Amy Neifeld Shkedy

March 05, 2015 | The Legal Intelligencer

The statutory provisions governing powers of attorney in Pennsylvania, which can be found under Chapter 56 of the Probate, Estates and Fiduciaries Code (20 Pa. C.S. Sections 5601-5612), have recently changed. This came about by the passage of HB 1429, which was signed by then-Gov. Tom Corbett on July 2, 2014, as Act 95 of 2014. While some of the provisions became effective immediately upon the passage of Act 95, many of the changes did not take effect until Jan. 1. Now that all of the changes implemented by Act 95 have taken effect, we thought it would be helpful to highlight some of the key provisions:

By Amy Neifeld Shkedy and Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen

9 minute read

December 05, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

We thought it would be worthwhile to remind our readers about opportunities for year-end charitable giving that allow tax deductions to be generated this year, but postpone the decision-making about actual charitable recipients for later years.

By Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen and Amy Neifeld Shkedy

7 minute read

November 07, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

It's that time of the year again—time to think about year-end tax planning.

By Amy Neifeld Shkedy 
And Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen

6 minute read

October 03, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

In our last column, we covered the topic of estate planning with qualified retirement benefits. Now we will address the end result—how to proceed upon the death of the account owner to ensure that the account balances are transferred to the beneficiaries as tax-efficiently as possible. The same overall minimum distribution rules will apply whether the account is in a qualified retirement plan, a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA.

By Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen and Amy Neifeld Shkedy

8 minute read

September 05, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

For most of our clients these days, qualified retirement benefits form a significant part of their asset base. Accordingly, careful attention must be paid to properly incorporating those benefits into their estate plans.

By Amy Neifeld Shkedy and Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen

7 minute read

August 01, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

In the recent Florida Supreme Court case of Aldrich v. Basile, a woman ended up paying more than she bargained for by using an "E-Z Legal Form" will to dispose of her entire estate.

By Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen and Amy Neifeld Shkedy

7 minute read

July 18, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

On May 20, in Whitewood v. Wolf, No. 1:13--1861 (M.D. Pa. May 20, 2014), U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III of the Middle District of Pennsylvania struck down Pennsylvania's ban on same-sex marriage, ruling that it violates both the due process and equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The next day, Gov. Tom Corbett announced that he would not appeal the ruling, making Pennsylvania the 19th state to legalize same-sex marriage. This ruling effectively provides same-sex married Pennsylvanians with the same state law marital rights, benefits and obligations as any other married couple in Pennsylvania. In this article, we will summarize some of the rights, benefits and obligations in the income tax and estate planning arena that married same-sex couples who are Pennsylvania residents will now need to mindful of as they arrange their financial affairs.

By Amy Neifeld Shkedy and Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen

6 minute read

June 06, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

As we marked the two-year anniversary of our fledgling two-attorney law firm May 15, we thought it would be helpful to reflect and share our gleanings on the key components for launching and sustaining a law firm, based on our experience to date:

By Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen and Amy Neifeld Shkedy

10 minute read

May 02, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

When is it the right time to update an estate plan? Technically, as long as it is addressed before you die and while you retain capacity to do so, the timing would be right. However, of course, most of us know that one of the greatest mysteries of our lives is the date (and cause) of death for each of us.

By Amy Neifeld Shkedy and Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen

7 minute read

April 04, 2014 | The Legal Intelligencer

"Will substitutes," as the name suggests, allow individuals to accomplish, in part, what they could otherwise address through a will—the identification of the recipient of a decedent's property at death.

By Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen and Amy Neifeld Shkedy

8 minute read