https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania

1a. In Pennsylvania, if a decedent is survived by a spouse and issue with their spouse, the surviving spouse would inherit the first $30,000 of the intestate property, plus an additional ½ from the remaining estate. The other half of the remaining estate would then be distributed by representation by their issue. 20 PA. CONS. STAT. ANN. § 2102(3) (West 2015). However, if the decedent has issue who are not conceived by their surviving spouse, the surviving spouse can only inherit ½ of the intestate property and the remaining half will then be distributed amongst the decedent’s issue by representation. 20 PA. CONS. STAT. ANN. § 2102(4) (West 2015). In New York City, however, if a decedent is survived by a spouse and issue, the surviving spouse would inherit the first $50,000 of the intestate property, plus an additional ½ from the remaining estate. The other half of the remaining estate would then be distributed amongst the decedent’s issue by representation, regardless if they are the descendant of the surviving spouse or not. EST. POWERS & TRUSTS §4-1.1 (a)(1).

1b. In this scenario, both Pennsylvania and New York’s intestacy law concurs that the surviving spouse shall inherit the entire intestate estate. 20 PA. CONS. STAT. ANN. § 2102(1) (West 2015), EST. POWERS & TRUSTS §4-1.1 (a)(2).

1c. In this scenario, both Pennsylvania and New York’s intestacy law concurs that the decedent’s surviving parent or parents shall inherit the entire intestate estate. 20 PA. CONS. STAT. ANN. § 2103(2) (West 2015), EST. POWERS & TRUSTS §4-1.1 (a)(4).

2. The age requirement in order for a testator to make a will is that they must be at least 18 years old. 20 PA. CONS. STAT. ANN. § 2501 (West 2015). Likewise, in New York City, testators must be at least 18 years old as well. EST. POWERS & TRUSTS § 3-1.1.

3. In order for a will to be duly executed, the testator must sign their will in front of at least two witnesses. 20 PA. CONS. STAT. ANN. § 2502 (3) (West 2015). Likewise, in New York City, in order for a will to be duly executed, the testator must sign their will in front of at least two witnesses as well. EST. POWERS & TRUSTS § 3-2.1(a)(4).

4. The city with the largest population in Pennsylvania is Philadelphia. Below is a web link directed to a probate/estate planning attorney located in Philadelphia:

http://www.sjfpc.com/

Mr. Fromm’s web homepage is pretty simple to navigate. The background of the page is white and the font color is either black or blue. The context of the page is also informative. It briefly explains Mr. Fromm’s expertise background, what potential clients can expect from his services, the duties of an estate planning attorney, probate and estate administration attorney, tax attorney, and corporate and business attorney. Mr. Fromm furthermore also included some links on his page that gives business, estate planning, probate, and tax guides for the viewers. Personally, I like his webpage because he doesn’t include flashy advertisements to sell his services, instead, he keeps his webpage simple and add lots of informative guides for viewers to read through so that they have a basic knowledge of what his services includes.

5. Below is a web link directed to a real estate appraiser in Philadelphia:

http://philaappraiser.com/en/Home-Page

My reaction towards this webpage is same as my reaction toward Mr. Fromm’s business webpage. They both do not include flashy advertisements and they keep their webpage’s design simple and easy to navigate.

6. In Philadelphia, they do not have a court house which handles probates. Instead, they have an office called Register of Wills. Its’ functions are the same as a probate court in New York City. They determine whether a will offered for probate should be received as the last Will of a decedent. In situations where a Will does not name an executor, the Register determines and appoints an authorized administer to the estate of the deceased. The current 2015 Register of Wills it the Honorable Ronald R. Donatucci, Esq. The office is located at Room 180 City Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19107. The contact number for the office is (215)686-6250. Below is an image of Philadelphia’s City Hall.

(Credits to: http://mapio.net/o/4853116/)

7. One Philadelphia university which offers an Associates degree in Paralegal Studies which has been approved by the American Bar Association is the Community College of Philadelphia. Their Wills, Trusts and Estate Administration course seeks to provide “an in-depth introduction to the tasks performed by paralegals in estate planning and probate of a decedent’s estate.” I’m not sure about the tuition costs between this college and City Tech, but students applying to either colleges may receive financial aid. In addition, the tuition rates for the Community College of Philadelphia varies based on the student’s residency. Below is the link for the college:

http://www.ccp.edu/