Wealth Preservation, Trusts and Estates

By creating a trust, you are stating your wishes
as to how you would like your assets and
possessions distributed. Many trusts have
a series of specific gifts. However, you
should be sure that your trust also contains a
residuary clause to best protect the distribution
of your assets. Please click here, for more information
as to why it is important to have a residuary clause
within your trust.

David M. Frees, III
888-606-8498
dfrees@utbf.com

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A residuary clause disposes of any property
or assets that were not previously accounted
for in the will. Please click here, to see why it is
important to include a residuary clause within your
will.

David M. Frees, III
888-606-8498
dfrees@utbf.com

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What Are The Smartest and Safest Places To Store A Will?

There are many different locations that you can store your
last will and testament. Please click here, for suggestions
as to what are the smartest and safest locations for your will.

 For more information regarding estate planning documents
please contact Unruh, Turner, Burke and Frees at 888-573-7407. 

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A good trust and estate planning lawyer will be able to provide you

with solid advice on:

*What types of documents you’ll need to carry out your wishes

*The costs, benefits, pros and cons of each type of plan

* How to avoid will or trust contests and protect your planning, and

*How to structure your assets to make the plan work properly

But to do the best job, they should also be asking you certain
important questions.

Estate Planning Questions

By:  David M Frees III, JD

Preparing for your first sit-down with a new trust and estate lawyer or estate
planner can be more than a little intimidating-even for a sophisticated
executive, business owner or single parent of adult children.

After all, a good planner covers a lot of terrain, from analyzing the assets that
make up your estate to helping you figure out who should be the executor,
whether or not you need living trusts, irrevocable trusts, or trusts under a will.

And, for those and other reasons, our savviest and most sophisticated
clients agree that finding the right fit between you and your estate planning
lawyer  is the key to making the relationship worth your while.

To that end, most of us concentrate on what we should ask a potential adviser
during the initial consultation. We rely on our web research, the reputation of
the lawyer, his or her experience, and the referal of trusted advisors and
friends and family.

But many people don’t realize that a good estate planning lawyer should also
be asking you at least seven very important questions at the first meeting
where you are deciding whether or not to trust and to hire that lawyer.

1.  What is it you hope to accomplish in your estate plan?

A good estate planning lawyer needs to know exactly what you want from
the relationship, and what your personal and specific goals include.

Do you have a child or grandchild with special needs?
Do you want to protect heirs from losing an inheritance in divorce?
Do your heirs have different needs such that you’re thinking about a
division of your assets that’s other than equal?
How important are tax issues?
Are you concerned about the effect of the inherited wealth on your heirs?

Other goals may also have an impact on what is recommended.

Are you trying to provide for your kids’ or grandchildren’s college
and/or  a house?
Are you here because you’re worried about your retirement?
Do you need guidance with respect to life insurance issue or protecting
assets from creditors, lawsuits and marital discord?

I often tell clients that effective estate planning is a lot like a cooking
recipe.

You start with your goals and what you hope to achieve
(imagine trying to bake something without really knowing what you’re
trying to make in the first place).

Then, a good planner will also consider taxes, lifestyle issues —
whatever else you want help with — and how that impacts the planning.

2. Do you expect to remain in your current state of residence
and do you have any real estate or second homes in another
state?

You might be surprised by some of the personal questions that are asked
by a good estate planning lawyer.  But, they are very relevant to your
planning.

And, if you’r preparing to relocate for work or other reasons, or if
your primary residence is in another state, then the effective estate planning
counsel might advise you to get local counsel in your new state, or might choose
to use a will or trust depending on the laws of your state of primary
residence.

If you are ever wondering why an estate planning attorney is asking a
particular question, just stop and inquire.

Even good counsel  sometimes get so used to asking these
questions, that they forget to tell you the very good reasons that they ask.

3. Who should fill the roles of executor, trustees for each type of
trust, guardian for minor children, and who will act as an agent
under both a financial and medical Power of attorney?

