Gibson & Perkins, PC

09/03/2026

August gives small business owners something succession planning often needs most: time. ⏳ Starting now can leave several months to review ownership, taxes, insurance, financing, and estate planning before year end pressures build.

A succession plan should answer more than who takes over. Decide who can vote, who can manage, who receives the economic value, and where the cash will come from if an ownership interest must be purchased. 📋 Those answers may affect buy sell terms, insurance, and estate documents.

Governing documents matter too. An operating agreement, shareholder agreement, bylaws, or existing purchase arrangement may control transfer rights, valuation procedures, approval requirements, and what happens after death, disability, retirement, or a sale. ⚖️

Gibson & Perkins, PC works with business owners in Media on issues that can overlap during ownership transitions. Our team can review whether business documents, estate planning, tax strategy, and succession goals support the same outcome. A current valuation and backup succession paths can also help expose gaps before circumstances force faster decisions. 🔍

Review the full August succession planning checklist and key questions to address before year end: https://www.gibperk.com/august-small-business-succession-planning-pennsylvania/

Small business succession planning can start in August. Learn what Pennsylvania owners should review before year-end with Gibson & Perkins, PC.

09/03/2026

Choosing a business structure is often one of the first decisions a startup owner faces. Corporation or limited liability company? The answer can depend on ownership, outside investors, tax circumstances, and the goals behind the business. 📋

Gibson & Perkins, PC works with business owners in Media on the legal details involved in getting started. Our team also encourages new owners to prioritize accurate records, timely payroll tax filings, and required insurance while working with a qualified accountant. ⚖️

Startup costs deserve attention too. An office lease, employees, or other overhead can reduce profit before the business has had time to develop. Keeping expenses measured early can help owners avoid unnecessary financial pressure. 💼

Business partners should also document what happens if someone leaves, dies, becomes disabled, or needs to be bought out. Agreements can address control, decision making, and possible exit procedures before disagreements arise.

Before signing leases, loans, or other obligations personally, understand what that commitment could mean for you. 📝 Have a question about forming or protecting a new business? Contact our team to discuss the legal considerations involved.

09/01/2026

A security deposit dispute can turn on a 30 day deadline. ⏰ After a Pennsylvania tenancy ends or possession is surrendered and accepted, a landlord generally has 30 days to provide a written list of claimed damages and return the remaining deposit.

Late summer adds pressure because lease endings, inspections, repairs, and new tenants can overlap. 📋 Before a dispute grows, check the lease end date, renewal terms, notice requirements, payment records, and written communications about possession.

For unpaid rent, a notice to quit generally specifies 10 days from service. Lease expiration or another breach generally carries 15 days for a lease of one year or less, or 30 days for a lease longer than one year. ⚖️ The lease may shorten or waive these periods, so the actual agreement matters.

Gibson & Perkins, PC helps landlords and tenants in Media review the records behind these disputes. Preserve dated photos before repairs or cleaning, keep proof of notices, and document when keys were returned. 📸 If belongings remain, written notice and specific retrieval or storage periods may also apply.

Read our full guide to the seven issues that can surface before fall: https://www.gibperk.com/end-of-summer-landlord-tenant-disputes-pennsylvania/

Facing a late-summer rental dispute in Pennsylvania? Call Gibson & Perkins, PC at (610) 557-1977 to discuss deposits, rent, repairs, or possession.

09/01/2026

Dying without a will can leave your estate facing a probate process that may be more difficult than it needed to be. ⚖️ Without an estate plan in place, important decisions about your property are no longer guided by written instructions you chose.

A will provides a clear record of how you want your estate handled after your death. 📝 Planning ahead can also reduce uncertainty for the people responsible for addressing your affairs and completing the required probate steps.

For families in Media, Gibson & Perkins, PC provides estate planning services for individuals who want to put those instructions in place. Our team can help clients understand wills and the broader estate planning process. 🏡

Waiting until later creates a simple risk: you may never get the opportunity to document your wishes. Estate planning gives you the chance to make those decisions while you can, rather than leaving the process to unfold without a will. 📋

Do you already have a will, or is creating one still on your list? If you have questions about preparing for what happens to your estate after death, contact our team to discuss your situation.

08/27/2026

Changing the locks can turn an inherited property dispute into a bigger legal problem. 🔑 Before anyone demands possession, the deed, will, trust, probate status, court orders, and any occupancy agreement should be reviewed.

