• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul, LLC.

King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul, LLC.

Attorneys & Counselors

  • 610-332-0390
  • Pay My Bill (Retainer Only)
  • Pay My Bill (All Other Invoices)
  • About
    • About Us
    • Commitment to the Community
    • KingSpry Firm History
    • Career Opportunities At KingSpry
    • Directions
  • Practices
    • Adoption / ART Law
    • Affordable Housing Law
    • Business Law
    • Education Law
    • Employment Law
    • Estate Planning / Administration
    • Family Law
    • Litigation
    • Municipal Law
    • Public Finance
    • Real Estate Law
    • Special Education Law
  • Team
  • Greyfriars
  • News
    • News
    • Articles
  • Podcast
  • Review
  • Contact

Estate Planning Considerations During This Era of Social Distance

Posted on March 25th, 2020
by

This unprecedented time of uncertainty has impacted all facets of our lives. We have had to adjust how we live our lives and work each day, and proper estate planning has become even more essential.

Here are a few things to consider during this era of social distancing.

First, if you have estate planning documents already—a Will and/or trust, Powers of Attorney for Assets and/or Healthcare, and Advanced Healthcare Directive (Living Will)—now is a good time to review your documents to make sure they are in line with your current wishes. Just knowing where you are keeping your documents is a good primary step, as well as informing your named executor and agents where they can be found.

For a Will or trust: have you named all of your desired beneficiaries? Have there been additional children and/or grandchildren born since you executed your documents, and are they properly addressed in your plan? How about your named executor or trustee, are they still the best people for those roles?

Likewise for your Powers of Attorney, are the agents you named in your documents still the most appropriate individuals? If it has been a long time since you executed a Power of Attorney, you may have chosen agents who are now much older, and a more appropriate choice may be available. For your Healthcare Power of Attorney and Advanced Directive, you may consider contacting your primary physician and asking whether you could provide a copy now for their records.

In terms of executing new documents, social distancing has presented many challenges. In Pennsylvania, Powers of Attorney require the presence of two witnesses and a notary. Unfortunately, this presence cannot be remote. Moreover, the witnesses cannot be the agents named in the document.

While the legislature is considering many changes for virtual notarization, executing new Powers of Attorney at this time is difficult without risking health and/or compliance with government orders to stay at home and apart.

Contrary to Powers of Attorney, a will in Pennsylvania can be valid without witnesses or a notary. In this way, executing Wills brings much greater flexibility.

We have already faced many challenges in just a few weeks, and there are undoubtedly many more ahead. If you have questions about how to address your estate planning needs at this time, please feel free to reach out to one of our attorneys to discuss your individual circumstances. 

Planning Now! is meant to be informational and does not constitute legal advice.

Primary Sidebar

Contact Us

Contacting any of the attorneys at KingSpry by e-mail or other means does not create an attorney-client relationship. Therefore, you should not send confidential information through this form or by e-mail. Unless and until you speak with one of our attorneys and an attorney-client relationship is formally established by that attorney's agreement to represent you, you should not send us confidential information. If you are not currently a client of King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul, LLC, your e-mail is not considered confidential.

From Our Articles

Polishing Your District Policies: A Review of Professional Boundaries and Other Related Policies

September 18, 2023

As the new school year begins, School Districts should review their policies to ensure they fit contemporary

king spry icon

Guidance for Districts When Addressing Federal Form I-9 and Applicants With Work Visas

September 18, 2023

Subsequent to October 31, 2023, the previous version of Form I-9 will be obsolete and no longer valid for

Footer

king spry icon

Quick Link

About KingSpry Commitment to the Community Firm History Careers Directions

Practice Areas

Adoption/ART Affordable Housing Business Education Employment Estates/Trusts Family
Litigation Municipal Public Finance Real Estate Special Education

Contact

phone

610-332-0390

email

contact@kingspry.com

location

1 West Broad Street. Suite 700 Bethlehem, PA 18018

Facebook Youtube LinkedIn

Pay My Bill (Retainer Only) Pay My Bill (All Other Invoices)

Copyright © 2023. King Spry. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy