You Cannot Disinherit Your Spouse in PA – Unless They Consent
The idea of our freedom to dispose of our estates as we wish is right up there with baseball and apple pie as an American ideal. With a few limited exceptions, you can leave your assets to anybody you choose...[Continue reading]
Estate Planning Basics
“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.” (Haruki Murakami) Most of us do not want to think about dying. However, it is an inevitable part of our existence. And preparing for the inevitable is an...[Continue reading]
First Steps in Handling a Loved One’s Estate
Being responsible for handling a loved one’s estate after their death is an incredibly difficult task. It can be exhausting physically, mentally and emotionally. If you are in that position, it means your loved one believed that you were the...[Continue reading]
Powers of Attorney and Unmarried Couples
Unmarried couples have a special need for powers of attorney. I will explain that bold and incredibly controversial statement here. There are many types of powers of attorney. They all accomplish the same basic purpose – giving someone else the...[Continue reading]
Attorney’s Fees in Estate Administration
If an attorney is helping you administer an estate, you will need to pay him or her. Attorneys charge for helping to administer an estate in different ways. I’m sure there are many imaginative ways that attorneys can bill for...[Continue reading]
Choosing an Executor
When we die, somebody will need to handle our estates. That means gathering and protecting our assets, dealing with our creditors and making sure our assets are distributed as specified in our Wills. That person (or persons) is called the...[Continue reading]
Divorce & Estate Planning Go Together
Divorce and estate planning go together. Not exactly like peanut butter and jelly, which some people know is one of my favorite lunch sandwiches, but they are a logical combination. As part of a divorce, individuals make a lot of...[Continue reading]
Holidays
Holidays can be stressful for everybody. They can be wonderful and joyous celebrations, but they can also involve lots of planning, preparation and possibly unrealistic expectations. Add the process of divorce or the loss of a loved one into the...[Continue reading]
Digital Assets
What are your digital assets? What happens to your digital assets upon your death? Who has the authority to handle your digital assets if you are incapacitated or incapable of managing them? ...[Continue reading]
Wills and Unmarried Couples
In many instances, it is even more important for unmarried couples to have Wills in place than it is for married couples. That’s because the state has developed a default estate plan for married individuals that includes their spouse. This...[Continue reading]