Practice Areas

Blog

News

Library

Wills and Trusts

David M. Frees is Chairman of the Trust, Estates, and Wealth Preservation section of Unruh, Turner Burke and Frees with offices serving all of South Eastern Pennsylvania including Chester County, Montgomery County, Berks and Bucks counties, Philadelphia and Lancaster counties. David Frees is rated highly by Martidale.com and has attained the highest rating by AVVO of 10 (Superb) on a scale of 1-10. David meets with many clients each week and in order to give them his full attention, he is not always available to reply immediately to cell phone or email requests.  Immediate assistance can always be reached at 610-933-8069. David M. Frees III dfrees@utbf.com 610-9338069 David Frees is a prolific author on legal topics and in addition to the articles and blogs featured on this site, please feel free to view his postings at http://www.utbf.com/trust-estate

Blog for Wills and Trusts

• Contesting A Will or Estate Plan Under Pennsylvania Law
• Estate Planning For Second Marriages and Blended Families
• Understanding Critical Trust Language
• Why Do Wealthy Never Own Life Insurance Outright?
• Does Your Will Have The Right Stuff When It Comes To Your "Stuff"
• Make Sure Your Will is Up To Date-Who Wants Family Drama?
• Find Out What Trust Lawyers Know About Trusts That You Don't
• What To Do About Tricky Trusts
• How To Choose A Trustee: Trustee vs. Corporate Trustee
• Spring Break To Do's- Get a Power Of Attorney For Your College Student
• Estate Planning Under the New Estate Law - Have Less Than One Million Dollars? What Now?
• Estate Planning for the end of The Year -2010 and Beyond Part 1 of 10
• Equine and Pet Trusts and Wills - Should Your Pets Be In Your Estate Plan?
• What is a $100,000 Charitable Trust Worth 91 Years Later?
• When Do Your Children Need A Will Or Estate Planning? The Answer Might Surprise You
• The Trust Protector: Why Have One and more...
• Why Update Your Will? In This Case Your Head Might Be Frozen
• Why Old Trusts Might Cost Yor Estate Money and Why You Still Need A Will
• Do On Line Wills Really Work? LAwyers vs. The Wall Street Journal Consumer Columnist on Self Help Wills
• Edward Kennedy's Will and The Estate Planning Lessons You Should Heed

Library for Wills and Trusts:

