Life Stage Estate Planning

Estate planning isn’t just for the elderly— it’s for everyone, no matter your age or financial background. Let us help you secure your legacy and gain the peace of mind you need to live your life fully.

Planning for Singles

For a single adult, planning is often more important, not less. Without a spouse, there is no default person to make a medical or financial decision in an emergency — and without a will, state law decides who inherits.

A living will, powers of attorney, and HIPAA authorization keep your wishes in your own hands if you’re incapacitated.
Intestate law sends assets to your nearest blood relatives — often not the friends, partners, or charities you would have chosen.
An unmarried partner has no automatic right to inherit. If you want them to, you have to say so.
Once a child turns 18, even a parent loses automatic access in a crisis. Basic documents fix that.

Planning for Married Couples

Marriage merges two lives and two sets of assets. A good plan keeps that merger working — for both of you, and for your children, if something happens.

Sort out what’s marital property and what’s separate, before you have to.
Without powers of attorney, even a spouse can’t make medical or financial decisions for you in a crisis.
Name guardians for minor children. Don’t leave that decision to a court.
Don’t forget pets — a basic provision (or a small pet trust) keeps them out of limbo.
A clear plan is the simplest way to keep your family out of probate fights later.

Planning for Children & Minors

You plan for your kids every day — school, activities, college funds. The hardest plan to sit down with is the one for what happens if you’re not there. A short legal plan answers two questions: who raises them, and who manages anything they inherit.

Pick a guardian who shares your values, and talk to them first.
Use a trust or financial fiduciary so a child’s inheritance is managed responsibly until they’re ready.
You can choose a trusted person, an institution, or a combination — each has tradeoffs.

Planning for Blended Families

Blended families bring real planning questions that a one-size template doesn’t handle well — current spouse, former spouse, children from prior relationships, stepchildren, sometimes a business in the middle. The goal is a plan that protects everyone you intend to provide for.

Refresh your plan after a remarriage. Old documents almost never reflect a new family.
Without planning, children from a prior relationship can end up unintentionally disinherited — see the example below.
Spell out your wishes clearly. Ambiguity is what turns probate into a fight.

Planning During Peak Earning Years

Between 40 and 55, life and money both get more complicated — kids becoming adults, a business growing, parents aging, retirement coming into view. The plan you made in your thirties usually needs to grow up with you.

Look at retirement accounts and large appreciated assets through a tax lens, not just an inheritance one.
If you own a business, build a succession plan now. The worst time to figure it out is in an emergency.
Refresh your healthcare directives and powers of attorney. The people you named at 30 may not be the ones you’d name today.

Planning When Nearing Retirement

The decade before retirement is when planning has the most leverage. The choices you make now shape what care costs later, how much of your estate stays intact, and how easily your family takes over if they have to.

Look at long-term care costs honestly. Even a few years of nursing or assisted living can outpace a lifetime of savings.
Update documents to reflect today’s family — new marriages, grandchildren, a child who has divorced, anyone now receiving needs-based assistance.
Know the Medicaid 5-year look-back. Planning early keeps options open; planning late can mean penalties and delays.

Planning When Single Again

Divorce and widowhood both change the assumptions your existing plan was built on. The work of redoing it is small compared to the cost of leaving the old one in place.

Update your will and powers of attorney. An ex-spouse can remain a named agent or beneficiary long after the divorce is final.
If a new relationship is on the horizon, a prenuptial agreement can keep prior-life assets and obligations clean.
Be explicit about what should go to children from a previous relationship. The default rules rarely match what people actually want.

Planning for Retirement

Retirement is the right moment to make sure the plan still matches the life. The priorities shift — from earning and accumulating to protecting, distributing, and choosing what kind of care you want if you need it.

Confirm your living will, powers of attorney, and a personal care plan reflect your current wishes and current people.
Use a trust where it actually helps — to keep things private, avoid probate, or reduce tax exposure for your heirs.
Get long-term care planning in motion early, while you still have the most options.

Take the Next Step

Wherever you are in life, the right plan is the one that fits where you actually are — not where a template assumes you should be.

Andrew Hurwitz · Bryn Mawr, PA · 215-967-7890 · schedule a consultation.

Get started

Schedule a Complimentary 30-Minute Consultation

At Hurwitz.Law, we believe that thoughtful planning begins with a meaningful conversation.

We offer a private, 30-minute consultation—by phone or Zoom—for individuals and families considering estate planning, elder law, or trust administration services. This conversation allows us to understand your goals, answer your questions, and help determine whether our firm is the right fit for your needs.

Our firm is intentionally boutique. We work with a limited number of clients so that we can provide a high level of personal attention and care. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction.

This consultation is not a sales pitch. It’s a conversation rooted in clarity, respect, and the belief that your time—and your legacy—deserve both.

Schedule a Consultation

Prefer to talk first? Call us at (215) 967-7890.