Law Blog

Guardianship is the process for an adult family member, friend, or professional, who is not a child’s or incapacitated person’s parent to be appointed by the court, to take care of that individual’s property.

What happens to debt after death? Who is responsible? Find out all you need to know from the probate lawyers at Cherewka Law.

December is the most popular month for engagements.  Young people getting engaged in Pennsylvania face many legal hurdles.  Here are ten tips to help you navigate those legal hurdles.

Pursuing a business venture naturally involves risk. Eliminating all risk is not an option—there are many factors beyond your control, and it is impossible to prevent every circumstance that might deviate from your plans. Nevertheless, you can decrease the degree of risk to which your business is exposed by identifying risks and taking proactive steps to mitigate them. The following five types of risk are the most common risks businesses face.

The executor’s first duty is to gather and secure the estate’s assets.  Finding all of the assets may not be easy. 

We often hear that “Probate” is something we want to avoid.  But what is “probate”?

When an individual dies, there are four taxing systems that come into play:  the Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax; the Federal Estate Tax; the Decedent’s final income tax returns (Pennsylvania and Federal and local earned income tax); and the income tax returns for the Estate (Pennsylvania and Federal).

If you’re gun owner, you’ve likely heard the term “gun trust,” but you may not understand what a gun trust is, how it works or how it can be of use in an estate plan. A gun trust is the generic that can describe many types of revocable or irrevocable management trusts that are created to take title to firearms. Revocable trusts are more common and often preferred, as they can be amended and changed during the lifetime of the grantor.

Often a child or family member of an individual who has recently passed away will consider tackling the estate administration process without hiring an estate attorney. Whether it is the cost of retaining counsel, or the “do-it-yourself” personality, some individuals believe that hiring a lawyer is an unnecessary expense which can easily be avoided. The truth is that there is no legal requirement to hire a lawyer, and there are many individuals who have successfully navigated the probate process without counsel. All too often, however, an executor will find themselves stuck, or worse yet, trying to correct a mistake that could leave them personally financially liable.

Only the very wealthy and those in high-risk professions need asset protection planning, right? That’s a myth. In reality, we all need asset protection. Why? Because we all can be sued and lose everything we have. A car accident, business failure, foreclosure, medical crisis, or injured tenant can result in a monetary judgment that will decimate your client’s finances.

Sales Tax on Beer – This summer, the cost of your beers are going to increase. Starting on July 1, 2019, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue will be collecting 6 percent sales tax for every dollar of beer that is sold directly to consumers via brewery taprooms, tasting rooms, and brewpubs. In essence, a $6 beer today will cost a consumer at minimum of $6.36 after July 1st.

Check out these ten New Pennsylvania Laws Now In Effect That Could Affect Your Life.

Check out the Top Ten Strangest Will Bequests of all Time.

New laws in Pennsylvania are now active and each one is worth reading about because they could have a major impact on you or your business.

While Pennsylvania is not as prone to tornados, wildfires, and some of the other natural disasters seen in other parts of the country, planning for the unexpected is still a necessity.

On November 21, 2018, the PA Supreme Court issued a decision regarding breaches of employer’s security that results in disclosure of employee information.  Under this newly reformed legal principal, employers can be held financially responsible for not keeping employee information (especially digital information) secure. 

Purchasing property with only one name on the property deed is not always a bad idea. Here are a few reasons why it can be a good move.

Mistakes made with an inherited IRA can quickly become very expensive. During life and after death, IRAs are distributed differently than other assets.

There are many ways to structure your child’s inheritance to help ensure it will remain in the family for future generations.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provides some welcome certainty for many tax-exempt organizations relative to tax-exempt bond financing.

Keeping good corporate records helps you maintain the “corporate veil protection” you need against lawsuits and creditors.

Pour-over wills are useful if assets are wide and varied, and by transferring those properties into a trust, ensures distribution per the trust provisions.

There’s a myriad of trusts available, so creating an estate plan can seem daunting. Here’s a look at ten common trusts to provide a general understanding.

The number of “family treasures” a person can collect over several decades can be overwhelming.

The newly enacted section 199A of the internal revenue code create great tax saving for small business owners and closely held companies.

We are seeing more and more municipalities and/or police departments setting up new programs usually called a Special Needs Registry.

Here’s an issue many families overlook when children leave for college: That child, in the eyes of the law, is now an adult.

Actor and producer, James Gandolfini was famously known as the likeable mafia man Tony Soprano on the long running cable television series, The Sopranos.

Before diving into which neighborhood, or how many bedrooms you are looking for, determine what price range you can afford by speaking with a mortgage professional.

