Blog Posts - Estate planning
Who Needs to Have an Estate Plan?
Most people who hear about estate planning in Pennsylvania assume that this process is not yet necessary. Perhaps you believe that estate planning is something reserved for people on their deathbeds. Maybe you think that you have many years left before you must worry about things like Wills, trusts, and...
What Happens if Someone Dies Without a Will (Intestate)?
Intestate succession is a legal concept that every Pennsylvania resident should strive to understand, whether they want to create an estate plan in the near future or not. If you “die intestate” (without a Will), you should know how the courts will handle your assets and liabilities. Once you become...
What are the Responsibilities of the Executor or Personal Representative in Probate?
The executor plays an important role during probate in Pennsylvania. Also known as the “personal representative,” this individual oversees various processes after someone passes away. If you have taken on these responsibilities, the road ahead may seem quite overwhelming. However, you are not alone, and you can get help from...
Strategies to Avoid Probate in Pennsylvania
With the right estate planning strategies, you can potentially avoid probate in Pennsylvania. However, each situation is slightly different, and online research may not provide personalized information based on your unique circumstances. Some probate avoidance strategies may not be effective for some, and you should consider discussing the various options...
What Happens When a Will is Contested in Pennsylvania?
A contested Will is something most families want to avoid at all costs. However, this outcome is often unavoidable – and you might need to react effectively with help from an estate planning attorney in Hershey. The first step is to gain an understanding of what might happen next. Once...
Can I Avoid Probate in Pennsylvania?
Probate avoidance is a key priority for many Pennsylvania residents, and for understandable reasons. Probate can be time-consuming, expensive, and stressful for your loved ones – and it makes sense to circumvent this process if at all possible. But how exactly do you achieve this goal? Various strategies may be...
What should you know about pour-over wills?
When making your estate plan, you have several powerful legal tools to choose from, such as a pour-over will. You might be surprised at how powerful this estate planning document can be in preserving your asset distribution preferences. It works in conjunction with a living trust, which is another effective...
3 times during marriage when you should update your estate plan
Life is dynamic, and so are the circumstances surrounding marriage. Your estate plan should always reflect the current status of your life, accounting for changes in assets, relationships and even new additions to the family. Failure to update your estate plan regularly can lead to unintended consequences and disputes among...
How you can prevent inheritance theft with sound estate planning
You may have heard the terms “inheritance theft” or “inheritance hijacking.” This might bring to mind things like your sibling taking the antique desk you wanted your grandchild to have or your wedding ring going “missing” instead of to your daughter, as you intended. Certainly, these are examples of inheritance...
2 good reasons to consider creating a pour-over will
A pour-over will works in combination with a living trust to add extra protection to your assets. It ensures that any property not included in the trust when you pass away is transferred to the trust automatically. You may believe your existing estate plan provisions are all you need, but...
Why a tentative trust may need to be part of your estate plan
You may have heard the term “Totten trust.” It’s referred to as a “tentative trust” under Pennsylvania law. It’s not a trust in the way most people think of them. It’s a payable-on-death (POD) account you can open at a financial institution. A tentative trust can be an important part...
Are you too young to draft an estate plan?
Young people tend to feel like they have a lot of years in front of them, which is most likely the case. However, the truth is that you never know what’s around the corner. Estate planning offers individuals the chance to make arrangements should they become incapacitated. You may think...
Estate planning mistakes that can lead to probate
You may already realize the importance of estate planning for ensuring that your assets are passed on to your beneficiaries. Unfortunately, you could make potential mistakes during this process that may lead to more of your estate going through probate. What are those mistakes, and how can you avoid them?...
You can prevent an heir from wasting their inheritance
One thing that people sometimes mention when creating an estate plan is that they are worried that their heirs may not have the same values that they do, or that they may have different spending habits. Essentially, the person is concerned that they have been saving money their entire life...
Why you should consider a QDOT if you have a non-citizen spouse
There are a lot of misconceptions about whether people who aren’t U.S. citizens can inherit assets. If you’re a U.S. citizen and your spouse hasn’t yet obtained citizenship, you may be putting off your estate planning until that process is complete. However, that could end up costing them a lot...
3 times it makes sense to add a trust to your estate plan
Trusts have an unfairly negative reputation. People often associate them with the incredibly wealthy and with privileged adult children who have never worked a job. However, trusts are actually incredibly useful for many people planning their estates. Both high-income individuals and middle-class families could benefit from adding a trust to...
Let’s Talk About HIPAA
Let’s talk about HIPAA – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This law is often misconstrued and misunderstood and has recently been pushed to the forefront of conversations again due to misunderstandings about what it does and does not require. The main purpose of HIPAA when it...
National Estate Planning Awareness Week
By a resolution that was passed on September 27, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives designated the third week of October as “National Estate Planning Awareness Week”. So, what should you consider when you think about estate planning? The Basic Will Under Pennsylvania law, a document that is signed by...