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Lesser Known Estate Planning Considerations
As we speed through the 3rd quarter of 2024 and look toward 2025, the approach of a new year is a good reminder to take stock of our plans for the future. A well-considered estate plan ensures that...
You are named as the Executor in the Will
You are named as the Executor in the Will of a deceased loved one. What should you do? In the simplest terms, a will is a list of instructions. Being named as the executor in someone’s will means...
NEW YEAR, NEW ESTATE and GIFT TAXES
Each year changes occur in the Federal Estate Tax Exemption and Gift Tax Exemption amounts. Effective January 1, 2024, the federal estate tax exemption will increase to $13.61 million. (In 2023, it...
You want control over your life, so why not over your death?
I am continually amazed when I learn of a celebrity who died without a Will. For example, most recently, actress Anne Heche is reported not to have a Will. Her 20-year old son is petitioning the...
A Tip for Wire Fraud Prevention
Title companies, brokers and lending institutions are being cautioned that scammers are increasingly targeting them by sending forged emails to their clients instructing that funds be wired to...
Commissions for Executors
Q & A from the Attorneys at Maselli Warren, P.C.: Q: I was named as the Executor of my late mother’s will. Can Executors of a Pennsylvania Decedent’s Estate take a commission? John L. A: John,...
Estate Litigation on the Rise?
In one day, I received three calls for estate litigation and it made me wonder; is estate litigation on the rise, and if so, why? As the population ages, more people are passing away. These people...
Assets which are subject to Probate vs. Assets that are non-Probate
When someone prepares a Will, a common misconception is that everything the testator owns gets passed through the Will to beneficiaries. However, not all assets will pass through the Will. Only...
When Legal Fees are Tax Deductible
The government looks to tax every time something of value changes hands, so it should be of no surprise that lawyers need to be aware of the tax implications to their clients in the matters in which...
What is Commercial Litigation?
I am a commercial litigator and occasionally I’m asked, what does commercial litigation mean? In its simplest form: disputes over contracts. Here’s a case we handled recently at Maselli Warren, P.C....