Last Will and Testament
Wills
Ask most people what a will does and they’ll say “it says who gets my stuff.” That’s true, but incomplete — and the incompleteness matters. A will is also the only legal document in Pennsylvania that lets you name a guardian for a minor child, name the person who will settle your affairs, and put your wishes in writing rather than leaving them to a judge applying a one-size-fits-all statute.
Without a Will
ESTATE PLANNING
Who receives your property, in what shares, and under what conditions — outright at your death, held in trust until a certain age, or subject to any other terms you choose.
The person responsible for managing assets, debts, and taxes, then distributing what remains. It’s a legal responsibility—not an honor—and deserves consideration.
If you have minor children, who raises them if both parents are gone. Courts give substantial weight to a parent's written nomination, though it is not absolute.
WILL VS TRUST
A will alone means your estate goes through probate — the court process that validates the will, supervises the executor, and creates a public record of what you owned and who inherited it. Probate in Pennsylvania is generally less burdensome than in many other states, but it is still a public, court-supervised process with filing fees and, often, months of administration before assets are fully distributed.
A trust-based plan can avoid probate for the assets it holds, but it requires actually transferring those assets into the trust — a step called funding — and it costs more upfront to establish. For many people with modest, straightforward estates, a well-drafted will remains the right tool. For people who own real estate in more than one state, want privacy, or want to avoid a probate delay for a surviving spouse, a trust is often worth the additional cost.
A WORD ON DIY WILLS
A WORD ON DIY WILLS
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