• Estate Planning Client Newsletter - Fall 2011 [PDF]   
  Our newsletters contain topical information and news related to federal estate tax, inheritance taxes, wills, trusts, asset protection and estate planning
• Getting A Will is an important start to any good estate plan. Without it the state's intestate laws determine where your assets go. This article and video explain the best practices for Pennsylvania residents who want to get a will and related estate planning documents   
  Getting a will and estate plan are essential for Pennsylvania residents who have children, own a home or business or who have insurance savings and investments
• Do You Have a Memo With Your Will or Trust?   
  Avoid family drama and make it easier on your family or loved ones after you are gone by leaving them with a Memo that gives them guidance on what to do.
• Lawyer Trust Language Decoded For Non-Lawyers   
  Do you want to understand what you trust or estate lawyer is saying? Do you hear people talking about trusts but do not really know much about them. Read this
• A Guide to Trusts: How to Find the Right Trust for You   
  How do you navigate through the hundreds of trusts out there? Read this handy trust guide that explains some of the most common trusts and their uses.
• Choosing A Trustee: Individual Trustee vs. Bank or Corporate Trustee   
  The trustee of a trust is a very important job. They manage assets and make many decisions regarding the trust. Who is the right trustee for you? Here are some advantages and disadvantages of individual trustees verse corporate trustees (such as a bank or trust company) so you can pick the best trustee for your trust.
• Protecting a Child or Adult with Special Needs   
  Are you wondering what will happen to a disabled child or loved one after you are gone? This report on Pennsylvania special needs trusts and supplemental needs trusts explains what these trusts are and how you can create one. Find out today if one of these trusts is right for you and your family.
• Super Lawyer David Frees of Unruh, Turner, Burke and Frees has offices in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania   
  Are you looking for an attorney in the Phoenixville area? David M. Frees III is
  a respected attorney with law offices in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
• If you are looking for a will, trust, probate, or estate lawyer in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, David Frees focuses on his clients will, estate, probate and asset protection needs and in solving the problems that most concern you.   
  Super Lawyer David Frees of Unruh, Turner, Burke and Frees has offices in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania providing trust, estate, and elder law services. David Frees' Phoenixville offce also provides simple estate plans, wills trusts, and estate help for executors
• How To Find A Trust, Estate, or Will Lawyer in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania   
  Help finding an experienced and local trust, will, or estate planning lawyer in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
• Senator Edward Kennedy's Will - Probated [PDF]   
  This is Senator Edward Kennedy's will as offered for probate. It contains som interesting lessons and information.
• Worried that you have kids - older or just born but haven't done your will or updated it? Want a reminder of what you need to do right now? Feel better. Just download this easy reminder list on what and how you name a guardian, update your will, pick an executor [PDF]   
  This check list lets you know and reminds you of what to do to do a will or to update your will, trust, or estate plan. This is especially important when you have children. Copy it, print it, and follow the list to protect your kids.
• Get Grandma The Right Advisor To Avoid Trust Mill and Sales Scams   
  Many elderly people are falling victims to trust mills and trust "salesmen" posing as "certified trust advisers" and selling form trusts and expensive products to the elderly either at seminars or in their homes. Some states, including PA have moved to sue these fraudulent players to protect the elderly.
• Basic Estate Planning   
  What are the basic planning tools and what problems do they solve? What do many Pennsylvania residents fail to do that can cause problems? How do the best will attorneys in Chester, Montgomery, Delaware and Philadelphia counties protect their clients' and clients' estates?
• Who Has The Right to Inherit In Pennsylvania   
  Under Pennsylvania law your will might not always work. This article explores laws that might override a Pennsylvania will and how you can still keep control of your estate plan and carry out your wishes.
• Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts   
  Both Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts are important tools in your Pennsylvania Estate Planning. This article explores what is a Revocable and Irrevocable Trust.
• Courts Deciding Cases Involving Gay Marriages and Probate Issues   
  Many courts are beginning to confront the issues created by some states and countries recognizing gay marriage while others do not. Issues such as wills, and medical and business powers of attorney are beginning to be decided by local and appellate courts. The mixed results show the need for gay couples in Pennsylvania with and without children to do effective will and trust planning. There are best practices for gay and lesbian couple from Pennsylvania to consider in their will, trust, and estate planning.
• Enhanced Estate Planning To Pass On Finacial Wealth and Wisdom [PDF]   
  In this Interview David M Frees III describes how to take your estate planning to the next level and to protect your families values, knowledge and wisdom for generations to come.
• Why You Need to Review Your Estate Plan Now [PDF]   
  In this newletter:
  - How your present wills and trusts may be structured now
  - Why you might modify them for Increased Flexibility
  - Why mandatory funding of trusts might still make sense for some clients
  - Why you need to review beneficiary designations and ownership of joint assets

View All

Frequent Questions for Wills and Trusts:

• Which is Better The Will or Revocable Living Trust?  The probate vs. non probate debate continues.
• If we have a child named as a beneficiary of an account or POD (Pay On Death) and that child goes into bankruptcy, can our assets be taken away?
• Will I save estate taxes by creating a revocable trust?
• Do I give up control to my trustee if I create a revocable or living trust?
• Can my spouse and I do one revocable trust for both of us?
• What is a pour-over will?
• Is a safety deposit box frozen at death under Pennsylvania law?

Videos about Wills and Trusts:

• Pennsylvania Estate Planning Attorney On Updating Your Will
• Is Everything You Know About Estate Planning Wrong?
• Why Should I Plan My Will, Trust or Estate Now?
• Pennsylvania Estate Planning Attorney on Wills and Trusts
• Pennsylvania Attorney Talks About Cost Effective Estate Planning
• Pennsylvania Estate Planning Lawyer On Trusts & Estate Plans
• Pennsylvania Estate Planning Attorney On PA Sports Teams
• Pennsylvania Estate Planning Lawyer– Impact of Your Business on Your Estate Plan
• PA Estate Planning Lawyer: How Much Does a Lawyer Charge to Draft a Will?
• Living Wills Explained by Pennsylvania Estate Lawyer
• PA Estate Planning Lawyer: If You Bought a Home or Had a Baby, Its Time to Draft a Will
• PA Attorney Explains Role of a Trust and Estate Lawyer
• Pennsylvania Estate Planning Attorney Explains What is the Difference Between a Will and a Trust?
• Pennsylvania Lawyer Explains Why You Need To Have a Will
• Pennsylvania Estate Planning Attorney On Where to Find the Will
• PA Estate Planning Attorney On The Importance of a Recent Will or Trust
• Pennsylvania Estate Planning Attorney On Storing Wills and Other Documents On Your Computer
• PA Estate Lawyer Explains When to Take Action on a Will or Trust
• Pennsylvania Estate Planning Attorney Explains How Wills and Trusts Are For Everyone
• Pennsylvania Estate Planning Attorney On When To Create a Will or Trust

