Wills, Trusts and Estates
Harrisburg Estate Planning Attorneys
At the law firm of Scaringi Law, our attorneys ask questions. If we are going to assist you with estate planning, we want to know as much about you as we can. After all, we cannot ensure that your final wishes are respected if we do not know what they are.
If thoroughness and attention to detail are things you want in a lawyer, call Scaringi Law today for a consultation.
Establishing Trusts & Estates
No two estates, and no two families, are exactly alike. We work with our clients to provide a plan that works specifically for their unique circumstances. We also assist our clients to minimize their estate tax and other death taxes in every legal way possible. Some of the estate planning documents we draft include:
- Wills
- Living wills
- Power of attorney, including heath care and financial powers of attorney
- Standby guardianship agreements
- Trusts, including revocable, irrevocable and stand-alone trusts
- Conservatorships
We help our clients achieve their goals.
Estate Planning
Estate Planning is the creation, coordination and use of legal, financial and insurance instruments to carry out the wishes of the client regarding the disposition of the client's assets, and regarding the client's health care and financial decision-making.
Will
A Will is an instrument through which a person distributes his or her assets upon death. Wills can also be used to create Trusts for any purpose and guardianships for minors and other dependent persons. A Will names an Executor, who is the person who will administer a person's Estate upon death. A Will names beneficiaries and determines what property goes to which beneficiaries.
Power of Attorney
Two types of POA commonly used in Estate Planning are:
(1) Durable General Power of Attorney and (2) Durable Health Care Power of Attorney. Each document is used to designate an agent to act on your behalf. The General POA is for matters such as handling your finances, buying and/or selling real estate, purchasing health or life insurance, managing investment accounts, etc. A Heath Care POA is used for matters such as admitting a person into a hospital or health facility, hiring and firing health care professionals and making decisions regarding medical care and treatment.
Trusts
A Trust is an estate planning tool a person creates to hold and control assets for the benefit of another person(s) or entity. Trusts can be created for many reasons. Certain types of Trusts can be used to reduce taxes. Other types of Trusts can be used to protect assets from the beneficiary's spendthrift lifestyle or from creditors of the beneficiary. The creator of the Trust determines the purpose and the restrictions of the Trust.
Trustee
Scaringi Law provides Trustee services to its clients. The Trustee administers the Trust for the benefit of the beneficiaries. The Trustee manages the assets, makes investment decisions and distributes assets to the beneficiaries according to the Will and wishes of the creator of the Trust.
Probate/Estate Administration
We provide full representation from start to finish for individuals named as Executors through a decedent's Will, or for the decedent's next of kin if the decedent did not have a Will. We assist in gathering, valuing and distributing Estate assets. We advise on how to administer the Estate in order to reduce taxes. We prepare and file the tax returns associated with the death of the decedent.
Estate Litigation
We represent Executors, beneficiaries or other interested third parties in litigation involving Estates. Estate litigation can include challenges to the validity of a Will, removal of an Executor, fraud, theft or incorrect or inappropriate distribution of assets.
How to Have an Estate Plan Created for You by Scaringi Law:
Every Pennsylvanian should have an estate plan. Estate plans range from the basic Will, Living Will and Power of Attorney to more complex estate plans for when the client's total value of assets is high enough to implicate the Federal Wealth Transfer Taxes. Each client should have an estate plan tailored to achieve his or her goals. In order to tailor an estate plan to achieve your goals, our estate planning attorneys need you to provide them with some basic personal, family and financial information before the initial consultation.
Step 1
Call Scaringi Law to request an Estate Planning Information Sheet.
Step 2
Complete the Estate Planning Information Sheet and return it to Scaringi Law
Step 3
Telephone our office and schedule an initial consultation.
The Initial Consultation:
Prior to the initial consultation, the estate planning attorney will read your completed Estate Planning Sheet and begin to think about an outline or basic structure to your estate plan. By providing the attorney with the completed Estate Planning Information Sheet, you are giving her a fuller picture of your personal, family and financial background and thus allowing her to begin providing you with estate planning advice during the initial consultation. At the conclusion of the initial consultation, the attorney will advise you on the specific estate planning tools/documents necessary to achieve your goals and the respective attorneys fees involved.
Elder Law
Generally, Elder Law is considered to be estate planning for the elderly. It can include preparing Wills, Living Wills, and Powers of Attorney, advising on insurance and annuity products, transferring assets, advising on nursing home and Medicaid applications, preserving the assets of a person entering a nursing home, maintaining health insurance and prescription drug coverage, and generally providing legal advice to the elderly.
For Elder Law initial consultations only, there is a $200 fee.