You probably have a lot of questions about creating an estate plan, administering an estate or going through the probate process. These topics are very complex and require an attorney who can explain them in plain English. At Ruggiero Law Offices, LLC, we do just that. Since 1990, we've assisted people throughout Southeast Pennsylvania with all aspects of estate and probate law. Here, we answer some of the questions we hear most frequently.
What Is Estate Planning?
Estate planning is the process of creating documents that address your end-of-life care and pass your assets to your beneficiaries.
Why Is Estate Planning Important?
Life is unexpected. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow. A severe illness or injury could also leave you incapacitated unexpectedly. With a last will and testament and other estate planning documents, you have the legal tools in place to protect your wealth and make sure your loved ones handle your affairs as you would have wished.
What Is the Role of an Executor?
An executor—sometimes also called a personal representative—is the person in charge of administering an estate after someone dies. This involves a variety of tasks from filing the will in probate court to contacting beneficiaries. Often, executors work with probate lawyers to help them with their duties.
What Are Survivorship Life Insurance Policies?
Instead of taking out two separate policies, spouses or partners can take out one survivorship life insurance policy. It pays out the benefits only when both people named in the policy have died. They're usually less expensive than joint life policies.
How Should You Choose an Estate Planning Attorney?
The two most important factors are knowledge and experience in estate law. For instance, our managing partner attorney, James J. Ruggiero, Jr., is a board-certified estate planning law specialist and an accredited estate planner. This is a testament to his considerable knowledge of the field. Additionally, our roster has more than 70 collective years of experience practicing law.
These are probably not your only questions, so please call us today, and we'll be happy to help you further.