Thomas Joseph Barnes is an estate planning and business lawyer. As an estate planner, he helps people and their families plan for incapacity, the distribution of their assets to those they want to get them, and the minimization of death taxes.
As a business lawyer, Tom counsels business owners on matters like setting up the business and choosing the right form of entity, contracts, financing, regulatory compliance, taxes and dissolution. Tom also has expertise in commercial real estate and in federal securities laws.
As an estate planning attorney, Tom prepares both wills and trusts, and lifetime planning documents for clients. Lifetime planning documents include financial powers of attorney and health care powers of attorney or advance directives.
If appropriate for a client’s needs and wishes, we prepare living trusts and provide advice on what a living trust can accomplish, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, the administration of the trust during the life of the grantor, and the Pennsylvania inheritance taxation of trusts.
Also as an estate planning lawyer, Tom counsels clients on non-tax planning issues relating to spouses, such as post-nuptial and pre-nuptial agreements, and a surviving spouse’s elective share.
As a lawyer who prepares wills and trusts, Tom assists clients with planning and drafting issues relating to non-spouse beneficiaries, such as children and other younger beneficiaries.
Tom provides advice on the use of spendthrift trusts, gifts under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act, Section 529 plans, and the appointment of guardians, and trustees for minor beneficiaries.
Tom also assists clients with planning for disabled beneficiaries, with special needs trusts and the appointment of fiduciaries such as executors, trustees and guardians.
Tom counsels clients on inheritance law in Pennsylvania, particularly other methods of transferring assets to heirs. These other distribution methods include the joint ownership of bank accounts, securities accounts, retirement accounts, and real estate.
Tom assists clients with issues relating to joint ownership and beneficiary designations. Tom assists in solving problems that arise from intestacy (dying without a will), and the rules of intestate succession such as those governing the share of surviving spouse, and the shares of persons other than surviving spouse.
Cost
Rate : $$$