney with litigation experience or just a probate attorney with years of experience? Any advice given appreciated thanks.