In any estate plan, selection of the fiduciaries, the people or institutions
that will fill each role are vital.  And, a estte planning lawyer will carefully
define each job for you and tell you how to select the various people,
banks, or trust companies to fill each role.

In fact, we provide clients with several great reports on Enhanced Estate
Planning and The 10 Most Common Mistakes execuros Make to help clients
to be sure that they have picked the right people for each job.

4. Who should be involved in the process and what’s best
for you?

When I teach lawyers about the estate planning process, I strongly
encourage them  to ask their clients:

When is the best time, how often should we contact you, and what’s
the best way to contact you?

You see, estate planning lawyers have a history of losing contact with
clients after their first appointment.

These lawyers feel that when you’re ready, you’ll be back in touch to
sign your documents or to update them.

But my experience over 27 years has taught me that clients value a
clear process.

With the clients’ permission, we set up an appointment to review
and sign the documents right at the first meeting.

We also clarify if you prefer the documents
in draft by mail, or by email.

finally, if one spouse will be taking the lead and they want
all communications through thatperson, then we will honor that wish.

When it comes to updating, we would like to stay in touch.

We want to remind you as time passes that it’s important to change or
update your documents.

So, we offer our clients a news alert by mail and/or email and a two year
phone call at no charge to them just to review any changes and to determine
if revisions are needed.
5. Have you completed the estate planning questionnaire and
accurately recorded the types, values, owners, and beneficiaries of
each type of asset?

Again, this is a complicated process.  But, if you want your goals to be
carried out, it’s necessary to fill out a questionaire before you go to see an
estate planning attorney.

And the attorney should be reviewing that document with you to verify
that it’s complete and accurate.

Imagine, if you’re will provides for one division of assets but your
life insurance and/or IRAs have different beneficiary designations.

That can be a serious problem and can mean that yoiur estate plan does
not work as intended.

So, a skilled and effective estate planning lawyer will be asking you
to complete this type of document and to review it with them.

Take the time.  It matters.

6. Do You Have Any Special Needs, Drug or aclchohal, or spending
problems with any of the heirs?

This one is often overlooked by clients and lawyers alike.  But, in todays world
drug and alcohol dependency, special needs and disabilities all matter very
much and special trust provisions may be needed.

Without them, devastating consequences can occur.  Be sure that your lawyer
asks these questions.

7. Do you understand and feel comfortable with the fees you will
pay for the  services?

Trust and Estate planning lwyers  can have different fee structures.

Some advisers get paid by the hour.

Others (including our lawyers) may bill on a flat fee basis so that you know up
fron exactly what the planning will cost.

Some may charge an hourly rate for the initial consultation.
In other cases (like ours) the initial consult may be free of charge.

But when it comes to fees, there is one golden rule: transparency and
disclosure.

Make sure that they lawyer asks if the fee is acceptable to you and offers
to put the fee agreement in writing.

BONUS QUESTION:  I always ask my clients if I have “done a
great job.”
I tell them that if someone asks what it is like to work with
David Frees or one of my attorneys and paralegals,
I want them to say it was “excellent!”

I want our clients to be raving fans.  And while we cannot aalways
achieve that result for every client we always try.

If the answer is that we’re not doing a great job, then I wannt to
know what else we have to do.

Make sure to hire an estate planning lawyer that’s skilled, experienced,
and who wants you to know, to like, and to trust them.

Make sure that they’re trying to make you a raving fan.
You should get better service.

David M. Frees III, JD Chairs the Trust, Estates and
Wealth Preservation Section of Unruh, Turner, Burke & Frees
in Chester County Pennsylvania.  He can
be reached at 610-933-8069.

 

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When do I know to assist in my elderly relative’s medical care in Pennsylvania?

Assisting in your elderly relative’s medical care not only is a question of when, but also how. Even if you want to assist with decisions when your loved one falls ill or becomes incapacitated, you first have to be named in his or her health care directive, which typically is found in estate planning documents. An elder lawyer in Malvern can help craft these documents.

If you want to help make decisions about your relative’s medical assistance and have been named in estate planning documents in Pennsylvania, the health care directive will outline what decisions you may make and how.

