Estate Planning Lawyers create specially tailored Estate Plans to meet the specific and very personal needs of their clients. Whether you are just starting your career, getting ready to retire, or are somewhere in between, you can obtain great benefit from an Estate Plan. This is true for people of all walks of life, regardless of their financial worth. An Estate Plan can protect and preserve your assets (property) and help you provide for your loved ones. It can also make it possible for you to deal with unanticipated events and give you the satisfaction of knowing that you have done the best for your family.
The Estate Planning Attorneys at Heiligman & Mogul, P.C., have more than 30 years of experience creating Estate Plans to meet the specific needs of our clients. We will listen closely as you describe your family, your financial situation, and your goals. We will then create a plan to help you achieve your goals in the most cost-efficient and practical ways.
We will also advise you about events that may require a change in your current Estate Plan. These events include such things as a marriage or divorce, the birth of a child, a contemplated retirement, and a sudden disability (injury or illness). When such changes occur in your life, we can review your Estate Plan documents and make any necessary changes for a reasonable fee.
Full and Complete Estate Planning Attorney Services
Our Estate Planning Attorneys are skilled at creating a wide variety of Estate Planning Tools. Here are some of the things that your personalized Estate Plan can include:
- Trusts
- Powers of Attorney
- Guardianships and Conservatorships
- Tools to Minimize Taxes
- Wills
- Keeping Assets out of Probate
Benefits of Keeping Assets out of Probate
Generally speaking, some of the benefits of passing your property to your heirs as non-probate assets include:
- Timing and Paperwork
- Privacy
- Limiting Taxes
- Limiting Controversy
- Limiting Costs
- Simplicity and Flexibility
Risks of Keeping Assets out of Probate
Despite all of the benefits of passing certain property to heirs as non-probate assets, there are certain risks associated with titling assets as non-probate property. Your Estate Planning Attorney may be able to help you to limit or eliminate many of these risks. Risks that may be associated with non-probate assets include:
- Unintended Consequences
- Taxes
- Access to your Assets
- Loss of Control
- Inability to Limit Circumstances of Property Transfer
Examples of Non-Probate Assets
While every person’s situation is different, here are some examples of non-probate assets that may be right for you.
- Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship
- Tenancy by the Entirety
- Assets Held in Trust
- Life Insurance Policies
- IRAs, 401k Accounts, and other Tax-Deferred Retirement Plans
Estate Planning Frequently Asked Questions
Estate Planning is an area of the law that many people know very little about. Here are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Pennsylvania Estate Planning Lawyers and what they can accomplish for you.