Wills, Estate Planning And Administration

When you have worked hard and built a significant estate, the greatest gift you can leave your loved ones is a clear and effective estate plan. An Estate plan sets forth exactly how your property is to be distributed, and also provides clear instructions on payment of debts and taxes, as well as the care of minor children.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What is contained in an estate plan? A basic estate plan consists of a will, a power of attorney, and a living will or advance health care directive. However, an estate plan is tailored to each individual’s needs and goals, and can be comprehensive, or simplified, as needed.

Can someone make decisions for me if I am unable to do so? Whether it be financial decisions or healthcare choices, we can help you preselect persons to make those decisions well in advance to make those critical and necessary healthcare decisions, and handle your financial affairs for as long as needed.

How can I prepare to help my young children if something happens to me? With a comprehensive estate plan, there will be a process, chosen by you, that will be put in place in order that a guardian and/or trustee can be assigned, and the financial and care giving needs of your children will be met.

Can I give property away while I am alive to be held for another’s benefit? Yes. A trust can potentially provide you with certain tax advantages, and other benefits, depending upon your circumstances.

What are the most common estate planning tools? There are a number of practical ways to accomplish your goals. Once you’ve decided the best strategy to meet your unique objectives, we’ll prepare and execute all documents necessary to put your plan in place. The most common estate planning documents include the following:

• Will – A will not only distributes your property after death, but it also appoints the person to handle your estate on your behalf, and can also be used to designate a guardian for your minor children. Without a will, state law will control who is entitled to inherit your estate, and care for your minor children.
• Trust – A trust is an estate planning tool whereby property is held by one party for the benefit of another. A trust allows a person to transfer property to a trustee. The trustee holds that property for the trust’s beneficiaries.   This can be useful for estate and tax planning purposes under the right circumstances.
• Powers Of Attorney A power of attorney is quite helpful to assist with financial matters or medical issues, as it gives someone the authority to act for another person in specified legal and financial matters.
• Health Care Power Of Attorney The Health Care Power of Attorney, under which you name an individual, known as your agent, to make all health care decisions on your behalf, when you cannot do so for yourself.
• Living Will – A living will, known as an advance health care declaration, instructs health care providers as to your choices regarding your medical care if you are unable to communicate, and are in a state of permanent unconsciousness, or are close to death. It also allows you to decide now whether to be removed from life support, rather than leaving that decision to grieving family members.
• Guardianship – We can also help you determine when and if a guardian of minor children or disabled adults maybe appropriate and necessary, and we will can prepare all the documents to establish and identify the terms of the guardianship.

OUR MEDIA, PA ESTATE PLANNING PRACTICE

You want an experienced estate attorney who will listen to your needs and wishes and who has successfully helped others in similar circumstances. At the Law Firm of DiOrio & Sereni, LLP, we have the experience and expertise to do so.

When you hire us to help you develop and implement an effective estate plan, the first thing we will do is listen to your needs and preferences. We wll then carefully explain different strategies, including the use of wills and trusts, the possible re-titling of property to avoid probate, and the benefits of lifetime gifts.

We know that we can best protect your interests when we stay connected with you. We strive to be available and accessible when you need to talk with us, and seek to build long-term relationships, based on trust and personalized attention.

As a testament to our reputation for providing effective and efficient legal counsel, we are AV-rated by our colleagues in the legal community under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating System.  In addition, attorneys Robert M. DiOrio and Mark A. Sereni have been designated Pennsylvania Super Lawyers every year since 2005.

Contact the Law Firm of DiOrio & Sereni, LLP

For a private consultation, call us at 610-565-5700 or send us an e-mail. Evening and weekend consultations can be arranged upon request, and we will travel to meet with you, if necessary. We accept Discover, Visa and MasterCard.