Estate Planning
We will review your estate planning needs and goals with you. If you do not have a Will, we can draft your Last Will & Testament as the initial building block of your estate plan. We can work with your trusted financial advisors. We can help arrange introductions with professionals in the financial, accounting and insurance industries if you so desire. We have long-standing relationships with many professionals in Central Pennsylvania. We will take the time to get to know your unique situation and to help craft an estate plan which meets your needs.
What is included in an estate plan?
Most people equate estate planning with a Will. While a Will is an important part of an estate plan, a complete estate plan includes more than a simple Will. A complete estate plan may include:
We can work with your trusted financial advisors and can help arrange introductions with professionals in the financial, accounting and insurance industries if you so desire. We have long-standing relationships with many professionals in Central Pennsylvania. We will take the time to get to know your unique situation and to help craft an estate plan which meets your needs.
You can find more info at these helpful links: Is a Trust for Me?, Trusts Explained Further & Types of Trusts, Gifting, & Long-Term Care.
Estate Administration
& Probate
We will work with the personal representative to assist in administering the estate. We have experience in asset collection, the tax laws as they relate to estates, local practices with regard to assets and debts, and the final distribution to beneficiaries of the estate. We have worked with all of the local entities and can help you administer the estate of your loved one. Whether it is a small estate or a federally taxable estate, we can help.
What do we mean by Estate Administration Services?
If you have been named the executor of a Will, you have likely been overwhelmed by the various requirements, notices, and tax claims. Filling out state and federal schedules and meeting (or trying to meet) strict deadlines can be difficult. It’s not only helpful, it is essential to call on the assistance of a professional who understands and is well-versed in estate administration.
Estate administration may include:
- The formal probate of a Will
- The granting of the appropriate letters of administration
- Proper advertisements of the estate
- Filing all the necessary state and federal tax forms
- Paying the final debts of the decedent
- Making a first and final accounting
- Final distribution to beneficiaries
- Generally tying up every loose end which may exist
- Finalizing and closing the estate
Other topics to review relating to estate administration: Intestacy & Gathering Assets.
Further information and details on estate administration include: Being an Executor, Probate, Payment of Decedent’s Debts & Inheritance Tax Returns, Formal & Informal Accounting and Distribution.