Wills, Trusts and Estates

Harrisburg Estate Planning Attorneys

At the law firm of Scaringi Law, our attorneys ask questions. If we are going to assist you with estate planning, we want to know as much about you as we can. After all, we cannot ensure that your final wishes are respected if we do not know what they are.

If thoroughness and attention to detail are things you want in a lawyer, call Scaringi Law today for a consultation.

Establishing Trusts & Estates

No two estates, and no two families, are exactly alike. We work with our clients to provide a plan that works specifically for their unique circumstances. We also assist our clients to minimize their estate tax and other death taxes in every legal way possible. Some of the estate planning documents we draft include:

• Wills
• Living wills
• Power of attorney, including heath care and financial powers of attorney
• Standby guardianship agreements
• Trusts, including revocable, irrevocable and stand-alone trusts
• Conservatorships

We help our clients achieve their goals.

Estate Planning

Estate Planning is the creation, coordination and use of legal, financial and insurance instruments to carry out the wishes of the client regarding the disposition of the client's assets, and regarding the client's health care and financial decision-making.

Will

A Will is an instrument through which a person distributes his or her assets upon death. Wills can also be used to create Trusts for any purpose and guardianships for minors and other dependent persons. A Will names an Executor, who is the person who will administer a person's Estate upon death. A Will names beneficiaries and determines what property goes to which beneficiaries.

Power of Attorney

Two types of POA commonly used in Estate Planning are:

(1) Durable General Power of Attorney and (2) Durable Health Care Power of Attorney. Each document is used to designate an agent to act on your behalf. The General POA is for matters such as handling your finances, buying and/or selling real estate, purchasing health or life insurance, managing investment accounts, etc. A Heath Care POA is used for matters such as admitting a person into a hospital or health facility, hiring and firing health care professionals and making decisions regarding medical care and treatment.

Trusts

A Trust is an estate planning tool a person creates to hold and control assets for the benefit of another person(s) or entity. Trusts can be created for many reasons. Certain types of Trusts can be used to reduce taxes. Other types of Trusts can be used to protect assets from the beneficiary's spendthrift lifestyle or from creditors of the beneficiary. The creator of the Trust determines the purpose and the restrictions of the Trust.

Trustee

Scaringi Law provides Trustee services to its clients. The Trustee administers the Trust for the benefit of the beneficiaries. The Trustee manages the assets, makes investment decisions and distributes assets to the beneficiaries according to the Will and wishes of the creator of the Trust.

Probate/Estate Administration

We provide full representation from start to finish for individuals named as Executors through a decedent's Will, or for the decedent's next of kin if the decedent did not have a Will. We assist in gathering, valuing and distributing Estate assets. We advise on how to administer the Estate in order to reduce taxes. We prepare and file the tax returns associated with the death of the decedent.

Estate Litigation

We represent Executors, beneficiaries or other interested third parties in litigation involving Estates. Estate litigation can include challenges to the validity of a Will, removal of an Executor, fraud, theft or incorrect or inappropriate distribution of assets.