If you live in or around the Philadelphia area, (particularly in communities such as Chester County, Montgomery County, Malvern, Phoenixville, West Chester, Bryn Mawr, Devon, Exton, Chester Springs, Bala Cynwyd, Gladwyn and surrounding communities) and are looking for a convenient office and a lawyer who limits his or her practice to wills, estates, trusts, probate and asset protection and related issues, then this list and this process should be helpful. 

You might also be asking why David M. Frees and his firm, Unruh Turner Burke and Frees, is publishing a list of the competition? 

Well, David Frees believes that you should have the best lawyer or law firm given your  specific needs and that not all law firms have the capabilities that you might need in a given situation and in a given set of circumstances.  So please feel free to review the information and tools below to help you to select the best attorney for you.

Part One: Selecting The Best Will, Probate, Estate Planning or Asset Protection Lawyer For You:

In Pennsylvania, there are no certifications or sub-specialties.  That means, that once a lawyer has passed the bar, he or she is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania.  Some states allow lawyers to specialize in estate planning, wills, and trusts, or probate.  But, Pennsylvania is not one of them.

So, how is a consumer supposed to know who has the experience?

Consider the following factors:

1) Does the lawyer practice predominantly in the areas of trust and estate planning and trust and estate administration?  That is, does the lawyer or firm represent people planning their estates and do they represent the executors of estates?  Note:  Often, lawyers that simply draft wills but do not represent the actual executors of estates are inexperienced in an important area of the law.  I often learn important drafting ideas from problems that executors face and I frequently ask "how could that be avoided?"  This helps to make drafting better and more efficient.

2)  Does the lawyer or law firm represent many people that have a similar situation to your own?  A lawyer that has drafted wills and not irrevocable trusts may not be a good match if you need a revocable or irrevocable trust.  So how do you find out?  You may need to ask.  Ask for a review of the firms cv (or the types of work they do and the kinds of clients that they represent. Ask for a consultation if there is no or a low charge so that you can asses the lawyer and get the answers to these important questions.

3) How does the lawyer or the law firm charge?  There are several common ways that fees are charged.


Part Two:  Who Are The Law Firms That Practice In Chester County, Montgomery County and in the Philadelphia Region?

Chester County Will Lawyers, Trust Lawyers, Estate Lawyers, and Asset Protection Lawyers:

David M. Frees III, Esquire   Locations:  Phoenixville, West Chester, Malvern Offices
Unruh, Turner, Burke and Frees
610-933-8069
[email protected]


David Frees has been practicing law in the areas of trusts, estate planning, asset protection, probate, and related areas of law for over 22 years.  
Areas and clients Served:  Phoenixville, Malvern, Spring City, Berwyn, Paoli, Frazer, West Chester, Willistown, Exton, Downingtown, Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Philadelphia, Chester Springs, Lancaster, Bryn Mawr, Media, Edgemont and many others

The firm offers services across a wide range of practice areas.  There are lawyers who limit their practices to personal injury and litigation, to business formation and counseling, to sophisticated real estate and to many others.  If you have a question about representation for any legal issue, David M Frees will be happy to help you find a lawyer within the firm or outside of the firm that is a match to your needs. Other attorneys in the firm:  Ross Unruh, Donald C Turner, William J. Burke III, John Fiorillo, Andrew Rau, Stephen LaGoy, Theodore Claypoole, ...

Chester County Lawyers Practicing In The Areas of Trusts and Estates

David M. Frees III, Esquire David M. Frees III, Esquire
Unruh, Turner, Burke and Frees
Chairman:  Trust, Estates and Wealth Preservation Section
Phoenixville, Malvern, West Chester Offices
610-933-8069
[email protected]
AVVO Rated 9.5 Rating "Superb"

Practice Areas:  Estate Planning, Asset Protection Planning, Inheritance and Estate Tax Planning and the representation of executors and trustee including individuals, banks, and trust companies.

Awards:  David has been selected as the Best Trust and Estate Attorney on the Main Line according to the Main Line Today Magazine.

Community involvement:  David M. Frees III has served as chairman of the Chester County Community Foundation


Kevin Holleran, Esquire
Gawthrop Greenwood
West Chester Pennsylvania
(484) 880-4353
Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Trust and Estate Administration
Firm Size: 19

J. Stoddard Hays, Esquire
Gawthrop Greenwood 
West Chester Pennsylvania
(484) 880-4353
Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Business Succession Planning, Trust and Estate Administration, Personal and Fiduciary Income Taxation, Equine Law, Non-Profit Corporation Law
Firm Size: 19

Doulas L. Kaune, Esquire
Unruh, Turner, Burke and Frees
Trust, Estates and Wealth Preservation Section
Phoenixville, Malvern, West Chester Offices
610-933-8069
[email protected]
Practice Areas: Estates, Estate Planning,  and Elder Law

Robert Romain
Baer Romain
Valley Forge, West Chester Pennsylvania
(610) 933-9444
Practice Areas: Real Estate, Business Law, and Estate Planning and Administration
Firm Size: 4

Louis Teti
MacElree Harvey, Ltd.
Centerville, Delaware, Kennett Square and West Chester Pennsylvania
610-436-0100
Practice Areas: Tax Planning, Estate Planning, Estate Administration, Corporate Law
Firm Size: 25


 

David M. Frees, III
Connect with me
Attorney, Speaker and Author