Many people are unaware of the time, expense, and frustration of end-of-life obligations. Many people are also unaware that obstacles can be easily avoided with proper estate planning. If you do not have a will, the courts must distribute your assets upon death in the manner outlined under statute. Many times, surviving family members receive items in a decedent’s estate that were not meant for them. In the worst cases, an improperly drafted will can be voided all together, resulting in the wishes of the decedent not being carried out.
Laws of Intestacy Intestacy or intestate means passing away without a will. As a very general description, in Pennsylvania, if there is no valid will, a person's property is distributed in the following manner: 1. Spouse, 2. Any children, 3. Siblings, 4. Nieces and Nephews, 5. Grandparents, 6. Uncles and Aunts, 7. First and Second Cousins, and then, 8. the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
If this is not how you want your property distributed, you need a will. A will circumvents the default passing of property under the statutes and can be modified or revoked at any time. We can prepare for what will happen when your estate is distributed upon death. There are many considerations such as to where bank accounts, life insurance proceeds, vehicles, property (both real and personal), child custody, and sentimental items will default. We can create an effective plan that will ensure your wishes are honored without dispute, so that your family and property is protected in the unfortunate events of death or incapacitation. We can create the following tools within your estate plan to memorialize your wishes:
Wills
Living wills
Powers of attorney
Healthcare directives
Trusts containing either money or property
Pay-on-death accounts
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