All Posts

When people think about estate planning, they usually start thinking about their will. But I would argue that a will is – in most cases – the least important estate planning document. A will determines who receives your property after you die and who oversees the administration of your estate. A will has no effect while you are still alive. The most important estate planning document is effective while you are still living and allows your loved ones to step in and help you ex

If you've talked to a friend, a financial advisor, or even another attorney about estate planning, chances are the word trust has come up. Trusts have a reputation for being something only wealthy people need, or worse, an unnecessary layer of complexity on top of a simple will. In my experience, neither has to be true. A revocable trust — sometimes called a living trust — is one of the most versatile tools available under Pennsylvania law. When it's drafted and funded correc

Transferring a home to children for $1 has become a surprisingly common estate planning tactic, especially among older adults hoping to avoid the cost or perceived complexity of creating a trust. On the surface, selling your house to your children for a dollar (or simply gifting the property outright) can seem like an easy, inexpensive shortcut. But this approach can come with significant and unexpected consequences. This post breaks down some major drawbacks of transferring

An estate plan is rarely a “one and done” document. Life changes, and your plan should change with it. Over the course of a lifetime, people experience milestones such as marriage, welcoming children, or purchasing a home. Others face unexpected challenges like illness, disability, or the loss of a loved one. As your health, priorities, and financial goals evolve, the estate plan you created years ago may no longer meet your needs. For these reasons, estate plans should be re

As an estate planning attorney, I know how easy it is to assume certain legal concepts are “common knowledge.” But for most people, they’re anything but. Think about the last time you sat in a doctor’s office and heard a string of medical terms that made no sense. Frustrating, right? Legal jargon can feel the same way. That’s why I’m writing this post: to break down the differences between a will and a trust in plain English. These terms may seem interchangeable, but they s

In 2014, Congress passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act , creating tax-free savings accounts designed to help individuals with disabilities cover qualified expenses. These accounts, known as ABLE accounts , are relatively new, and many families wonder whether they should rely on a special needs trust, an ABLE account, or perhaps both. This post takes a closer look at whether ABLE accounts can serve as a sufficient alternative to special needs trusts. Please

Trusts have been around since ancient Rome when people used them to transfer property under specific conditions to avoid restrictive inheritance laws. Over time, this concept evolved into the modern legal tool we call a trust. At its core, a trust is a legal arrangement involving three roles: Settlor (also called trustor or grantor): creates the trust and transfers assets Trustee: manages the assets Beneficiary: receives the benefits of the trust Sometimes, the settlor can