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Elder law attorneys in Pennsylvania focus on the legal issues facing aging adults and their families: Medicaid planning for long-term care, drafting and updating durable powers of attorney and healthcare directives, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, special needs trusts, and asset protection. Many also handle probate and estate planning, but elder law is the specific subset focused on care planning and benefits eligibility. See the Pennsylvania healthcare proxy and financial power of attorney forms.
Federal law (and Pennsylvania's implementation) imposes a 5-year lookback period for Medicaid long-term care eligibility. Any uncompensated transfers (gifts, transfers to family members, transfers to a non-Medicaid-qualified trust) within the 5 years before applying for Medicaid can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid won't pay for nursing home care. This is the main reason Medicaid planning needs to start years before care is actually needed — and the main reason elder law attorneys exist as a distinct practice area.
Estate planning attorneys in Pennsylvania average $338 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,014–$2,028 for a simple individual will and $3,830–$5,745 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.
Pennsylvania allows estates under $50,000 to use a simplified small estate affidavit procedure, which is a form rather than a court case and typically doesn't require an attorney. For larger estates, formal probate is involved enough that retaining counsel is usually practical — the procedural work is what they're there for. Use the Pennsylvania probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In Pennsylvania, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; leaving meaningful sums to non-spouse, non-child beneficiaries (Pennsylvania taxes those inheritances); substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 3,941 estate law firms across 51 states.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
32 firms
Experienced elder law and estate planning firm serving Cambria and Somerset counties since 1982. Helps clients with estate planning documents, long-term care planning, and Medicaid qualification. Three office locations for convenient access across the region.
Location
1451 Scalp Avenue, Suite 3Johnstown, PA 15904
Phone
(814) 262-2123
Established
1982
Service Area
2 counties
Estate planning and probate services in West Chester, serving Chester County families with wills, trusts, estate administration, guardianship, and power of attorney services. Additional offices in Exton and Lancaster.
Location
535 N Church St, Suite 170West Chester, PA 19380
Phone
(484) 394-2907
Service Area
2 counties
New Castle estate planning and elder law firm serving Lawrence and Mercer counties with estate planning, nursing home planning, and elder law services. Free in-home consultations available.
Location
2276 Honey Bee LnNew Castle, PA 16105
Phone
(724) 603-5337
Service Area
2 counties
Clearfield County estate planning and elder law firm helping clients with estate plans, estate administration, and elder law matters. Attorney Sipes is Chair-elect of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.
Location
114 S. 2nd StreetClearfield, PA 16830
Phone
(814) 762-4193
Service Area
2 counties
Seventeen-attorney Harrisburg law firm providing elder law services and assistance with all aspects of the probate and estate administration process since the 1920s.
Location
3631 North Front StreetHarrisburg, PA 17110
Phone
(717) 232-7661
Service Area
5 counties
Multi-generational general practice firm serving Franklin and Fulton County families with over 175 combined attorney-years of experience, concentrating in wills, trusts, and elder law.
Location
216 N. Second StreetMcConnellsburg, PA 17233
Phone
(717) 485-4515
Service Area
2 counties
Johnstown firm focused on elder law, estate planning, Medicaid crisis planning, and special needs planning, offering free consultations and community educational workshops to Cambria County families.
Location
1450 Scalp AvenueJohnstown, PA 15905
Phone
(814) 245-3832
Service Area
1 county
Chambersburg firm established in 1998 concentrating on advanced estate planning and administration, elder law, and special needs planning for Franklin County families.
Location
147 East Washington StreetChambersburg, PA 17201
Phone
(717) 263-8535
Established
1998
Service Area
1 county
Helping families around Harrisburg Pennsylvania since 1992 with estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, guardianships, Medicaid planning, and veterans benefits. Led by Marielle F. Hazen, Certified Elder Law Attorney.
Location
2000 Linglestown Road, Suite 202Harrisburg, PA 17110
Phone
(717) 540-4332
Established
1992
Veteran-owned estate planning firm serving Western Pennsylvania with offices in Erie, Butler, Cranberry Township, Franklin, and Greenville. Provides asset protection, guardianships, Medicaid planning, and estate planning services.
Location
318 South Main StreetButler, PA 16001
Phone
(724) 841-0004
Service Area
7 counties