For instance, your loved one may already have specified:

• preferences for health care;
• location to receive health care;
• what he or she wants you to consider when making health care decisions;
• use of mental health treatments;
• use of feeding tubes, life support, etc.;
• types of medical treatment he or she does and doesn’t want;
• donations for tissue donation; and
• funeral arrangements.

Because there have been so many changes in recent years with medical assistance as it relates to estate planning, Pennsylvania families may opt to consult with an elder lawyer in Malvern or the greater Philadelphia area to get a better idea of options and responsibilities.

In worst-case scenarios, if your loved one’s estate hasn’t been put in order and an agent hasn’t been named, you’ll definitely want to meet with a Malvern-area lawyer with ample experience in elder law. One option is to petition the court for guardianship, and you’ll want someone on your side to make the process as efficient as possible so beneficial decisions can be made for your relative in a timely manner.

We Address Medical Assistance/Estate Planning Needs in Pennsylvania

When your relative falls ill or becomes incapacitated, we know there is no time to waste. The attorneys at Unruh, Turner, Burke and Frees have been serving the Malvern area since 1990. Regardless of your Pennsylvania medical assistance or estate planning needs, our team has the experience and commitment to build a long-lasting, trusted relationship with each and every one of our clients. Also serving Phoenixville and West Chester, our diverse team handles cases involving municipal law, litigation, commercial transactions, bankruptcy, real estate, taxation, zoning and more. Contact David Frees today for a consultation.

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Co-Fiduciaries as the Executors of an Estate, Trust, or Guardianship in Pennsylvania

In some instances, you may have difficulty selecting an executor of your estate or successor trustee for your trust or guardianship, or you may want to have a family member involved but still have the assurance of utilizing a bank or trust company. In these cases, it may be useful to you to appoint co-fiduciaries, but you should only do so after consulting with a Pennsylvania trust attorney.

Whether or not using co-fiduciaries is appropriate or helpful depends on the particulars of your situation, including how well the two co-fiduciaries will work together.

Advantages include:

• the built-in checks and balances of using 2 heads instead of 1;
• the absolute transparency between co-fiduciaries;
• distribution of tasks to mitigate the burden on one single person; and
• logistics, such as availability.

On the other hand, using co-fiduciaries to manage your estate can run aground if the 2 parties become deadlocked and end up in court, which will drag for months if not years. Co-fiduciary fees are often much higher as well, although that may not be a problem if you’re relying on 2 family members who are beneficiaries of the estate, in which case the executor fee is often waived.

How an Estate Attorney Can Help You Decide on Co-Fiduciaries

Using co-fiduciaries can be helpful in the right situations, and damaging in the wrong ones. Before you decide to appoint co-fiduciaries, speak with a dedicated Pennsylvania trust attorney who will evaluate your circumstances and educate you about all of your estate planning options. Call the offices of Unruh, Turner, Burke & Frees for more information – 1-610-933-8069.

References:

http://wills.about.com/od/choosingfiduciaries/a/cofiduciaries.htm

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When Creating Your Will, Get Help to Avoid Contestation in Pennsylvania

When you are creating a will, you might not be thinking about whether or not one of your beneficiaries will try to contest it, but the fact of the matter is that this happens quite often.

Sometimes it’s a matter of a beneficiary who feels slighted by the terms of your will; in other cases, a spouse, ex-spouse, or child may believe your stated wishes are against local and governing probate laws.

In still other instances, the will may be challenged because:

• it wasn’t properly witnessed;
• you were competent when you signed it; or
• there is suspicion that the will was the product of coercion or fraud.

A probate judge is responsible for settling the dispute over a contested will, and if there is a legitimate legal flaw or fault with the will, then it will generally be overturned and the estate will be subject to intestate.

The best way to avoid contestation – either by malicious forces or by technical flaws – is to enlist the services of an estate planning attorney who can clearly draft your will so as to ensure its effective and valid execution.

Drafting a Will with a Pennsylvania Estate Planning Attorney

Our estate planning and probate attorney team is prepared to answer your questions about your estate plan, whether you need it reviewed, modified, or drafted for the very first time.

Call our offices to see what an estate planning attorney from the law offices of Unruh, Turner, Burke & Frees can do for you – 1-610-933-8069.

References:

http://www.aarp.org/money/estate-planning/info-09-2010/ten_things_you_should_know_about_writing_a_will.3.html

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Is It Time To Get A Will or To Update Your Existing Will, Trust or Estate Planning Documents?

By: David M. Frees III JD

Has it been a few years since you last updated your will trust, or power-of- attorney?

Are you unsure that your IRA and 401k beneficiary designations still work with your will and trust?

Has an executor, guardian or trustee changed?

Need to make a change in the document?

Have you radically increased or decreased your life insurance coverage, retired or recently inherited money?

Tired of guessing how much it should cost and where to go?

Getting a will, Trust or Estate Plan

We have recently developed a quick quiz to let you know if you’re ok, if it’s time to update or upgrade, or if your situation is urgent.

After you take the quiz, this article will also tell you:

What you need to do,

How much it will cost, and

How and where  to get it done.

The advice ranging from using Legal Zoom, to hiring a local general practice firm, to getting the right level of legal experienc for your particular situation is spefically responsive to your ciustom score and your particular needs.

Whether you have

Children or grandchildren,
A family or other business,
Commercial real estate,
A home or vacation home

This valuable quiz and estate planning assessment tool will help you to answer your most pressing estate planning questions.

Interested?  Just click here or click below:

Dave!  I’m interested in getting a will or updating a will or estate planning documents and I’d like more information about my estate planning situation.

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Want Your Estate Plan To Really Work ?
Most Plans Don’t.

If You Have A Clear Desire To Leave
A Legacy and To Protect Your Heirs
You Need Your Estate Plan or Will To Be Clear,
Loud, and Effective.

If You Want Yours To Actually Work, Then Here
Are The Must Know Strategies and Steps To Ensuring
That Your Plan is Clear and Really Works…

Estate and Trust Attorney - David M. Frees III

Really?
Most Wills and Estate
Plans Don’t Work?

True.

Most people, even many
wealthy people, don’t even
have a will.  And, of those
who do a will, most will fail
to carry out their wishes.

Why?

Because they fail to take the few additional steps
and the couple of extra steps that really make the
difference.

These steps to success aren’t a secret.

But they are unknown to many people and in many
cases, to their lawyers.

So if wills and estate plans don’t work, why bother?

It’s not that wills don’t work. They can and do.

It’s just that most people (even many affluent people)
don’t take the time, or spend the tiny bit more money
to make them work properly.

They just need a few strategies and a
few extra hours of time to make the plan  work
many times better, to save more money, and to
create much more effective protection.

And, to make matters worse, many people, and/or
their advisers often ignore the important step of
getting clear about what they want, who gets what,
when they get it, how they can use it, and how these
assets can be protected.

Finally, even if they take these steps, they often fail
to coordinate how they hold their wealth and assets with
what the lawyers and advisers have done in the estate
planning documents.

This article presents a brief review of some of the essential
strategies, and the specific steps designed to protect your
heirs from losing their inheritance to taxes, divorce,
frivolous litigation, fees and estate expenses.

Take just a few more minutes to read this article and
I can guarantee that you’ll be a much better consumer
of estate planning services, and that you’re estate plan,
will or trust will be many times more effective.

Let’s get started.

Do you have a business, stock ownership, a second home
or other assets that you want to leave to others or to a charity
as a legacy of your time and effort throughout your life?

Do you have a son in law or daughter in law that
has values that differ from your own?

Have you ever worried that a son or daughter might
get divorced and lose an inheritance to an ex spouse?

Do you care how and when your heirs and beneficiaries
get the assets?

How they are protected from lawsuits,
taxes, divorce and creditors?

Even if you think that you don’t care because your gone
when your kids inherit these assets, do you have any desire
to protect assets and wealth for grandchildren, charity or others?

