Harrisburg Estate Planning

Find the right Wills & Trusts attorney in Harrisburg, PA

Most people in Harrisburg have preferences about what should be done with their property after they die. This is why the process of estate planning exists - it permits people to make a broad range of decisions related to this issue.

You will often need to seek the help of a professional with legal and/or financial expertise when in the process of estate planning. Simple mistakes in an estate plan can cause serious problems, including legal and personal conflicts between your survivors.

In addition to post-death decisions, estate planning also concerns matters that might affect you during your life, such as granting power of attorney to a family member or trusted friend in case you become unable to make your own decisions regarding your finances or medical care. Moreover, effective estate planning can minimize the impact that estate taxes and court fees will have on your final disposition to your loved ones.

If you want to maximize the odds that your wishes will be followed after your death, you should do everything you can to make them legally binding. While this is not always possible, a Harrisburg attorney will be able to make sure that, where it is possible, it is done.

Common Features of Harrisburg Estates

Will: This is a legal document which transfers ownership of the testator's (the person making the will) property to named beneficiaries after the testator's death. The beneficiaries can be just about anyone the testator chooses, but smaller estates, usually only include family members, and maybe very close friends. If you want, you can place conditions on gifts (say, leaving a certain amount of money to your son, but only if he graduates college before he turns 25 - this is just an example). However, a will can't actually compel anyone to do anything, and some conditional gifts won't be enforced, normally because they involve an illegal act, or require a person to marry or refrain from marrying a particular person.

Living Will: Unlike ordinary wills, a living will contains instructions concerning a person's medical care. Some recent high-profile controversies have illustrated the importance of making a living will, even for younger people. In a living will, you can give your family members and doctors instructions about your desired medical care, in case you become incapacitated (comatose or brain-dead, for example) and can't tell them yourself. Some people say that they would not want to be kept alive by artificial means if they are in a vegetative state, and there's no chance of recovery. If this is you, that's definitely something to include in a living will. Of course, if you would prefer the opposite, being kept alive as long as is medically possible, you can put that in your living will, as well.

Power of Attorney: Power of attorney is the authority to make binding decisions for another person, when that person becomes unable to make or express their own decisions. You can grant power of attorney to anyone you want, but, for obvious reasons, you should only grant it to somebody you trust, and discuss your exact wishes with them, in case they actually have to make a decision for you.

Funeral Arrangements: If you have any strong preferences regarding the disposition of your physical remains, you should make them known to your family early, and should not include funeral instructions in your will. Wills are frequently read weeks after the testator dies, so in most cases, it will be too late by then.

Do I Need a Harrisburg Estates Lawyer?

A poorly drafted or executed Harrisburg estate plan can have major negative consequences. For example, it might be confusing to the people who are most directly affected by it. This confusion can frequently lead to costly litigation. For that reason, the assistance of an efficient estate planning attorney can be invaluable.

Talk to a Wills, Trusts & Estates Law Attorney now!

Life in Harrisburg

Harrisburg is located in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. It has a population of over 49,000 people. The primary industries that drive the city's economy are steel and agriculture. Interestingly, in 2010 Forbes Magazine ranked Harrisburg as the second best place in the United States to raise a family! Another interesting fact is that the popular chocolate company Hershey's has its headquarters located about ten miles outside of Harrisburg.

Being ranked as the second best place to raise a family illustrates that Harrisburg is a great city with a community-like spirit. The city is filled with hard-working families. Amongst these families are many attorneys, who practice in various areas of law. These attorneys focus on providing their clients with personalized legal services. Further, these attorneys focus on being affordable. The median income for a household in Harrisburg ranges between ,000-,000. Therefore, affordable legal service is a great thing!

Overall, Harrisburg is a wonderful place to settle down and raise a family. The atmosphere emphasizes a strong community that has a competent legal force.

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