At Klenk Law, we get calls raising questions every day. I thought it might be useful to address some of these in a blog. Included here are some of the Estate Planning FAQs. There are common estate planning questions that many of our clients ask. The following are the ones we hear frequently. Contact our Allentown, PA office for more detailed information and how an estate lawyer can help with your estate plans.
A last will is an estate planning tool that individuals can use to designate who they want to receive the assets and property they leave behind when they die. Assets that should be included in a will do not already have a beneficiary named. Other assets, such as life insurance policies, retirement accounts, assets contained in a living trust, and property or assets co-owned with others, are excluded from wills.
Living trusts are estate planning tools that many individuals take advantage of. The person who sets up the trust maintains control of the trust and assets placed in the trust and can change or revoke the trust at any time. A living trust is set up so that ownership of the contents of the trust will transfer to the beneficiary named. Transferring assets through a living trust instead of a will has several benefits, including avoiding the probate process.
As mentioned above, there are many benefits to transferring assets via a living trust instead of a will. However, a last will is still an important document to have as part of your estate plan. There may still be issues that need to be addressed in a will. For example, if you have minor children, you can use your will to designate a guardian.
Although there is no law that prohibits an individual from drafting their own will, there are multiple reasons why you should retain the services of a qualified estate lawyer for assistance. Each will must abide by the laws of the state you live in and failure to do so can invalidate the will. If the will is invalidated, then the estate will be distributed by the laws of the state and not the wishes of the of the person who died.
There is no limit to how many beneficiaries you name in your will. Even if you only have one beneficiary, it is recommended that secondary beneficiaries be named. For example, what if your Will states that your estate is to be divided equally among your adult children? What happens if one of them dies before you? You may want to specify where the child’s share passes. Many people would like the share to pass to the deceased child’s children. Otherwise, their share would automatically be divided between your remaining adult children.
For more specific information for your particular situation, contact an estate lawyer Allentown, PA, clients recommend from Klenk Law today.
Peter Klenk is the founding member of Klenk Law, a seven attorney boutique estate planning law firm. We serve clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota and Florida. Peter Klenk received his Masters in Taxation LL.M. from NYU Law School and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. He served his country in the Navy JAGC during Desert Storm. Easy to talk to, feel free to call Peter for an appointment. We will make the process as easy as possible!
"I worked for Peter Klenk for 4 wonderful years. I can’t speak highly enough of everyone at the firm. Everyone truly cares about their clients and has a strong sense of responsibility to get things done right. I would highly recommend Klenk Law!"
Flora Novick
Peter recently gave a presentation about Wills & Trusts at my employer, and it was fantastic! He was extremely knowledgeable and provided valuable information to the group. People were very engaged and asked several questions, all of which Peter thoroughly answered. Personally, my husband and I have selected Peter to help us with our estate planning, and he has been very helpful in providing us with all of the information we need to provide a secure future for our family. Thank you, Peter!
Peter has done our family's trust and estate work since our children were born. He is not only extremely knowledgeable and honest but makes sure that our arrangements remain current with the changing legal landscape. I would give him my highest recommendation as a professional in his field.
Great friendly staff
Peter explained a complex subject very clearly, helped us to decide the best approach to managing our estate and then made it very easy for us to execute the required documents. He will be a valuable resource for years to come and clearly has a great understanding of estate law that will lead to innovative solutions for us. I would unhesitatingly recommend him for estate planning.
We recently used Peter's firm to update our wills and trusts. We found he and his staff to be well-informed, professional and highly efficient. And equally valuable, Peter explains the law in terms that a layperson can readily understand.
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