If you typed “estate planning attorney near me” from Canonsburg, Bridgeville or Bethel Park, you want a plan that works under Pennsylvania law and a lawyer you can sit down with. Kostrub Law Firm, PLLC has served families from Cecil Township since 2006. Heather N. Kostrub handles the firm’s estate planning work: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives and estate administration.
What happens after you call: we ask a few questions about your family and property, set a meeting, and send you a short checklist of documents to bring.
What estate planning is
Estate planning is the set of legal documents that say who gets your property, who manages it, and who decides for you if you become incapacitated (unable to make or communicate decisions). Each piece below has its own page.
Wills
A will names who receives your property and your executor (the person who settles your estate). Parents also name a guardian for minor children. See how we prepare wills in Pennsylvania.
Trusts
A trust is an arrangement where one person (the trustee) holds property for the benefit of others (the beneficiaries). Trusts can avoid probate, protect a beneficiary on public benefits, or control when heirs receive money. Read our trust planning page.
Powers of attorney
A financial power of attorney lets someone you choose (your agent) pay bills, file taxes and manage accounts if you cannot. Without one, your family may need a court guardianship. Learn about financial powers of attorney.
Health care directives
A living will states your treatment wishes. A health care power of attorney names who speaks with doctors for you. See living wills and health care agents.
Probate and estate administration
After a death, an executor or administrator gathers assets, pays debts and taxes, and distributes the rest. Visit our probate and estate administration page.
Pennsylvania law that matters
- Wills. A Pennsylvania will must be in writing and signed at the end (20 Pa.C.S. § 2502). Two witnesses are needed to prove it at probate (20 Pa.C.S. § 3132), and a self-proving affidavit can make that step easier (20 Pa.C.S. § 3132.1).
- No will. Without a will, Pennsylvania’s intestacy rules decide who inherits (20 Pa.C.S. Ch. 21).
- Trusts. Pennsylvania’s Uniform Trust Act governs how trusts are created and run (20 Pa.C.S. Ch. 77).
- Powers of attorney. A financial power of attorney must be signed, dated, witnessed by two people and notarized (20 Pa.C.S. § 5601).
- Health care. Living wills and health care powers of attorney fall under 20 Pa.C.S. Ch. 54.
- Inheritance tax. Pennsylvania taxes many transfers at death, at rates from 0% for a surviving spouse to 15% for most non-relatives (72 P.S. § 9101 et seq.). See how Pennsylvania inheritance tax works.
Common situations in Washington and Allegheny counties
- A young family in Upper St. Clair needs a guardian named for their children.
- A Canonsburg couple wants their small business to pass smoothly to the next generation.
- A Pittsburgh parent has a child with a disability who receives public benefits.
- An older adult wants to understand ways to keep assets out of probate in Pennsylvania.
- A family owns oil and gas rights under Washington County farmland.
Estate planning for mineral-rights owners
Many Washington County families own oil and gas rights, often separate from the surface. These rights can pay royalties for decades, and they raise problems a general plan may miss.
- Fractional splitting. Rights passed to several heirs divide again each generation, until dozens of relatives own small slices and leasing or selling becomes hard.
- Division orders and payments. After a death, the operator will not pay royalties to heirs until it sees proof of ownership. The estate often needs new division orders and ownership records before payments resume.
- Valuation. Producing minerals count for inheritance tax and can be hard to value.
- Out-of-state property. Minerals in another state may require a separate probate there, called ancillary probate.
A trust or family company can hold the minerals so the rights stay in one set of hands. Because our firm also handles oil and gas title and lease work, Heather can coordinate with Daniel B. Kostrub on the mineral side. Learn more about our mineral rights practice.
What happens if you don’t act
Without a plan, the state chooses your heirs, a court may choose a guardian for your children, and your family may need a guardianship hearing to manage your money if you become incapacitated. Mineral rights can splinter among relatives. Each is harder and costlier to fix later. Our article on dying without a will in Pennsylvania walks through the default rules.
Ready to start your plan? Call (304) 982-1586 or request a consultation. After you call, we schedule a meeting with Heather and send a checklist so your first visit is productive.
How we handle it, step by step
- Intake call. We learn about your family, property and goals.
- First meeting. Heather reviews your documents and recommends a plan.
- Drafting. We prepare your will, trust, powers of attorney and health care directives.
- Review. You read the drafts, and we revise until they say what you mean.
- Signing. We supervise signing with the witnesses and notary each document requires.
- Follow-through. We explain how to retitle accounts or update beneficiary designations so your plan works.
What to bring to your first meeting
- Names and birth dates of your spouse, children and anyone you plan to include
- Any existing will, trust or power of attorney
- A list of assets: home, bank and investment accounts, retirement plans, life insurance
- Deeds, and any oil and gas leases, division orders or royalty statements
- Business ownership documents, if you own a company
- Names of the people you are considering as executor, trustee, agent and guardian
Our free estate planning document checklist lists these items in one place.
Fees
We explain fees before any work begins.
Finding an estate planning attorney near me: who handles this
Heather N. Kostrub handles estate planning at Kostrub Law Firm, PLLC. She focuses on wills, trusts, powers of attorney and family and business succession. Heather is a graduate of Washington & Jefferson College. Read Heather Kostrub’s attorney profile.
Frequently asked questions
What does an estate planning attorney do?
An estate planning attorney helps you decide who receives your property, who manages it, and who makes decisions for you if you cannot. The lawyer then drafts documents such as a will, trust, power of attorney and living will, and supervises signing so each one meets Pennsylvania requirements. Many attorneys also help families settle an estate after a death.
What documents are in a basic estate plan in Pennsylvania?
Most Pennsylvania plans include a will, a financial power of attorney, a health care power of attorney and a living will. Some people add a revocable trust, beneficiary designations that match the plan, and guardianship nominations for minor children. The right mix depends on your family, your property and whether you want to limit what goes through probate.
Do I need an estate plan if I don’t have much money?
Yes, in most cases. A plan is not only about wealth. It names a guardian for your children, chooses who handles your affairs if you are incapacitated, and tells doctors who speaks for you. Without those documents, your family may need court approval to act, which takes time and money even for a modest estate.
Do you serve clients in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County?
Yes. Our office is in Cecil Township, Washington County, and we work with clients across Washington and Allegheny counties, including Pittsburgh, Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair, Bridgeville and South Fayette. Some steps can be handled by phone or email. See our Pittsburgh service area page for more.
How should I plan for oil and gas or mineral rights?
Start by confirming exactly what you own and how it is titled. Then decide whether the rights should pass to one person, be shared, or be held in a trust or family company to prevent splitting. Your plan should also address royalty payments and division orders after death. Our firm handles both estate planning and oil and gas work.
Talk with Heather about your estate plan
Call (304) 982-1586 or book a consultation online. After you call, we set a meeting time, send a document checklist, and answer basic questions about the process before you come in.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.