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Peak Legal Group, LTD Estate Planning Attorneys in Pennsylvania Helping Clients Provide For Future Generations
Many individuals need to realize the essential benefits that estate planning can offer. One of the significant advantages of estate planning is that it can give you peace of mind knowing your family will be protected after you pass away. Issues such as the probate process and asset protection planning can be challenging to manage independently.
Nevertheless, with proper planning, we can help your family avoid the costly and lengthy probate process. In addition, our Pennsylvania estate planning lawyers can work to protect assets in case you or a loved one would need nursing home care in the future.
Peak Legal Group, LTD of Pennsylvania can also gladly help with estate administration and other legal issues that may arise. Contact our law office and ask to schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal needs and explore your legal options.
Allow our Pennsylvania estate planning attorneys to assist you with preparing for the future of your family and loved ones.
Our highly trained estate planning attorneys can explain what power of attorney entails and determine which option is right for you.
With the help of an attorney, proper estate planning now can help your family avoid costly probate in the future.
Special needs estate planning can ensure that your loved one can have financial resources and maintain eligibility for government benefits.
Allow our law firm to assist you with creating a will to ensure your loved ones receive their rightful inheritance and your final wishes are fulfilled.
In addition to a will, a trust is an excellent legal method to ensure your family has the resources they need after you pass away.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring an Estate Planning Lawyer?
Often individuals mistakenly believe that estate planning is only necessary for high-net-worth families. However, estate plans can provide guidance to ensure your last wishes are carried out. Some of the other advantages of hiring a Pennsylvania estate planning attorney include the following:
- Your ability to make informed decisions regarding your assets and other property distribution.
- Ensure your estate planning documents are current and in compliance with state laws. Furthermore, as your financial and personal situation changes, the needs included in your estate plan will also evolve and must be updated accordingly. For example, if you go through a divorce, you must update your will to reflect on your new circumstances.
- Your loved one can look to the estate planning documents as a reliable resource for information regarding your final wishes concerning healthcare and other major life events. These documents can help your loved ones trust they are carrying out your wishes and eliminate the guesswork.
What Types of Estate Planning Services Does Your Law Firm Offer?
Peak Legal Group, LTD is proud to offer Pennsylvania residents various estate planning services. One of the first steps our qualified estate planning attorneys will take is to sit down and discuss your needs. From this point, we can create a comprehensive plan that will be custom-made for you and your loved ones.
Some of the most common estate planning services we offer include:
- Trust planning
- Wills
- Advanced directives
- Powers of attorney
- Beneficiary designations
Additionally, our Pennsylvania estate planning lawyers can assist you with issues pertaining to elder law. As individuals age, they will need additional estate planning services to protect them and their loved ones should they need to enter a nursing home.
Our law firm realizes that you have worked hard to obtain property and other financial resources to leave as an inheritance for your family. Our attorneys can provide the legal counsel you need to protect your assets for future generations.
What Makes Your Law Firm the Best Choice For My Estate Planning Needs?
One of the most critical reasons individuals need an estate plan is to ensure their final wishes are fulfilled after they pass away. However, even when individuals have created detailed wills expressing their final wishes, other legal issues may arise with their estates, leading to expensive delays and preventing families from obtaining much-needed financial assets.
For this reason, Peak Legal Group, LTD has the skill and experience to construct a well-crafted estate plan tailored to your needs. For example, suppose you own a business or other type of financial venture. In that case, specific steps must be followed in the legal process to ensure no legal disputes arise that could complicate your estate.
Our estate planning lawyers in Pennsylvania are passionately committed to securing your assets and helping your family avoid the probate process and the financial burden of death taxes. These legal issues can quickly deplete the wealth you intend to leave behind for your loved ones. Our attorneys will review your estate plan to safeguard your assets, so your family can focus on the future and not expensive estate litigation.
- We Care About What Matters to You. When you work with us, we take the time to really get to know you and to learn about your hopes, your goals, and your concerns. We find out where you stand on questions and issues you may not have considered before, and we walk you through every step of the planning process.
- Flat-Fee Service. We don’t appreciate being “nickel and dimed,” and we know you don’t either. That’s why we perform our services on a flat-fee basis, agreed to up front, so there are no surprises.
- 3-Year Check-Ins. When your initial planning is complete, we conduct regular check-ins at no extra charge to make sure your plans continue to work and to make updates if your circumstances have changed.
- Time Capsule Videos. Sometimes, even the smallest reminder of a loved one can make us smile. As part of the estate planning process, we will offer you the option of recording a short video for your loved ones to enjoy in the future.
Do Your Pennsylvania Estate Planning Lawyers Have the Experience Needed to Help Me Plan For the Future?
Our Pennsylvania estate planning attorneys have vast experience in handling all aspects of estate planning. Everyone can benefit from creating an estate plan, no matter where you are in life. For example, if you and your spouse have young children, our attorneys can help you make decisions that will provide for them should you both unexpectedly pass away.
