Category: Estates / Wills

A question I often hear is “what happens if I die without a will?”  One common assumption is that the state steps in to receive your assets.  Not true, unless you die without a spouse or relatives.  Generally, if you die without a will (called… Continue reading →

Here are seven reasons to consider updating your will: You have had children since preparing your previous will; you will want to name a guardian and trustee in addition to providing for a new child. You have been married or divorced (here you will want… Continue reading →

Pennsylvania has just reduced the tax on the estates of people dying after July 1, 2000. The tax on the value of an estate (after subtracting debts of the decedent and expenses of administration of the estate) have been reduced in two categories: property passing… Continue reading →

When we hear “durable”, we think of diamonds (they’re forever), granite (“rock-of-ages”), and maybe even your ’57 Ford pick-up with 335,000 miles on the odometer. But a power of attorney? Historically, a power of attorney has been one of the more ephemeral of legal documents… Continue reading →

In Pennsylvania, as in most states, if you die without a will, your property will be distributed according to the intestacy laws. Exactly how your property is distributed depends on whether you have a spouse, whether you have children, and whether you have surviving parents.The… Continue reading →

Who should be the owner and beneficiary of your life insurance policy? The answer depends on tax and property considerations. A life policy is issued to an “applicant” who may be the insured, a spouse, a trustee of a trust, or another person having an… Continue reading →

In 1992 Pennsylvania adopted a law which permits “advance directives” by each of us in the event that we become terminally ill; the somewhat contradictory term that has evolved to describe such a direction is “living will”. Each person can direct that no artificial means… Continue reading →

It was not too long ago that those of us who do estate planning first heard of the term “living trust”. Perhaps it was an article in Money, Kiplinger’s, or AARP’s monthly magazine; or, perhaps most likely, something overheard sitting by the pool.Quite simply, a… Continue reading →

All occupations seem to invent their own special terminology and certainly lawyers are no exception. Too often our documents tend to confuse because we use terms which are not understood and often intimidate. Our goal is to write in a manner that can be understood… Continue reading →

The death of a family member can be a traumatic time for the individual’s surviving family members. Even when the death is expected (due to old age or failing health), the surviving family members often are not emotionally or financially prepared for the death of… Continue reading →