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Part 1 | Powers of Appointment in Pennsylvania Estate Plans: What They Are and How They Work Part 2 | The Overlooked-Holder Problem and Pennsylvania Law Part 3 | What Holders Need to Consider — and Next Steps for Everyone In Parts One and Two of this series, we covered what powers of appointment are, how Pennsylvania law governs them, and why so many holders never learn they have one. In this final installment, we address the holder's perspective directly: if you hold a power

Part 1 | Powers of Appointment in Pennsylvania Estate Plans: What They Are and How They Work Part 2 | The Overlooked-Holder Problem and Pennsylvania Law Part 3 | What Holders Need to Consider — and Next Steps for Everyone In Part One of this series, we introduced powers of appointment — what they are, how they are classified, and how Pennsylvania estate planning attorneys use them to build flexibility into wills and trusts. In this installment, we turn to a problem that arise

Part 1 | Powers of Appointment in Pennsylvania Estate Plans: What They Are and How They Work Part 2 | The Overlooked-Holder Problem and Pennsylvania Law Part 3 | What Holders Need to Consider — and Next Steps for Everyone Few provisions in Pennsylvania estate planning are at once so powerful and so poorly understood as the power of appointment. Attorneys draft them into wills and trusts every day. Families sign documents containing them without fully grasping what they mean.

Key Takeaway In Pennsylvania, when someone dies without a will (intestate), the law dictates who can serve as the estate's administrator. Typically, the surviving spouse has priority, followed by adult children, parents, and then other relatives. These individuals must be competent and willing to serve.  It sounds logical but there are a host of problems that often arise. Who Has the Legal Right to Administer an Estate If There Is No Will in Pennsylvania? Pennsylvania law ou

Navigating the complexities of estate administration can be challenging, especially when family dynamics are involved. A common issue arises when a sibling continues to reside in the deceased parent's home after their passing. Here we will address the legal ramifications and potential solutions under Pennsylvania law. When a parent passes away in Pennsylvania and a sibling continues living in the family home, that sibling does not automatically have the right to stay unless

We help lots of families manage estates of deceased loved ones.  It is not unusual to see families grappling with complex emotions and...

Losing a loved one is a difficult experience. Dealing with the legal and financial aftermath can feel overwhelming, especially when you...

Ladies, let's be real. How many times have you brought up an important topic for discussion with your mate only to be told, “I’m not...

Over the next two decades, an estimated $105 trillion in wealth is expected to change hands in what financial experts call the Great...

By Michael Fiffik, Esquire   As I write this, my youngest daughter just turned 18.  That’s a big milestone filled with pride and...

The loss of a spouse is an emotionally challenging and overwhelming experience. In addition to the grief that accompanies such a loss,...

Losing a partner is an incredibly painful experience, filled with emotional challenges and complex life considerations. One pressing...