ESTATE PLANNING

Caring Guidance For Individuals and Families

Our firm can help you with all aspects of estate planning, from the simplest to the most complicated. Using a combination of planning tools including wills, trusts, advance health care directives and powers of attorney, we will help you put together a legally sound plan to protect yourself, your loved ones and everything you have worked so hard to build. Regardless of your current marital, parental or financial status, putting a plan in place now will provide you with the peace of mind of knowing you’re protected and will help your loved ones avoid additional worry and unnecessary costs in the future.

Depending on your specific needs and circumstances, your Estate Plan may incorporate a combination of the tools and strategies on the right.

Pennsylvania Living Trust and Estate Planning

After a loved one passes away, we can also assist you with Probate and Estate Administration. This is the process used to pay the deceased’s debts and taxes, resolve any disputes regarding the estate, and distribute the property and other assets to the heirs. Probate can easily become very complicated and expensive, especially if there are disputes within your family, so it’s critical to get solid legal guidance. With the proper advance planning, it is even possible to avoid Probate – so contact us to see how we can help you put your affairs in order and streamline the process for your loved ones when the time comes.

Estate Planning Questions to Ask Yourself:

• Do you want to protect yourself and your assets by giving someone you trust the legal authority to act and speak on your behalf if you become incapacitated?

• Do you want to control how your assets are divided among your loved ones after your death instead of having your assets divided according to State law?

• Do you want to choose permanent legal guardians for your minor children in the event of your death instead of having guardians chosen by a judge who doesn’t know you or your family?

• Do you want to appoint emergency guardians with the legal authority to take custody of your children immediately if something happens to you, instead of leaving it up to the authorities and hoping for the best?

• Do you want to preserve your family wealth for later generations instead of losing a huge chunk to taxes?

• Do you want to support specific charities or causes through a gift after you pass on?

• Do you want to ensure that your heirs can settle your estate quickly, efficiently and inexpensively after your death?

• Do you want to ensure the lifetime comfort and financial security of a loved one with special needs?

• Do you want to put protections in place to make sure your heirs use their inheritances wisely and don’t squander them or lose them to creditors?

• Do you want to minimize family squabbling and infighting over your estate?

• Do you want to ensure that your spouse and your children from a previous relationship are all provided for according to your wishes after your death?

• Do you need guidance regarding “what to do next” after the death of a spouse or loved one?