Dear Friends:

Welcome to the inaugural issue of my newsletter. I hope you find this e-Newsletter informative and educational as I try to point out some developments in the areas of law affecting our community, businesses, and members.

Some of the areas for this newsletter that we have focused on are:

• General Practice
• Business & Tax
• Estate Planning
• Retirement Planning
• Intellectual Property

Please let me know if you feel there is an area you would be interested in learning more about. Feel free to pass this along to others.

If you indirectly received this e-Newsletter and would like to subscribe, Please enter your e-mail address:

Feedback and suggestions? Please e-mail me:
whc@whc-law.com

>> Catch-up Contributions. Taxpayers who are age 50 and above will be permitted to contribute “catch-up” to their IRAs. They can contribute to an IRA an additional $500 in 2002-2005; $1,000 in 2006 and all years thereafter. These “catch-up” payments can either be deductible or made to a Roth IRA, if the base-line AGI limits are met for regular contributions for the year.

>> 401(k) Contribution Limits. The limit on salary reduction contributions to IRC 401(k) -type plans (including 403(b) annuities and salary reduction SEPs) will rise from $10,500 to $11,000 in 2002, and increase by an additional $1,000 each year until 2006 when the contribution limit reaches $15,000.

Trying to Get a grip on your Estate Planning? Take a look at the following links which may help guide you through the plethora of options available to protect you, your family, and your estate from ending up in the wrong hands or against your wishes:

• Frequently Answered Questions from the Network of Estate Planning Attorneys Site.
• How to estimate the size of your estate, reduce taxes, and provide for your family.
• Top 10 ways to prepare for retirement.
• What is an estate plan?
• Why do I need an Estate Plan?
• For Fun: Interested in a Will like Elvis?

>> NOW HEARD ON WWDB 860AM SUNDAY MORNING TALK SHOW

William H. Copperthwaite Jr., Esquire serves as Co-Host of WWDB 860AM Sunday morning talk show, SeniorTalkRadio, (9am) which deals with financial and estate planning issues for seniors (click here for more information)

>> William H. Copperthwaite Jr., Esquire was reappointed as Assistant Professor for Rider University College of Business.

This is some information about William H. Copperthwaite Jr., Esquire was reappointed as Assistant Professor for Rider University College of Business (click here for more information)

>> Planning to Sell Your House? Considering Selling on Your Own? Here are the things to think about:

If you are considering selling your home, and you wish to forgo the brokerage fees, you may wish to consider some of your legal requirements. Keep in mind some of the following:

• In some states filling out your disclosure statement incorrectly will land you in trouble! Make sure you do it honestly. When in doubt, disclose.
• The contract you make with your buyer should be well thought through and match every requirement made by your state. A contract which is incorrectly filled out may come back to haunt you even well after the sale of your property.

>> Starting Your Own Business In Pennsylvania? Here are some resources which can help you in your new venture!

:: Registering a Business in Pennsylvania
:: Pennsylvania Open for Business Site
:: IRS Tax information for Small Businesses

For more information on building your business, please e-mail me at: whc@whc-law.com

>> Why not Use a Form Will?

One may be able to reduce legal fees by using form wills - but did you know the risks? Scores of individuals from around the nation have been having problems executing wills when it came to distributing one's life accumulations via a form will: defective forms, violations of state law, and improper witnessing are just a few examples. You may actually spend more time correcting problems than solving them. Families often find that when using these forms, the intent of the testator was not accurate in the will.

For more information, e-mail the me at whc@whc-law.com.

>> Top Three Estate Planning Tools:

Whether you have a family, a company, or have just begun your career, you should consider these tools as basics to planning for today and beyond.

• Will
• A Living Will
• A Power of Attorney

For more information on planning your will or estate, please e-mail me at: whc@whc-law.com

You and your business partner are at the top of the world. Not only did you believe in yourselves and your services, you believed when others did not. You developed the perfect national business in the hotel industry with a name that is unforgettable: "Service and Smile Hotel Services". You couldn't be any happier. That is, at least, until the President of the United States, on National TV, stated those wonderful words of yours that no one could forget:

"Thanks to Service-and-Smile Hotel Services, I was able to have a great night sleep which allowed me to be effective in my Russian negotiations!"

Not two seconds later your partner calls: "We're Rich!". You are at the top of the World - things couldn't get any better!

And they don't... (Read More)