A divorce is one of the most stressful life events a person can experience, but for people going through a divorce in Pennsylvania, there are several strategies for staying mentally and emotionally healthy that can help. This is important not just for your overall well-being but also so that you ...

Writing a will provides a way for someone to leave assets to heirs. The assets may range from personal belongings to stocks and bonds or real estate property. Upon reading a will, Pennsylvania probate courts make determinations based on what the will says. Of course, the law also allows others to...

Divorced parents in Pennsylvania that can successfully co-parent are doing their children a huge favor. While the situation may not be easy, your children will benefit from maintaining their relationships with both parents. To make the arrangement work, divorcing parents should develop a parentin...

You and your former spouse might have settled on a custody agreement, but the challenges don't end there. You'll have to figure out a visitation schedule that works for both parents. However, when you're talking about creating one, don't cause yourself unnecessary stress by insisting that it must...

Recently, Hollywood star Chadwick Boseman passed away from cancer. It was shocking to everyone in Pennsylvania and elsewhere that he died so young. Like many Americans, Boseman had no will. Without documents outlining his wishes about his estate, his widow has had to go to probate court. When peo...

Many individuals in Pennsylvania understand the importance of estate planning. Simply put, estate planning is the process of deciding how your assets will be distributed if you're unable to manage them yourself and who will receive your assets upon your death. Estate planning isn't just for the w...

Divorces are very common in Pennsylvania and around the country. Nationally, about 50% of marriages end in divorce. While most people understand the broad contours of that process, there are some nuances that can complicate it. For example, anyone who owns a business or works at a family business...

It may be possible to sign more than one copy of your will without running afoul of Pennsylvania law. However, it may not necessarily be in your best interest to do so. Let's take a look at a few of the issues that may arise if you sign multiple copies of your last will and testament. The terms o...

While many couples view prenuptial agreements as “pessimistic,” signing one could be a wise decision that protects an individual's assets in the case of a divorce. Without a prenup, their assets might be seized and divided up against their wishes. Here's how signing a prenuptial agreement can pro...

Everyone in Pennsylvania should understand why estate planning is important. It's not a task that should be reserved for the rich; all adults should have a basic estate plan in place even if they don't own many assets. That's especially true for people who have dependents. For example, writing a ...

It is generally a good idea to have a money talk with your future spouse before your Pennsylvania wedding takes place. This is especially true if you or your spouse have been married before or have children from previous relationships. Provide as much detail as possible Ideally, you will create a...

When Pennsylvania residents prepare their wills, they normally designate trusted individuals to serve as the executors of their estates. Executors have several important fiduciary duties and must act in the best interests of the' heirs. Unfortunately, some executors do not uphold their duties. Wh...

A former painkiller addict who launched a drug rehabilitation treatment center in Pennsylvania has been arrested and sentenced to three years in prison. He must also pay $9 million to compensate for the money that was stolen through fraud. After pleading guilty to fraud and money laundering in Au...

While most people living in Pennsylvania think of estate planning as something that should be done in their 60s, many young adults in their 20s and 30s can benefit from having a solid estate plan. In the unlikely event that something catastrophic happens, an estate plan ensures that their assets ...

When Pennsylvania entrepreneurs start new businesses, choosing an appropriate legal entity structure is important. One type of legal entity structure that is popular among business owners is a limited liability company. An LLC limits the liability of the owners so that their personal assets are s...

Divorce can be stressful in many ways, including financially. People in Pennsylvania who are going through a divorce can do things that will help them reduce some of the financial strain. They may want to hire a financial professional to help them through the process. People who have not been ver...

One estate planning task that some people in Pennsylvania may struggle with is choosing the right executor or trustee. There are a number of factors that should be taken into account, including the age and health of the individual. Ideally, an executor or trustee should be someone who is likely t...

Going through a divorce is among the most stressful experiences a person can endure. It can be extraordinarily taxing emotionally, mentally and financially. According to some evaluative studies, the stress of divorce is second behind the death of a loved one. In Pennsylvania, many divorcing peopl...

The death of a family member in Pennsylvania or anywhere else involves grief for the survivors. However, as the executor of the decedent's estate, you are responsible for many administrative details. Larger estates with complex assets can impose significant paperwork burdens on an executor. You w...

Divorce can bring significant financial and emotional upheaval no matter what the couple's age. However, for an older couple, a “gray” divorce” in Pennsylvania often brings unique financial challenges. In a gray divorce, couples often have more complex assets and less time to recover before retir...

A Pennsylvania divorce will involve a division of the marital estate to give each spouse their share that has either been agreed upon or ordered by the court. However, when one spouse under-reports property by decreasing the valuation or even moving it out of the marital estate, the other spouse ...

Pennsylvania is an equitable distribution state, meaning that marital property acquired during marriage gets divided “fairly” by a judge if the parties cannot come to an agreement. Of course, some assets are easier to divide than others. A marital home can be among the most challenging items of p...

Estranged Pennsylvania parents usually pursue a 50/50 equal division of physical child custody. After a divorce, this may take the form of the every-other-week schedule. Children live with one parent for a week and then switch to the other parental household the next week. However, younger childr...

When people in Pennsylvania develop an estate plan, they may think first of a will to distribute their assets after they pass away. However, there are other important documents that can work as part of a comprehensive plan that can also protect people's interests in case they are incapacitated. A...

While it's not a pleasant thought, Pennsylvanians should take the time to plan for the possibility that they might become incapacitated and need someone else to make decisions for them. Many people are seriously injured in accidents, and others are disabled by illnesses. Having durable powers of ...