Plan Now, Not Later: The COVID crisis has only exacerbated a recurring problem we see at the law firm--folks waiting until it's too late to plan. I always emphasize the fact that you should be in control of your estate plan. It's not ideal if your adult child is attempting to be...
Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
Nursing home neglect and abuse is a heartbreaking issue for any family to deal with. Below are several common warning signs of nursing home abuse, and later, a review of the common legal issues that nursing homes may face. If you are faced with such a circumstance now or in the future,...
Federal Estate Tax Changes Under President Biden?
By Jeremy A. Wechsler, Esq.
Your Estate Planning & Elder Planning Attorney
There has been much talk of changing tax codes in the coming months or year(s). Tax laws seem to change more often these days, which hampers tax planning for the long-term.
Currently, for your estate to be hit with...
Long-Term Care Planning: One Thing To Do Right Now
Far too many of us are concerned/worried that we may need a nursing home or long-term care in the future, and that our estate may be in the red as a result. But unfortunately, most of us don’t do any planning.
Nursing homes have been in the news many...
Elder Financial Abuse Study
A study commissioned by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf in 2019 recently revealed some alarming findings related to the financial exploitation of older adults.
Financial exploitation of older adults can take many different forms and can be perpetrated by trusted individuals or complete strangers. The most common forms of financial...
Ethical Wills
Why do we engage in estate planning? Most people would say their priorities in estate planning are protecting their assets and ensuring those assets get passed on properly.
However, we often miss the equally important goal of estate planning: passing on your values, hopes, fears, lessons learned, etc. to the next generation(s).
...Wills Are Public Documents
A lot of people ask our office what the difference is between Wills and Trusts. There are several key advantages to trusts, depending on your estate planning needs. One advantage to our readers who value privacy is that a well-crafted Revocable Living Trust, if properly written AND funded, can avoid the probate process. By...
What happens if you don’t have a will or living trust?
This is a question that I get asked often. If you do not have a will or living trust, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has developed a scheme of how your assets will be distributed upon your passing. This is called dying "intestate" and the law is the Pennsylvania Intestacy statute. For instance, if you...
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Estate Planning 2010
Welcome to 2010 and a happy and healthy new year to everyone. We can all use a fresh start from time to time, and the new year is ripe for new, innovative ideas and resolutions to grow and improve. Furthermore, as we enter the next decade, we are reminded (most of us anyway) how...
Eight Tips To Avoid Nasty Estate Surprises
Came across this article on USNews that concisely talks about how to avoid some common estate planning mistakes. Some ways to avoid the mistakes include finding the right estate planning attorney, picking the right executor and trustees, and make sure your title to your assets is clear. Check out the rest of the article...