Legal Updates
Recent Pennsylvania law developments in estate planning, real estate, elder law, family law, business, and litigation, clearly explained by our firm.
New legislation, court decisions, and regulatory changes that affect how we practice, clearly explained.
Estate Planning & Probate
Pennsylvania Raises the Small Estate Threshold to $20,000
Act 50 doubles the threshold for simplified bank account distribution, letting institutions release qualifying accounts to heirs without formal estate administration.
→Pennsylvania Still Doesn't Allow Transfer-on-Death Deeds, But That Could Change
HB 2124 would let property owners designate a beneficiary on real estate deeds, bypassing probate entirely.
→The New $15 Million Federal Estate Tax Exemption
The federal exemption keeps climbing, but Pennsylvania inheritance tax operates on its own rules entirely.
→Digital Assets in Pennsylvania Estates: RUFADAA
The legal framework governing executor access to email accounts, social media, cryptocurrency, and digital files.
→The Three-Part Test for Undue Influence in Will Contests
How Pennsylvania courts determine whether a will was the product of undue influence, and what challengers must prove.
→Real Estate
Unperfected Mechanic's Liens Can Be Stricken at Any Time
The PA Supreme Court confirmed homeowners can challenge improperly filed mechanic's liens without a time limit.
→The Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act
Proposed legislation that would modernize how Pennsylvania handles inherited property disputes and forced sales.
→Claiming Surplus Funds After a Tax Sale in Bucks County
If your property sold at tax sale for more than what was owed, you may be entitled to recover the surplus.
→Family Law
How Kayden's Law Changes Custody Cases in Pennsylvania
Act 8 of 2024 strengthens child safety protections in custody determinations involving abuse or violence.
→Pennsylvania PFA Orders Now Cover Pets
Act 146 of 2024 allows courts to include companion animals in Protection from Abuse orders.
→When Third Parties Owe Child Support
The PA Supreme Court clarified that only third parties with legal custody can be ordered to pay child support.
→Unmarried Couples and Property Rights in Pennsylvania
With common law marriage abolished, unmarried partners face real challenges protecting shared property.
→Elder Law
Medicaid Estate Recovery: Exceptions That Could Save the Family Home
Built-in exceptions under Pennsylvania law can protect the family home from state recovery after a Medicaid recipient's death.
→Can a Nursing Home Sue Your Children?
Pennsylvania's filial support law means adult children can be held personally liable for a parent's long-term care costs.
→The Caregiver Child Exceptions Pennsylvania Families Miss
Pennsylvania has two separate caregiver child protections: one blocks Medicaid transfer penalties, the other blocks estate recovery. Families often miss both.
→Litigation & Consumer Protection
UTPCPL Imposes Strict Liability for Deceptive Conduct
Businesses face strict liability under Pennsylvania's consumer protection statute, no proof of intent required.
→Treble Damages Cannot Be Capped by Punitive Damages
The PA Supreme Court ruled that UTPCPL treble damages are independent remedies, not subject to punitive damage caps.
→Contractor Fraud: $222,648 in Treble Damages for Shoddy Work
The Superior Court upheld treble damages and attorney fees against a contractor who performed fraudulent roof work.
→Business Law
FinCEN Permanently Ends BOI Reporting for U.S. Companies
An August 11, 2026 final rule permanently exempts U.S.-formed entities from beneficial ownership reporting under the Corporate Transparency Act. Only foreign-formed entities registered to do business in the U.S. still report, and FinCEN is directed to delete domestic data already submitted.
→Pennsylvania Limits Non-Competes for Physicians and Advanced Practitioners
The Fair Contracting for Health Care Practitioners Act voids non-competes signed on or after January 1, 2025 by physicians, CRNAs, CRNPs, and physician assistants. Two exceptions survive: a covenant of one year or less where the practitioner was not dismissed, and a covenant tied to the practitioner's own sale or receipt of an ownership interest.
→Why Your LLC Might Not Protect You
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recognized a narrow enterprise liability theory in 2021, letting creditors reach a commonly owned sister entity only when the owner misused the corporate form, not from common ownership alone.
→Ready to Discuss Your Situation?
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