So, if your definition of a successful estate plan is one that
protects your heirs from losing their inheritance, from taxation,
from will contests, legal expenses, and from other risks, then
you’ll want an estate plan that really works.

So what are they key strategies and steps to a successful will,
trust or estate plan?

Strategy #1  Get Clarity First -
About Your Assets and Your Wishes

This will save you time, money and, when coupled with
the right estate planning documents and your voice, will
send clarity to all involved.  It’s the opposite of mumbling.

This sounds simple and obvious. But, I have had 8,000 clients
over 25 years and I personally still see hundreds per year.
And more often than not, they come to me before they figure out.

As you can imagine, that’s not good for them and it’s hard for
us to create a plan that does exactly what they want when they
haven’t even figured it out.

And, if your married, this involves clarity and a uniformed vision
of two minds not just one. And, anyone married beyond the
honeymoon knows that agreement on all of the issues of estate
planning doesn’t always come easy.

So what’s the solution?

What are the specific steps you need to take?

First get a net worth statement together. Know what you have,
how you own those assets, and what they are worth.  With the
right kind of guide, this isn’t as hard as it sounds. And, it’s essential
information that any effective estate planning lawyer will need
to do the job for you.

And if you want a great estate planning tool, download my
Estate Planning Questionnaire or order my Definitive Guide to
Enhanced Estate Planning (for this guide, call 1-888-349-5016)

Second, married or single, start with your personal set of estate
planning goals.  Be clear about what you want.

How do you get clarity?  Ask yourself these questions.

What legacy do you want to leave?

Who gets what?

When do they get it?

Are there restrictions on the uses of such an inheritance?

Are you worried about divorce or lawsuits?

Do any heirs have special needs?

Do you have charitable intentions?

Are just children included or are there
direct gifts to grandchildren or others?

Do you have a charitable intent?

Who are the executors, trustees, guardians,
trust protectors, and other fiduciaries?

Are they the right people or institutions?

What do they have to do?

Now, if you’re married, you have to work with your
spouse to meld these two – often very different
sets of goals, aspirations, and if there are children
from multiple marriages, or a blended family, then
the issues are even more complicated as
both spouses will want to protect one another and their
children by this and/or prior marriages.

That brings us to the next and final step.

Strategy #2 Get the right attorney.

So how do you do that?

Start again by asking the right questions.

Most people want an attorney who is local and
convenient.  But, if all other factors aren’t met you
can often find an attorney who is right for you within
a thirty to forty five minute drive.

This extra investment of time should pay real dividends.

How?

Most lawyers don’t have extensive experience in estate
planning.  A general practice lawyer might be right for a
young couple just starting out.

But when you have a family
business, when you’re a n executive, a business owner,
or when you have extensive assets, vacation homes, or
hard to value assets, then more experience may be called for.

One of the best ways to find the right lawyer is to get a referral
from your own lawyer, accountant, or other friends or family
members with situation similar to your own.

In fact, most of our clients are referred to us by their lawyers,
affluent or wealthy friends, family members, or other advisers.

Of course, it’s great when someone who you trust
(or even more than one) gives you the same name and a glowing
legal recommendation.  That’s a great place to start.

Consider calling that lawyer for an appointment, but be sure
to ask if there is a consultation fee for the first appointment.
Many good lawyers offer low or no fee initial consultations.
But many good estate planning lawyers also charge.  It’s just good to
know in advance.

But, if you don’t get a clear referral, or, if you want to know
more about the lawyers in your area, then you can also use lawyer
rating services like www.Avvo.com or Main Line’s Top Trust and Estate
Lawyer Designation or SuperLawyer designation.
You can click those links to see a sample of my profiles at those sites
or to search for other lawyers with those ratings.

Finally, it might also be helpful, or reassuring to Google some
of the estate planning questions, and issues that are important to
you.

Does a law firm or lawyer in your area or community consistently
come up in the search results?

Do they offer great and informative information?

Do they represent other clients like you?

