Estate Planning and Administration

Estate Planning

Retirement programs, securities, and other investments have become major tools for individuals to accumulate wealth and save for retirement. In order to protect their wealth and ensure that inheritances are passed down appropriately, it is important for individuals to devise effective estate plans.

The estate planning attorneys at Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote are skilled at devising strategies for clients that help preserve and transfer wealth.

It’s All About Proper Planning

What is an estate plan? In essence, it is the blueprint of your assets and your family’s financial future. But it’s not just about money: it determines who will care for your children, who will inherit your assets, and in what amounts.

Our attorneys offer clients comprehensive services necessary for proper estate planning, including:

• Standard and Complex Wills
• Powers of Attorney
• Living Wills and Advanced Directives
• Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts

Dickie McCamey attorneys work with clients to ensure that their estate plans remain viable and reflect their current situation. A life-changing event, such as a divorce or the birth of a child or grandchild, may require changes to be made in a plan. Further, we recommend that clients review their estate planning goals every three to five years.

At Dickie McCamey we use a variety of tools to develop estate plans tailored to our clients’ individual situations, including trusts. Trusts are a common way in which individuals dispose of their wealth. Our attorneys are experienced in creating trusts — from standard to complex — for our clients.

Estate Administrative Services

Our attorneys are diligent in protecting the client’s estate or trust upon death. We make sure that the wishes of the client are executed and that all assets are identified, collected, and appropriately distributed. The estate administration attorneys ensure that the Will is fairly and quickly probated, and inform creditors and handle any disputes. In addition, we arrange for state and federal inherited taxes to be paid.

Orphans’ Court Litigation

Orphans’ Court, known in other states as Probate, is one of four divisions in the Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. Legal disputes involving estates and trusts are handled in Orphans’ Court and operate under a distinct set of rules which are different than the rules that apply to other civil lawsuits. Our attorneys have the knowledge and experience unique to Orphans’ Court to successfully resolve disputes arising between beneficiaries and fiduciaries.

Client-Focused Attorneys

Dickie McCamey attorneys work closely with each client to ensure that assets are preserved during their lifetime and properly distributed upon their death. We have strategic alliances with a network of financial planners, accountants, and banks whose services are available to our attorneys and our clients.

To learn more about the capabilities of the Estate Planning and Administration Group, contact Richard J. Federowicz at 412-392-5469 or rfederowicz@dmclaw.com; or Rebecca J. Maziarz at 412-392-5642 or rmaziarz@dmclaw.com.