Convenient Legal Services in York County, PA
Estate Planning and Legal Assistance in Pennsylvania Probate Court
Caring for Those You Leave Behind. Leaving a Legacy
Preparing an estate plan with a will or trust, a "living will," and powers of attorney is one way to show your loved ones that you care. During a time of stress and grief, they will know your wishes and be able to turn to your written directives for guidance. It lifts a tremendous burden from their shoulders.When you are ready to communicate your wishes for end-of-life care and the distribution of your property, contact the Stewartstown law office of Manifold & Golla. I can help you prepare the legal documents you need to ensure your family and heirs understand your wishes.
I am estate planning attorney Laura Manifold, and I assist my clients by drafting legal documents to meet a variety of estate planning needs, including:
Distributing Assets
This can be done with a will or trust. The method you choose will depend upon the size and complexity of your estate and whether you need to consider reducing estate taxes and avoiding probate.Communication about Medical Care
A "living will," technically called an advance medical directive, allows you to tell your loved ones what kind of medical care you would like to receive, or not to receive, if you are unable to communicate these wishes yourself.Designating Decision-Making Authority
With a power of attorney, you can designate someone to make decisions on your behalf regarding medical care (a medical power of attorney) or to handle your financial affairs (financial power of attorney). This can allow a trusted person more authority and flexibility than an advance directive.Guardianship
I help families plan for the long-term care of disabled or mentally incompetent adult family members through guardianship and conservatorship. I also help clients consider the possibility of a legal guardianship being needed for orphaned children and include their choices in their estate plan.Medicare Planning
Long-term nursing home care of an elder is expensive and can quickly drain a family's assets, leaving little left for a healthy elder spouse to live on. Proper and early Medicare planning can help ensure an elder qualifies for Medicare as early as possible while protecting spousal and family assets to the extent allowed by law. Contact my office to learn more about how Medicare planning can help your family.Probate Administration
As a York County probate lawyer, I provide legal help in all Pennsylvania probate matters. Many attorneys charge a percentage of the estate: I offer an hourly rate so you pay for the actual time I spend on your individual probate matter, such as:- Administering an estate
- Filing inheritance tax returns
- Filing probate paperwork
My goal in assisting clients with Pennsylvania probate is to simplify the process - to make it easier for my clients to understand their obligations and fulfill them as expeditiously as possible. I handle the details, so you don't have to.
In addition to simple probate, I also handle probate litigation, contested wills, and contested power of attorney cases.
Contact my Stewartstown law office for prompt help with your probate matter.