Report Of Guardian Of The Estate Instructions

There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.

Report Of Guardian Of The Estate Instructions is a commonly used form within Pennsylvania. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:

Atticus Fast Facts About Report Of Guardian Of The Estate Instructions

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Report Of Guardian Of The Estate Instructions:

• This form pertains to the State of Pennsylvania

Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about Pennsylvania’s Form G-02 - Report Of Guardian Of The Estate Instructions up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct Pennsylvania form based on the name and ID if applicable

Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some Pennsylvania probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.

Step 2 - Complete the Document

Fill out all relevant fields in Form G-02, take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in PA are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!

Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form G-02 online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).

Step 3 - Have Form G-02 witnessed or notarized (if required)

Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.

Step 4 - Submit Report Of Guardian Of The Estate Instructions to the relevant office

This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.

It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.

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Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.

While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.

Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in Pennsylvania.

5 reasons you should submit G-02 as quickly as possible:

1. The sooner you begin, the faster Pennsylvania can allow heirs and beneficiaries to get their share of assets subject to probate. Acting promptly can also decrease the costs & overall mental fatigue through an otherwise burdensome process.
   
   Helpful Context: What’s the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?

2. In general, creditors of an estate usually have around 3-6 months from the time you file notice to creditors to file any claims for debt against the deceased’s assets. If they don’t, then that debt is forfeited (and more importantly, the executor won’t be held personally responsible). So doing this sooner means you have a better idea of who is owed what and ensures you won’t get a surprise collector months later.

3. Not filing a will within 30 days (on average) could mean that the probate process proceeds according to intestate laws (laws that govern what happens to someone's stuff without a will) or is subject to unnecessary supervision by the probate court. And if you aren't directly related to the deceased (a.k.a. next of kin), this could also mean you lose your inheritance.

4. It’s important to file any necessary state tax returns on behalf of the deceased or estate by the following tax season in Pennsylvania. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest. This also includes any necessary federal tax returns such as Forms 1040, 1041, or even a Form 706 estate tax return.

5. If a house in the State of Pennsylvania is left empty (or abandoned) for a while, insurance can get dicey. For example, if the house burns down and no one has been there for a year, an insurance company may get out of paying your claim.

If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for Pennsylvania probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local Pennsylvania probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form G-02, and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

Report Of Guardian Of The Estate Instructions is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some Pennsylvania probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within Pennsylvania.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form G-02 - Report Of Guardian Of The Estate Instructions f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the Pennsylvania probate court office.

Report Of Guardian Of The Estate Instructions is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any Pennsylvania-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.

Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on Pennsylvania Form G-02 - Report Of Guardian Of The Estate Instructions. You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

