Category Archives for 2022
A Committee To Protect Journalists Described
With all of the reporting on horrific circumstances visited on Ukraine in the past weeks a thought came to mind – how are journalists covering these stories supported and protected? At least four journalists are reported as having been killed covering the Russia-Ukraine War. A Ukrainian journalist who was reported missing was released after an […]
Continue readingIs It Time To Consider a Roth?
Ever since passage of the Setting Every Community for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act by Congress, effective January 1, 2020, financial and estate planners have been struggling with alternatives to allow parents and others who earned their traditional IRA’s and retirement tax qualified funds to pass them on to beneficiaries while mitigating the tax effect. The […]
Continue readingAlternatives and Decisions For Older Properties
In the current real estate market you might be confronted with multiple solicitations to sell your home. The flyers, postcards, letters, texts and emails may arrive on a regular basis offering cash deals, quick settlements and no need for repairs. When you live in an older house or one in need of repairs the deals […]
Continue readingBuild Strategies To Transition a Family Business
While family business owners often want to pass on their business to the next generation or, at least, to sell it for a handsome price to a willing, motivated and competent buyer, the reality is that it is not easy to transfer a business to the next generation or, for that matter, to another corporation […]
Continue readingDivorce and Your Estate Plan – Points to Know
Divorce results in a major property shift. Some of it obvious. Some not so much. As couples and their divorce lawyers negotiate, it is very possible that important elements regarding properties’ titling and their estate plan could go unnoticed until later. To help protect your interests even before your marriage, you should consider meeting with […]
Continue readingReasons To Hire a Lawyer For Probate
This column is a follow-up to a prior one on February 1, 2022 titled “Do You Need To Avoid Probate in Pennsylvania?” A similar and related question is whether you should hire an attorney. There are several reasons why often the answer is “yes” and not just based in self interest. Here are some reasons […]
Continue readingDo You Need To Avoid Probate in PA
Over the years I have frequently heard clients and others argue against probate as a means to distribute property on death. Sometimes the commentary follows viewing a television program by a commentator such as Suze Orman who is a California based financial planner. Sometimes the individual has read commonly cited statements regarding differences between living […]
Continue readingEstate Planning, Digital Assets and Cryptocurrency
Recently I have come to know some terms through contacts with clients and other professionals. They include bitcoin, cryptocurrency, block chain technology and NFT (Non Fungible Tokens). I was already familiar with a related topic, digital assets, the subject of a Pennsylvania law passed in 2020 with the jaw breaking title, the Pennsylvania Revised Uniform […]
Continue readingFor Detailed Instructions Consider a Letter Of Instruction
I have frequently written about letters of intent as a means for parents of disabled children to pass on information regarding their instructions if the parent dies. See April 6, 2021, “Parents of Disabled Children Can Consider Letter of Intent.” Only recently have I come to appreciate Letters of Intent or the similar Letter of […]
Continue readingHow to Develop a Plan for 2022
Planning for Elder Law Attorneys often involves planning for crisis but does not need to be limited to this. While not all elder law practices involve planning for healthier times, ours does. For crisis planning and strategies we consider estates and what happens when clients die or become disabled. We review alternatives for long term […]
Continue reading2022 Will Be An Uncertain Year
“Unpredictable” or “uncertain” might be the best words to describe the new 2022. It would be hard to go wrong using such terms since the two prior years contained events that could hardly be expected or predicted in advance. Just taking our most recent history with COVID-19 as one example, who could have foretold that, […]
Continue readingSearching for A Home For the Holidays
This has been a tough year. Just when we thought we had almost conquered COVID-19 and were beginning to reopen with enthusiasm, exuberance even, we first discovered the Delta and then the Omicron variant. As we learn the Greek alphabet gradually we struggle to reconnect with others and even sometimes with ourselves. This sent me […]
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