Estates & Trusts

Planning for Tomorrow. Protecting Today.

Customized estate strategies designed to safeguard your assets, your wishes, and your family’s future. 

Estate planning is not a one-time task—it’s ongoing process that evolves as your personal, family, and business circumstances change. At Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin, we partner with clients through every stage of life to design customized, practical, and innovative solutions for their estate planning needs. Whether it’s protecting wealth and family businesses, planning for disability or long-term care, or ensuring a smooth transfer of assets, our dedicated attorneys are here to safeguard your future. 

We serve clients of all levels of wealth accumulation and family circumstances. The process begins with listening—understanding your goals and concerns. From there, we carefully review your assets, identify family objectives, and draft the appropriate wills, trusts, and other documents. We also monitor gift-giving programs, provide ongoing tax planning, and ensure compliance with the IRS and state agencies. 

Our team also guides families through the administration of trusts and estates, helping to navigate tax matters, asset distribution, and compliance requirements. When disputes arise, we represent clients in fiduciary litigation, including will contests and trust disputes. We also advise on business succession planning, estate preservation for future generations, minimizing estate taxes, and designating agents in case of incapacity. 

Our services include: 

  • Development of wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts 

  • Tax planning and asset protection 

  • Business succession and exit planning 

  • Gift and estate planning 

  • Estate administration 

  • Living wills and durable powers of attorney 

  • Charitable planning 

  • Special needs planning 

  • Estate and fiduciary litigation 

  • Elder Law 

Estate planning is about more than transferring assets—it’s about protecting what matters most, providing peace of mind, and preserving your legacy. Because tax laws and regulations are constantly evolving, it is essential to have experienced guidance. Our attorneys are here to help you plan confidently for your future and your family’s. 

  • Documents we prepare for clients include: 

    • Advance Health Care Directive (Living Will): Allows you to make decisions in advance about life-sustaining treatment and appoint a Health Care Proxy to carry out your wishes. 

    • Durable Power of Attorney: Authorizes someone you trust to handle financial matters and make decisions on your behalf, even in the event of incapacity. 

    • Will or Trust: Provides instructions for distributing your estate, minimizing estate taxes, and ensuring care for your children if you pass away before they reach adulthood. 

  • To be chosen as the executor of a family member’s estate is both an honor and an important responsibility. Carrying out the final wishes of a deceased person in accordance with Pennsylvania law is a painstaking task that can lead to lawsuits from heirs who are not happy with the process. The probate and estate administration attorneys of Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin can serve as your guide throughout the process. 

    Probate is the process both of having a will declared valid and of distributing assets to the named beneficiaries. If there is no will, then the assets are distributed to the deceased person’s legal heirs in accordance with Pennsylvania law. 

    Some of the steps that need to be taken during the probate and administration process include: 

    • Publishing notices for potential heirs and creditors 

    • Taking an inventory of deceased person’s assets 

    • Paying taxes 

    • Distributing the balance of the estate to the beneficiaries named in the will (or to the legal heirs if there is no will) 

    Not all assets have to go through probate. Life insurance policies, 401 (k) accounts, and investment accounts where the deceased person named a beneficiary can pass directly to the beneficiaries. Property contained in trust will pass directly to the person named as the successor trustee. HRMM&L lawyers regularly monitor the probate process for the benefit of heirs and, if necessary, getting involved in will contests. We also defend executors in will contests. 

  • We have significant experience with estate and trust litigation. We represent clients in disputes that can take a variety of forms. Some common types of cases that we handle are: 

    • Will Contests – Challenges to the validity of a will. 

    • Fiduciary Disputes – Claims by or against executors and trustees regarding the administration of estates and trusts. 

    • Guardianship Hearings – Appointment of a guardian for an incapacitated individual. 

    • Power of Attorney Issues – Challenges to the validity of a power of attorney, and claims of abuse by the power of attorney agent. 

    In Pennsylvania these types of cases are generally litigated in the county Orphans’ Court. Orphans’ Court is also the forum for undisputed proceedings such as the settlement of accountings filed by executors or trustees. 

    Not all estate and trust disputes have to end up in litigation. We first aim to settle cases in an amicable and cost effective way, and usually we succeed. However, if a resolution cannot be reached outside of the Orphans’ Court, we are prepared to vigorously represent our clients through litigation. 

    • Special Needs Trusts 

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    • Guardianships 

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ATTORNEYS: 

Let’s Talk About Your Estate Planning Needs.

Contact our Estates & Trusts attorneys today to schedule a consultation or learn how we can assist with your matter. 

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