Estate Planning and Estate Administration
Estate and Disability Planning
Estate and disability planning is the process of helping clients anticipate and provide for various personal and financial risks that accompany the aging process.
At The Law Offices of Schellart Joyce, this means more than drafting wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. We take the time to listen to our clients’ wishes and preferences, and then work with them to create a personalized estate plan appropriate to their age, financial status, and family circumstances. This process may include advice about minimizing taxes, protecting assets, or helping clients provide for a special needs child. No matter how simple or involved their circumstances, our goal is to help clients achieve their estate planning goals as well as a better quality of life for themselves and their loved ones down the road.
Estate planning includes planning for incapacity. While we are on average living longer than our parents, we are not necessarily living longer in good health. Properly prepared and executed powers of attorney are important so that your loved ones can make financial and healthcare decisions for you if the time comes when you cannot. Without these, your family might not be able to take advantage of the legal opportunities available to protect at least part of your life savings from the risk of being spent down if you later needed long-term nursing care, or they might be put to the delay and expense of a obtaining a court-appointed guardian of your person and estate.
In the broadest sense, we see elder law as a means of helping clients achieve some peace of mind. The changes that come with aging, and especially the challenges of caring for an aging spouse, parent or other loved one, can sometimes seem overwhelming. At our law firm, we are here to help our clients, as listeners and counselors as well as legal advisers and advocates, achieve their long-term planning goals.
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Estate Administration
When a loved one dies, often the last thing on the family’s mind is the administrative work of managing the decedent’s estate. Our law firm is a partner to families at this time. Whether your estate includes all probate or non-probate assets, or both, our law firm can guide you through the legal maze, give advice on the minimization of Pennsylvania Inheritance Taxes and income taxes, and advise you on the proper distribution of assets.
The Law Offices of Schellart Joyce Helps Families in Difficult Times Through Estate Administration
Estate Administration is not the same for every family. As with estate planning, some client situations are more complex than others. We use alternative means to administer a person’s estate when the situation calls for it. A petition for settlement of a small estate is a quicker way to resolve matters where the estate is valued at $50,000 or less. Other times, the personal representative merely requires a consultation on a few specific issues or the preparation of the Pennsylvania inheritance tax return.
Our law firm works closely with the personal representative to see that the estate is administered efficiently and effectively, the wishes of the decedent are honored, and that the process is accomplished with a minimal burden to the family.
In order to properly assess your situation, we ask all prospective clients to complete a confidential questionnaire prior to their appointment. You may print out a questionnaire by clicking the button at the top right of the screen. Please return the completed questionnaire to our Titusville or Erie office one week prior to your appointment via fax, email, regular mail or by stopping by our office.
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