Web Resources for Wills and Trusts:

• Dave Frees on Beneficary Controlled Trusts - Protecting Your Heirs From Divorce

  Description: In this brief video, David M. Frees III describes how the best trust for your heirs might be an asset protection trust. Worried that an heir might lose his or her inheritance to a divorce or lawsuit? This video has the answers for protecting your heirs.

• Estate and Trust Blog

  Description: More articles and information on the best will lawyer, best trust lawyer, and best estate lawyers in Chester and Montgomery County Pennsylvania and other topics including elder law, nursing home care, asset protection, and trust planning.

• Free Will Reviews Ans Estate Tax Reviews If You Live In Pennsylvania

  Description: If you have been putting off that important will, trust, living will, power of attorney, or medical power review, then your procrastination has just paid off.
  
  You have officially won the battle with the estate planning guilt you might have been feeling.
  
  Click here now for more information on David Frees' free will or trust review offer.
  
  David Frees, Chairman of the Trust, Estate, and Asset Protection Sections of Unruh, Turner, Burke and Frees has decided to offer his clients and the first twenty five non clients to respond, a free will, trust, or estate tax and planning review.
  
  Why?
  
  "Well, most of our clients need to review their wills, trusts, powers of attorney and health care documents.  We are lucky since we are so busy, but we have also hired some new staff, a new attorney, and have invested in some new software to help us to deal with the problems casued by termination of the federal estate tax and its expected return in 2011."
  
  And, we do free will reviews for many clients, many trust departments, banks and others.  So, why not invest in more of our own clients and new clients who really need the review but aren't sure if they need new documents or not and who don't want a lawyer's bill just to find out the answer.
  
  It may be that your old documents are fine.  If so, we'll tell you.  It may also be that they need to be updated. 
  
  So, if you'd like to know more about this complimentary offer for a will or trust review by me or one of my trust and estate lawyers, just click here for more information about a free will or trust review.
  
  Call right now to be one of the first 25 Pennsylvania residents to get a free consultatioon in April or May.  Book now by calling Donna, Denise or Beth.  To qualify for one of these free will reviews, please mention David Frees' free will review offer when you call.  Call 610-933-8069 and mention the free will review offer from David Frees.

• Information on Planned Giving Tools and Techniques

  Description: This is a very information rich source of planned giving news, advice and techniques.

• Legalese and Estate Planning Definitions

  Description: Great definitions of legal terminology on wills, trusts, and estates.

• The GRAT Grantor Retained Annuity Trust

  Description: In this blog and video David M. Frees III of Unruh, Turner, Burke and Frees explains the uses of the GRAT and how it can work to move assets to the next generation. Pennsylvania residents looking for the best estate planning techniques should consider the GRAT to move assets at their current low values and given the historic low interest rates.

• Why You May Need A Will If You Have A Living Trust

  Description: Wonder why you might need a will even if you have a trust?
  
  Want to know why it might cost you more money to have an old trust?
  
  This article gives you the answers to thsoe and other trust and will questions

View All

For more info from David M. Frees, III

Begin your case review by filling out the form below:

Free Consumer Reports
on Estate Planning:

Enhanced Estate Plannning: What You Need to Know About Hiring An Attorney & Creating A Plan That Works

The Insurance Mistake You Must Avoid

The Ten Most Common Mistakes Executors Make...and How to Avoid Them

Why Searching For "The Best" Will or Estate Lawyer Might Not Work and

Offices

The Language of Parenting:

Building Great Family Relationships
at All Ages

Videos

FAQs