Guardianship is the process for an adult family member, friend, or professional, who is not a child’s or incapacitated person’s parent to be appointed by the court, to take care of that individual’s property.

What happens to debt after death? Who is responsible? Find out all you need to know from the probate lawyers at Cherewka Law.

December is the most popular month for engagements.  Young people getting engaged in Pennsylvania face many legal hurdles.  Here are ten tips to help you navigate those legal hurdles.

Pursuing a business venture naturally involves risk. Eliminating all risk is not an option—there are many factors beyond your control, and it is impossible to prevent every circumstance that might deviate from your plans. Nevertheless, you can decrease the degree of risk to which your business is exposed by identifying risks and taking proactive steps to mitigate them. The following five types of risk are the most common risks businesses face.

The executor’s first duty is to gather and secure the estate’s assets.  Finding all of the assets may not be easy. 

We often hear that “Probate” is something we want to avoid.  But what is “probate”?

When an individual dies, there are four taxing systems that come into play:  the Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax; the Federal Estate Tax; the Decedent’s final income tax returns (Pennsylvania and Federal and local earned income tax); and the income tax returns for the Estate (Pennsylvania and Federal).

If you’re gun owner, you’ve likely heard the term “gun trust,” but you may not understand what a gun trust is, how it works or how it can be of use in an estate plan. A gun trust is the generic that can describe many types of revocable or irrevocable management trusts that are created to take title to firearms. Revocable trusts are more common and often preferred, as they can be amended and changed during the lifetime of the grantor.

Often a child or family member of an individual who has recently passed away will consider tackling the estate administration process without hiring an estate attorney. Whether it is the cost of retaining counsel, or the “do-it-yourself” personality, some individuals believe that hiring a lawyer is an unnecessary expense which can easily be avoided. The truth is that there is no legal requirement to hire a lawyer, and there are many individuals who have successfully navigated the probate process without counsel. All too often, however, an executor will find themselves stuck, or worse yet, trying to correct a mistake that could leave them personally financially liable.

Only the very wealthy and those in high-risk professions need asset protection planning, right? That’s a myth. In reality, we all need asset protection. Why? Because we all can be sued and lose everything we have. A car accident, business failure, foreclosure, medical crisis, or injured tenant can result in a monetary judgment that will decimate your client’s finances.

Sales Tax on Beer – This summer, the cost of your beers are going to increase. Starting on July 1, 2019, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue will be collecting 6 percent sales tax for every dollar of beer that is sold directly to consumers via brewery taprooms, tasting rooms, and brewpubs. In essence, a $6 beer today will cost a consumer at minimum of $6.36 after July 1st.

Check out these ten New Pennsylvania Laws Now In Effect That Could Affect Your Life.

Check out the Top Ten Strangest Will Bequests of all Time.

New laws in Pennsylvania are now active and each one is worth reading about because they could have a major impact on you or your business.

While Pennsylvania is not as prone to tornados, wildfires, and some of the other natural disasters seen in other parts of the country, planning for the unexpected is still a necessity.

On November 21, 2018, the PA Supreme Court issued a decision regarding breaches of employer’s security that results in disclosure of employee information.  Under this newly reformed legal principal, employers can be held financially responsible for not keeping employee information (especially digital information) secure. 

Purchasing property with only one name on the property deed is not always a bad idea. Here are a few reasons why it can be a good move.

Mistakes made with an inherited IRA can quickly become very expensive. During life and after death, IRAs are distributed differently than other assets.

There are many ways to structure your child’s inheritance to help ensure it will remain in the family for future generations.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provides some welcome certainty for many tax-exempt organizations relative to tax-exempt bond financing.

Keeping good corporate records helps you maintain the “corporate veil protection” you need against lawsuits and creditors.

Pour-over wills are useful if assets are wide and varied, and by transferring those properties into a trust, ensures distribution per the trust provisions.

There’s a myriad of trusts available, so creating an estate plan can seem daunting. Here’s a look at ten common trusts to provide a general understanding.

The number of “family treasures” a person can collect over several decades can be overwhelming.

The newly enacted section 199A of the internal revenue code create great tax saving for small business owners and closely held companies.

We are seeing more and more municipalities and/or police departments setting up new programs usually called a Special Needs Registry.

Here’s an issue many families overlook when children leave for college: That child, in the eyes of the law, is now an adult.

Actor and producer, James Gandolfini was famously known as the likeable mafia man Tony Soprano on the long running cable television series, The Sopranos.

Before diving into which neighborhood, or how many bedrooms you are looking for, determine what price range you can afford by speaking with a mortgage professional.