Do they have experience with special needs trusts (if you have a
child or grandchild with a disability or special need)?,

Are they experienced in the tools and techniques of wealth transfer,
such as gifting, GRATS (if you own rapidly appreciating assets),
Qualified Personal Residence Trusts
(if you have a vacation home or valuable primary residence),
ILITs (if you have or plan to buy life insurance)?

And, if this sounds too complex, don’t worry.

You may not need or want any of these particular tools.

But, what you do want is a lawyer
who knows all of the options.

Once you learn them, then it’s up to you to choose what
your estate plan looks like and how it works.

You want a lawyer that can discuss these options.

These are a few of the ways to make sure that you have clarity,
and get the right lawyer to help you and a spouse (if you’re married)
to devise a clear estate plan and the documents to carry it out.

Finally, you need to go the extra mile to make sure that your
plan is clear, that it works, and that it is designed to save your heirs
time and money, and if desired, that it also protects them
from lawsuits and divorce.

This means hiring a lawyer or law firm that will help you
to coordinate your assets and to structure your affairs to match
and to compliment the documents, tax clauses, wills and trusts
that make up your estate plan.

You’re also going to want a lawyer that can coach you on:

how to avoid will contests,

how to create estate planning memos

how to hold family meetings when explaining the plan,
the trusts, and the strategies is desirable.

There’s more to great estate planning than this, but if you follow these steps,
you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful, powerful, and
effective legacy and avoiding the will contests, taxes and litigation
that often results when families fail to plan.

Strategy #3 Take Action, Get It Done and Feel Better

Don't gamble with the future of your heirs - Get The Estate Plan Done

So stop saying “I’ll get to it tomorrow or
next year. ”

Get your planning done right and you’ll
make your spouse and heirs very happy.

You’ll check it off of the long to do list
and you’ll feel better – much better.

For more of our free reports, a free copy of our
Enhanced Estate Planning Questionnaire, or information about
Family Meetings call 1-888-349-5016.

David Frees Chairs The Trust, Estate and
Wealth Preservation Section of the firm.

He can be reached by email at dfrees@utbf.com
or by calling 1-888-349-5016.

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Estate Planning Seems Hard, Costly, and
Time Consuming?

Can Estate Planning Be Any Easier?

Many recent polls have concluded that
fewer than half of all adult Americans (44%)
even have a will much less an estate plan that
coordinates wills and assets to achieve what
they really want.

And, many Americans responding to a recent
AOL online poll said that they were more
concerned about maintaining their weight
than in doing a will.

Yet, almost 75% of those
polled said that
they should have a will.

In other words, we all know
we should but most of us don’t

-or if we do, they are out of date.

So what’s the problem?

Why don’t people
get to signing and updating their wills
and estate plans especially when the failure
to do it right can be so costly?

And, if the process is too hard, is there
an easier way to get it done the right way?

Here are the answers to a few of the most
important questions that families need
to ask about the ease and effectiveness of
estate planning and about how and why to
get it done.

Why don’t American families get to estate
planning even though they know it needs to
be done and they want to protect their heirs?

Again, according to the polling data Americans
say that they are too stressed about their day
to day activities to get that will done, AND
the process seems too complicated.

According to the survey, most families
whether affluent or moderately well to to agree,
“It Has To Be Easy.”

Why not use the internet?
Isn’t it safe and easy?

Most Americans still don’t trust the internet
for something this personal and complex.
And, internet based programs are often
not much less expensive than a lawyer when you
add up all of the smaller charges.

Finally, such programs do a bad job of helping
people with sophisticated needs to coordinate
their  documents, assets, and trusts in a cohesive
and easy to understand system.

Well, as lawyers who spend their lives helping
people to complete their wills and estate plans
including wills, trusts (when needed),
powers of attorney, medical powers, living wills
HIPPA authorizations, and all of the essential stuff
that makes life easy for our surviving heirs, reduces taxes,
protects them from law suites and divorce and many
other risks, we listen.

