John PerryPlanning for the future can feel overwhelming, especially when it involves protecting your family’s hard-earned assets. I know firsthand how intimidating it is to navigate wills, trusts, and probate without proper guidance.
Finding the right legal partner is crucial, whether you’re a business owner securing a transition or a family trying to avoid a drawn-out court process.
To help you protect your legacy, I’ve researched and compiled a guide to the best estate lawyer services in Philadelphia. These professionals offer clear, authoritative advice to give you total peace of mind, ensuring your wealth reaches the right hands.
How Much Do Estate Lawyer Services Cost in Philadelphia?
Estate lawyers in Philadelphia typically charge between $200 and $650 hourly, or flat fees ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 for comprehensive planning packages.
| Service Type | Typical Cost Range |
| Simple Will Package | $250 – $1,000 |
| Couples / Trust Packages | $950 – $4,000+ |
| Individual Estate Plan | $1,250 – $2,000 |
| Probate Hourly Rates | $210 – $625 / hour |
| Probate Percentage | 2% – 5% of estate value |
1. Klenk Law
Website: http://klenklaw.com/
Address: 2202 Delancey Place, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Contact: (215) 790-1095 / 215-814-8929
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM; Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Securing your wealth requires focused expertise, which is exactly why Klenk Law firm operates with an exclusive estate focus, strictly handling wills, trusts, and probate while refusing unrelated legal cases.
Having spoken to an associate here while helping a relative set up a trust, I was impressed by their multi-state licensure across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Florida, making them ideal for snowbirds.
They also stand out as a veteran-owned business offering a 20% discount to veterans, first responders, and teachers.
Despite their excellent tax optimization strategies, led by an attorney with a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation to shield wealth from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), their singular legal scope can be a drawback. If you need simultaneous representation for overlapping issues like a corporate bankruptcy or an active divorce lawyer, you must hire an outside law firm.
Customer Reviews:
We would recommend them to anyone!
We had a great experience working with Klenk Law to set up our Estate Plan. The process was straightforward, done for a flat rate, and they listened to us to make a plan that was in keeping with our needs. Would recommend to anyone!
- Jack Peace | Google Review
Timely and very professional.
It’s our first time doing business with Klenk Law and it was absolutely very positive. All interactions were timely and very professional. Peter and all of his staff put us at ease when making our estate plans and answered any questions thoroughly. We would highly recommend.
- Bernadette Cucinotti | Google Review
2. Heiligman & Mogul
Website: https://heiligmanandmogul.com/
Address: 1845 Walnut Street, Suite 1300, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Contact: (215) 561-0111 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Managing inherited assets from a distance can be stressful, so this practice specifically caters to out-of-state executors who need to settle a Philadelphia County estate without traveling.
Heiligman & Mogul goes beyond standard paperwork by offering turnkey property liquidation, actively hiring vetted businesses to clear out junk and market inherited real estate for grieving heirs.
They even use a specialized “Of Counsel” attorney to navigate tricky intersections where probate clashes with heavily contested prenuptial agreements.
While they expertly advise executors on their strict fiduciary duties, their narrow geographic scope is a noticeable limitation. They happily represent distant clients, but their physical probate execution and real estate preparation services are tightly confined to Philadelphia and immediate surrounding counties.
Customer Reviews:
10/10 recommended.
Stacy was an incredible resource throughout the process of dealing with my late mother’s estate. I am out of state and found it challenging to find a law firm that was responsive, knowledgeable and empathetic. Stacy is all of those things! He was incredibly responsive and understanding. 10/10 recommend working with Stacy!
- Miranda Love | Google Review
Helped us work through this difficult time.
My siblings and I no longer live in Pennsylvania and when our mother passed away suddenly, we contacted Heiligman & Mogul. Stacy Mogul was indispensable in navigating the estate through probate, sale of the home and settling estate debts. Stacy handled all of the legal work, kept us appraised during each step and quickly answered all questions. Stacy’s professionalism and competence helped us work through this difficult time.
- Al Jackson | Google Review
3. The Law Office of Steven M. Zelinger, LLC
Website: https://www.stevenzelinger.com/
Address: 1650 Market St, Ste 3623, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Contact: (267) 209-6103
Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Bypassing the slow, expensive public court process is a major priority for many families, and this firm emphasizes drafting comprehensive Revocable Living Trusts to achieve exactly that.
The Law Office of Steven M. Zelinger, LLC also focuses heavily on incapacity planning, using General Durable Powers of Attorney to dictate financial control during medical emergencies.
Furthermore, they seamlessly blend personal wealth planning with corporate strategy by creating airtight buy-sell agreements for local business owners.