Report of Guardian of the Estate (G-02) Instruction Form Did you know that you can file your guardianship reports online using the Guardianship Tracking System (GTS)? Visit http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/guardianship for more information. 1 Part I. Introduction Question 2 A limited guardianship is for a person whom the court finds to be partially incapacitated and in need of limited services, where the guardian has only those powers consistent with the court’s findings of the person’s limitations. Question 3 Excepting a Final Report, the report period must consist of the calendar year spanning the following dates:  The “From” date is last year’s anniversary date of the adjudication of incapacity (ex. If the date of the adjudication was 8/26/15, the anniversary date for 2017 is 8/26/2017).  The end date is the day before the anniversary date in the current year. The exception is when a Final Report is submitted. A Final Report is the last ‘Report of Guardian of the Estate’ that a guardian will file due to the incapacitated person’s death, a court order terminating the guardianship, or transfer of guardianship. With a Final Report, the end date is the incapacitated person’s date of death, or the date of the court order terminating or transferring the guardianship. Part II. Income Any income entered for the report period should include all earned income (derived from paid employment) and unearned income (unrelated to employment like interest income, alimony, and dividends). The ‘Other’ income source should be used to enter all gifts received by the incapacitated person, or other contributions made by you to the incapacitated person, lottery winnings, restitution, and any other sources of income not listed in Part II. The amount you enter for each type of income source should reflect the total received during the entire reporting period and not an average. Part III. Annual Expenses Question 1 Expenses should include any payments made for the care and maintenance of the incapacitated person. The amount you enter for each type of expense should reflect the total spent during the entire report period and not an average. Question 2 If the incapacitated person has more than one credit card, enter the combined current balance of all the cards in the space provided. Part IV. Comparing Income and Expenses Question 2 Any unspent income you enter from the previous report period will be counted towards the incapacitated person’s total income. If this is the first ‘Report of Guardian of the Estate’ for the incapacitated person, leave this answer blank. Question 5 When you subtract the Total Income (Question 3) from the Total Expenses (Question 4) and the resulting amount is a positive value, this indicates that the incapacitated person’s expenses did not exceed their income. Report of Guardian of the Estate (G-02) Instruction Form Did you know that you can file your guardianship reports online using the Guardianship Tracking System (GTS)? Visit http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/guardianship for more information. 2 This value is captured as ‘unspent income’ for this report period and will be the amount entered under Question 2 on next year’s Guardian of the Estate Report. Question 6 When you subtract the Total Income (Question 3) from the Total Expenses (Question 4) and the resulting amount is a negative value, this indicates that the incapacitated person’s expenses have exceeded their income. This value is “principal spent” on the report. Part V. Assets Question 1 If you do not know the total asset amount as it appeared on the Inventory report, contact the court where this guardianship case is filed. Question 2 List any new assets that were obtained during the report period or any existing assets that were not listed in previous estate reports. Question 3 List all of the incapacitated person’s assets including those that were entered under Question 2. If insufficient space is available on the form, the assets should be completed and submitted on a separate page. Consider the following with respect to the incapacitated person’s assets:  If an existing asset decreased in value over the reporting year (ex. stocks or automobiles), submit any supporting documents that explain the change in value.  If an asset has been sold during the reporting year, enter the sale as a cash or cash equivalent asset under Questions 2 and 3. If real property was sold then this amount must also be entered under Question 4d.  If part of an asset was sold during the reporting year (ex. real property), identify the asset and the value of the incapacitated person’s remaining ownership under Question 3. Then record the sale amount as a cash or cash equivalent asset under Questions 2 and 3. Question 5 Only record assets that have been transferred to other individuals, often family members, as a means to allow the incapacitated person to qualify for Medicaid benefits. Part VI. Guardian’s Compensation Question 1 If you receive payment for your services as a guardian, use the Amount column to enter how much you were paid over the entire reporting period, regardless of the frequency in which you billed for your services. Question 3 A guardian activity log typically includes things like a summary of services you performed for the incapacitated person, the dates of service, and the amount of time spent. Part VIII. Representative Payee Question 1a A ‘Representative Payee’ is a third-party who manages the Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits of a beneficiary who is incapable of managing or directing the management of these benefits on their own. Representative payees are Report of Guardian of the Estate (G-02) Instruction Form Did you know that you can file your guardianship reports online using the Guardianship Tracking System (GTS)? Visit http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/guardianship for more information. 3 appointed by the SSA and not by the Orphans’ Court. Question 1b A ‘Representative Payee’ is a third-party who manages the Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits of a beneficiary who is incapable of managing or directing the management of these benefits on their own. Representative payees are appointed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and not by the Orphans’ Court. The VA uses the term ‘fiduciary’ for this role. Part IX. Surety Information Question 1 A court may require a guardian to obtain a surety bond when you have been made responsible for handling the fiduciary duties of an incapacitated person’s estate. The final decree or an ad hoc order will be issued to order or waive a bond. Part X. Guardian Information Question 2 A ‘judgment’ is a court order that resulted from a lawsuit initiated by a person’s creditor or debt collector for non-payment.