Conversely, if you are a senior citizen, you may be concerned about protecting your assets. We also have elder law attorneys who will sit down with you, determine your needs, and build an estate plan that ensures you can obtain the necessary benefits. These benefits may include nursing home Medicaid without having to spend down your hard-earned assets.
Our years of dedicated experience have enabled us to help families avoid costly probate and relieve the heavy tax burden that often accompanies estates with more wealth attached to them.
The estate planning attorneys of Peak Legal Group, LTD are always happy to provide clients with a free consultation to answer any questions and provide individuals with more information about the benefits of estate planning.
What Type of Results Can I Expect From Your Estate Planning Attorneys?
The Pennsylvania estate planning attorneys of Peak Legal Group, LTD understand that it can be challenging to try and plan for the time after your death. However, proper planning can help your family avoid costly legal disputes and potential estate litigation after you pass away.
Taking this into account, our attorneys will create an estate plan that meets your family’s needs so you can have peace of mind knowing they will be taken care of in the future. In addition, we can review any wills or trusts you may already have to ensure they are still in line with your current and future goals.
For your convenience, we are located 0.5 mi from West Chester Municipal Building, 0.6 mi. from Barclay Park, and 23 mi. from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).
If you would like to schedule an appointment with one of our highly experienced Pennsylvania estate planning attorneys, contact our law office at 610-580-4689 and ask to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case and explore your legal options.
Q: What are annuity trusts?
Annuity trusts are created by transferring assets or other financial resources into a trust to provide income for the beneficiary. A designated trustee manages the annuity trust by investing the assets and ensuring the beneficiary receives payments as prearranged by the grantor. In many instances, the beneficiary is retired or unable to work. Annuity trusts are a standard method grantors use to ensure the beneficiary has a constant source of income. However, several different types of annuity trusts are available, so it is always wise to consult an attorney to determine which option is right for you.
Q: Am I legally required to have an attorney help me create a will?
A: Pennsylvania has no state law stipulating that individuals must have an attorney to create a will. Nevertheless, it is always in your best interests to have an estate planning attorney to help you because of the complex legal issues that may arise after you are gone. For example, if you use a do-it-yourself will kit, family members could contest the will or petition the court for estate litigation. However, the legal process of contesting a will or other estate litigation is very costly and can delay your loved ones from receiving the financial resources they may desperately need after your death.
Q: How can an attorney help me with estate administration?
A: Opening up an estate after an individual’s death can be daunting. If there are many assets that need to be distrusted or special instructions that must be carried out, the estate administration process can be overwhelming to those who lack legal training. For example, if you do not file legal paperwork on time or make sure all debts are paid, this could cause a delay in settling the estate which can lead to even further legal entanglements. To save time and headaches, obtaining qualified legal representation from a qualified estate planning attorney who can provide the legal services you need to get the job done quickly is always best.
Q: How can establishing a trust help my loved ones avoid probate?
A: Unlike wills that only inform your wishes regarding how you would like your property and other assets distributed, a trust can help your family avoid costly probate. For example, a living trust can help you put away assets not subject to Pennsylvania probate laws. As a result, your family members or other beneficiaries can receive the assets assigned to them almost immediately after your death, depending on the terms that have been stipulated. However, it is always wise to seek help from experienced Pennsylvania estate planning lawyers to determine your needs and trust options.
Q: What are the most common estate planning mistakes?
A: Due to the overly complex nature of estate planning, many mistakes could cause your loved ones to encounter legal issues after death. Some of the most common estate planning mistakes include trying to create an estate plan without the help of an experienced attorney, not updating the plan as you age and your needs change, and failing to update beneficiary information in the event of a death or divorce. However, failing to include guidance on your health care should you become incapacitated is often overlooked. However, with this information, your family members and medical professionals can be sure about the care you want.
Q: Do I have to sell my house to be able to go to a nursing home?
A: Many seniors mistakenly believe they will be forced to sell their homes for necessary nursing home care. Pennsylvania does have a Medicaid Estate Recovery program whose goal is to recoup money for services individuals have received; there are legal methods to protect your home and other assets. For example, depending on your circumstances, you can transfer home ownership to a family member that would not be disclosed on the 5-year look back period. A knowledgeable attorney can explain your options and create a plan tailored to your needs.
Q: Do Pennsylvania estate planning attorneys also handle elder law legal matters?
A: Estate planning and elder law do have many commonalities. However, it is essential to understand that elder law attorneys plan for individuals as they age. Conversely, estate planning attorneys plan for what will happen after the individual dies. Many attorneys are highly skilled in both areas of the law and can offer advice you need to make informed decisions. Contact our law firm to learn more about the services we can provide.
Q: How can I help my family avoid paying inheritance tax after I die?
A: There are several legal avenues available to Pennsylvanians to help prevent or minimize the estate or inheritance tax their family may have to pay after their death. Often these high taxes devour a large portion of the financial resources intended to support the family after a loved one’s death. One method includes ensuring that your assets have a joint beneficiary, setting up an irrevocable trust, or gifting assets to your heirs and beneficiaries before death. However, laws dictate the type and financial value of assets you can give or donate to others, so it is always best to hire an experienced attorney to assist you.