It’s now easier than ever to get a simple estate plan
or a complex trust based estate plan in force from
a lawyer who meets with you personally, customizes
your plan and helps you to structure and to coordinate
your assets to make the plan actually work.

The truth is, we haven’t really had to make too many
changes to achieve these goals for our clients.

For years, our clients have been raving about
our proprietary process.  And, while it may take a few weeks
to get an appointment (because we are client friendly and
good at what we do), the whole process for most people -
from start to finish- only takes two appointments and a
a few minutes to fill out some paper work and to
answer some well thought out questions.

Do many affluent clients and families take longer?
Sometimes.  But usually, they get the basic planning
in place within a few weeks and with a few appointments.

In fact, even clients who use advanced techniques
such as Irrevocable Trusts, GRATs, and Qualified
personal residence trusts to move assets out of their
estates for tax purposes often get these done in a short
amount of time.

And, the savings and protection can be substantial.

Do some families require more meetings or a
family meeting?

Sometimes families with closely held businesses or family
vacation homes will need or request an extra meeting and/or
one of our famous family meetings.  When family
meetings are used they usually help to improve the result
and help the next generation to understand and to more
easily do what needs to be done when the time comes.

Family meetings can involve as much or as little
financial detail as you want to share but they are
great at eliminating family disputes and the delays,
costs, and problems that arise when no one knows
what to do.

How does your process ensure that we get an
estate plan or will customized to our family’s needs
and goals at a fair price?

Well, a “fair price” is in the eyes of the beholder.
But, we don’t want or expect you to take a chance that
what we think is fair seems too high to you.

So we offer prospective clients the ability to meet with us,
to hear all the options, and to get a flat fee in advance for all
of the specific planning that they have selected. There is
no fee for that consultation.  We take all the risk.

How can we do that?  The truth is that almost everyone
who has one of those appointments hires us.

We know, from listening to clients that this
removal of risk makes for a trusting and effective
relationship right from the start.

And, if you want to know more before you start
working with us, you are also free to review our
extensive library of informative
reports, videos and articles on our two sites:

http://www.utbf.com/trust-estate

and

http://www.PaEstatePlanners.com

Watch, listen, and read what we write and produce
on a variety of topics and judge for yourself and
read what clients and other lawyers say about us
on rating services such as AVVO.com.

Want to read what other lawyers say about Dave?
AVVO Peer Comments* See notes below.

You can also see that David Frees has been a
“Top Lawyer” in the Main Line Today’s rating
of Trust and Estate lawyers, and that he has been
a SuperLawyer for many years.

How much homework is required?

We have created, based on over 25 years
of client appointments and experience, a
document – sent to you before your appointment -
that will walk you through the most important things
that you need to think about.  After your appointment,
we’ll review what  needs to be done and what you want
to do or what you want the lawyer to do for you.

If you’re so experienced, then isn’t this
very expensive too?

In the Trust, Estate, and Wealth Preservation
Section of the firm, this is what we do every day.

We invest hundreds of thousands of dollars
in software, training, and hiring of talented
people that make up the team that helps you.

Paralegals, an effective system and a focused
practice allows us to offer services that are
often very reasonable or appropriately expensive
depending on how advanced and sophisticated your
estate planning needs may be.

But, you’re never surprised by a bill
because you get to select your specific planning
tools and you always know, before you commit
to any costs, exactly what the fees will be.

I hope that this helps you to move out
of the majority of Americans who have no
will or an old and defective estate plan and
into the elite group of families and individuals
that have estate planning that will accomplish your
specific goals.

For a copy of our copyrighted Enhanced
Estate Planning Questionnaire or
any of our consumer reports or Affluent
Family Series of Reports, call 610-933-8069
or email dfrees@utbf.com.

For more reports and information call
David Frees at 610-933-8069.

*Please note, that at least one person mentions
the word “expert” when referring to David as a
trust and estate lawyer.  However, while this
is not true in all states, Pennsylvania lawyers
may not refer to themselves as experts in any field.
David limits his practice to trusts and estates but
wants to inform you that their is no such thing
as a trust and estates “expert,” in Pennsylvania.

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