Every plan starts the same way: a conversation about your situation before any document gets drafted. Where you go from there depends on what you actually need.
Pennsylvania charges inheritance tax by relationship, not by estate size. It is the reason planning here looks different from the advice you find online.
| Who inherits | Rate | On a $500,000 share |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse | 0% | $0 |
| Children, grandchildren, parents, other lineal heirs (step-children included) | 4.5% | $22,500 |
| Siblings | 12% | $60,000 |
| Nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, unmarried partners, everyone else | 15% | $75,000 |
There is no floor. Pennsylvania taxes the first dollar the same as the last one. See what reduces it.
That is a normal place to start. Bring the documents you already have and we will work out what you actually need, in fifteen minutes, at no cost.