The Pennsylvania legislature abolished common law marriages entered into after January 1, 2005, but common law marriages before that date will continue to be valid. See Act of November 23, 2004, No. 144, amending 23 Pa.C.S. § 1103. In Whitewood … Continue reading
Category Archives: News
I feel somewhat vindicated by a recent order of the Supreme Court, which confirms my opinion that In re Estate of Briskman, 808 A.2d 928, 2002 PA Super 287 (2002), was wrongly decided. In Briskman, the Superior Court found that … Continue reading
The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has announced that, for the 2015-2016 attorney registration year, the fee for returned checks will be $100, and the non-waivable late penalty will be $150 for attorneys who fail to register … Continue reading
Not sure why this was necessary, but the Pa. Department of Revenue has issued a bulletin confirming that same-sex marriages will be recognized for inheritance tax and realty transfer tax purposes following the decision in Whitewood v. Wolf, 992 F. … Continue reading
Previously overlooked: The report of the Supreme Court’s Elder Law Task Force was released in November 2014. The press release announcing the report, titled “Elder Law Task Force delivers report with recommendations to aid Supreme Court in protecting elders from … Continue reading
According to the Analytical Perspectives volume from President Obama’s fiscal 2016 budget proposal, the President will be proposing that transfers at death or by gift should result in the recognition of gain. From the volume: In the case of a … Continue reading
We’ve created a new page that lists legislation that might be of interest to estate and trust lawyers in Pennsylvania, and provides links to bill information on the website of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, as well as brief summaries, affected … Continue reading
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has announced the release of new inheritance tax forms designed to “enhance processing efficiency.” Tax Update, No. 177 (Dec. 2014/Jan. 2015). According to the Department: The newly designed form has revised Ovals 4 through 11 … Continue reading
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has adopted new ethics rules and disciplinary rules intended to address the problem of misappropriation of client and third-party funds, generally effective in 60 days. In re: Amendments to the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct and … Continue reading
The Realty Transfer Tax Statement of Value, Form REV-183 EX, has been revised somewhat, bears the revision date “10-14,” and is now available for download through the Pa. Department of Revenue. Changes include the following: The explanations at the top … Continue reading