Estate Planning & Probate Lawyers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia

Estate planning is not only about wealth. It can address who receives property, who manages finances during incapacity, who makes healthcare decisions, who administers the estate, and how family members handle important decisions after death.

Depending on the client's circumstances, an estate plan may include a will, financial power of attorney, healthcare power of attorney, living will or advance directive, trust, beneficiary-designation planning, and other documents.

A will generally directs the disposition of probate property after death and may nominate fiduciaries and guardians. A trust is a separate legal arrangement that can hold and manage assets during life and after death. Whether a trust is useful depends on the client's goals and how assets are titled.

Assets properly transferred to a revocable living trust may generally avoid probate administration through the estate. Creating a trust alone is not enough; proper funding and coordination with other assets and beneficiary designations are important.

Yes. The Skeen Firm can conduct many estate-planning meetings virtually, exchange drafts electronically, explain the documents remotely, and provide execution instructions. Signing requirements depend on the jurisdiction and document.

Probate is a legal process used to administer certain property owned by a person at death. It can involve appointment of a fiduciary, collection of assets, creditor procedures, payment of expenses and taxes, and distribution to beneficiaries or heirs.

Some assets can pass outside probate through trusts, beneficiary designations, joint ownership, transfer-on-death arrangements, and other planning techniques. Whether probate avoidance is desirable depends on the specific estate.

When someone dies without a valid will, state intestacy law generally determines who inherits probate property. The result may differ substantially from what the person would have chosen.

Estate plans should be reviewed periodically and after major life events, such as marriage, divorce, births, deaths, major asset changes, business acquisitions, moves to another state, or significant changes in family relationships.

Often, yes. Business ownership can raise issues involving succession, voting control, valuation, buy-sell agreements, liquidity, key employees, co-owners, and transfer of ownership interests. Business and estate planning should generally be coordinated.