Clients benefit from highly personalized attention and complete asset privacy, ensuring wealth distribution remains off the public ledger.
However, because all legal strategy flows through a single principal attorney, securing an immediate appointment during peak tax planning seasons can be quite difficult.
Customer Reviews:
Made a stressful process simple and reassuring.
Steve helped us update all our estate planning documents — wills, power of attorney, health directives, everything. He made what could have been a stressful process simple and reassuring. He was incredibly thorough and thoughtful, covering every detail, even down to care for our pets. We walked away feeling completely confident that everything was handled properly. Highly recommend Steve if you want someone who’s knowledgeable, patient, and truly cares about getting it right.
- Joanne Schmidt | Google Review
I recommend him to anyone.
My wife and I hired Steve for estate planning for my family this past year and he did an excellent job for us. We knew nothing about the process, just that we wanted a plan to protect our young children should anything happen. He walked us through the process and developed a very thorough will and guardianship documents. He also pointed us in the right direction to shop for life insurance, which we needed as well. I recommend him to anyone, especially young families, looking to develop estate plans.
- Jon D. | Google Review
4. Giampolo Law Group
Website: https://giampololaw.com/
Address: 507 S. 2nd Street, Phila, PA 19107
Contact: (215) 645-2415
Hours: Monday – Saturday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Navigating the specific vulnerabilities faced by non-traditional families requires dedicated advocacy, and this firm stands as a national authority on LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) estate planning.
Giampolo Law Group integrates holistic elder law by drafting post-death distribution plans and managing immediate realities like court conservatorships for aging parents. They also possess deep knowledge in using QITs (Qualified Income Trusts) to shield a family’s life savings from nursing home Medicaid recovery.
While they excel at structuring inheritances to block aggressive outside creditors, their broad practice scope is a distinct drawback. Unlike boutique operations, their attorneys also litigate international corporate matters, meaning their internal bandwidth is split across several highly disparate legal disciplines.
Customer Reviews:
Helped us think through in a calm and practical manner.
We would highly recommend Angela Giampolo as a knowledgeable, skillful, competent lawyer especially as it relates to Estate Planning. She is assertive but not aggressive in her approach. Angela’s dedication to her profession is inspiring. Angela has a masterly command over the community she serves. Any anxious thoughts associated with creating end of life documents were totally removed. Angela helped us think through the tender life stages, in a calm and practical manner. Ultimately our 9 essential documents were crafted reflecting our unique family dynamics, personal goals, values and wishes for our family.
- Ellen Malone | Google Review
Estate planning is not as complicated as you think.
Angela and her team are thoughtful, curious and professional while bringing the human side to the table regarding Estate Law. She made sure to break everything down into reasonable bits of information for my husband and I to comprehend. And there are safe spaces created for LGBTQ+ people like ourselves to rely on – thanks to Angela. Estate planning is not as complicated as you think. For sure get your planning done by Angela and her team.
- Tommy Allen | Google Review
5. Steven J. Fromm & Associates, P.C.
Website: http://www.sjfpc.com/
Address: 1420 Walnut Street Suite 300, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Contact: (215) 735-2336 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
High-net-worth wealth protection demands rigorous attention to taxation, which this firm provides through an attorney who is both an experienced planner and a sought-after tax law expert.
When I consulted with a similar tax-focused practice for my own complex family portfolio, I learned how crucial it is to navigate the volatile financial realities of second marriages and blended families. Steven J. Fromm & Associates, P.C. manages this beautifully by using specialized trusts and surgical audits of IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) to ensure beneficiary alignments don’t contradict the main will.
Their mastery over federal capital gains taxes is impressive, but their intense focus on corporate mitigation is overly complex for basic needs. Their sophisticated lifetime gifting strategies may simply be financial overkill for a blue-collar individual who just wants an uncomplicated will.
Customer Reviews:
We were very grateful to have his help.
Steven helped us with our taxes this year and did a superb job. He was an excellent communicator at all times (he even responded to e-mails at night, right away!). He demonstrated a very high level of expertise, competence, and professionalism throughout our matter. Also, his pricing was fair and straightforward, and without any surprises. We were very grateful to have his help and I would highly recommend working with Steven to anyone who needs an estate planning or tax lawyer. You will not find anyone better, he really is the best!
- Todd M | Google Review
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Steve was very responsive from the start and a breeze to schedule with. We needed expertise in estate administration dealing with a confusing scenario around a will document. It is clear he is highly knowledgeable and skilled in this area. He was able to walk us through the process and gave us a valuable understanding of how to navigate a delicate family situation with peace of mind. I would not hesitate a second to work with him again. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
- David Palaia | Google Review