A sibling who lived with a parent before death may have a different legal position than a relative with no ownership interest. If the occupant is also a co-owner, they generally cannot simply be removed as though they were a tenant. 🏠 A voluntary sale, buyout, occupancy agreement, mediation, or partition action may need consideration.

Costs matter while the dispute continues. Mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, utilities, repairs, and property damage can reduce what remains for the estate. Families should document those expenses, obtain a current valuation, and put proposed deadlines for access, appraisal, financing, or move out in writing. 📋

Do not shut off utilities, discard belongings, or sign a sale contract without confirming authority. ⚖️ Depending on the property’s legal status, resolving possession may involve Orphans’ Court, ejectment, or partition rather than a standard landlord tenant process.

Gibson & Perkins, PC helps families in Media evaluate inherited property occupancy issues using the documents and facts that control the property.

Read our full guide to inherited property occupancy disputes in Pennsylvania: https://www.gibperk.com/family-member-refuses-leave-inherited-property-pennsylvania/

Learn Pennsylvania options when a family member will not leave inherited property. Call Gibson & Perkins, PC at (610) 557-1977.

08/27/2026

A missed deadline, a conflict of interest, or another serious attorney error can raise questions about legal malpractice. ⚖️ Knowing whether a problem with legal representation may justify further review starts with understanding what actually happened.

Legal malpractice matters can involve concerns about an attorney’s conduct and whether that conduct caused harm to a client. Gibson & Perkins, PC handles legal malpractice matters for clients in Media who want to better understand their options after a potential problem with prior counsel.

Not every disappointing result means malpractice occurred. 📄 The circumstances surrounding the representation, the attorney’s actions, and the consequences to the client all matter when evaluating a potential claim.

Records can be important when questions arise. Engagement agreements, correspondence, court filings, billing records, and other documents may help establish what occurred during the attorney client relationship. 🔎 Keeping those materials organized can make it easier to review the situation.

If you believe an attorney’s actions may have harmed your legal interests, contact our team to discuss the circumstances and your questions.

08/25/2026

Turning 18 changes what parents can access, even when they still pay tuition, provide health insurance, or own the car their student drives. 🎓 Those responsibilities do not automatically provide authority to obtain private records or make decisions.

Before move in, families should consider a durable financial power of attorney, health care power of attorney, HIPAA authorization, and the college’s separate FERPA forms. 📋 A financial power of attorney may address bills, leases, insurance claims, tax filings, and other specified matters.

Medical and academic access require separate attention. A HIPAA authorization can identify who may receive protected health information, while FERPA rights generally transfer to the student at age 18 or when they attend a postsecondary institution. 🏥 College specific forms may also control access to grades, billing, housing, and other records.

Students should also keep signed documents in a secure emergency file and tell each named agent how to access them. 🔐 For students studying outside Pennsylvania, families should confirm whether additional documents or institutional forms may be appropriate.

Gibson & Perkins, PC helps families in Media prepare for these transitions while keeping the student in control of who may act and when.

Read our full back to school estate planning checklist before move in: https://www.gibperk.com/back-to-school-estate-planning-college-students/

Prepare your Pennsylvania college student for emergencies with key legal documents. Call Gibson & Perkins, PC in Media at (610) 557-1977.

08/25/2026

A will may still need to go through probate before its instructions can be carried out. 📄 Probate is part of the legal process used to address certain assets after someone dies.

The key distinction is whether property is a probate asset or a nonprobate asset. 🏠 Gibson & Perkins, PC handles estate planning matters for clients in Media, including questions involving wills, probate, and how property may pass after death.

Having a will does not automatically mean every asset is handled the same way. Some assets may be governed by the will and probate process, while others may pass outside probate depending on how they are owned or designated. ⚖️

That is why understanding how your property is titled can be an important part of estate planning. Our team can help clients review their estate planning documents and consider how their assets fit into the broader plan. 📋

If you are preparing a will or reviewing an existing estate plan, ask how probate could affect the property you intend to leave behind. Share your probate question in the comments or contact our team to discuss your situation.

08/20/2026

A valid claim does not usually disappear when someone dies. ⚖️ In Pennsylvania, the person pursuing it may instead need to proceed against the estate’s properly appointed personal representative.

That detail matters. Filing only against someone who has already died can create serious procedural problems, and if the applicable limitation period expires before the correct party is named and served, the claimant may lose the ability to proceed. ⏳

Timing also requires close attention. Under Pennsylvania law, a claim that would otherwise become barred within one year after death generally remains open until one year after the date of death. A longer existing limitation period is not automatically shortened to one year. 📅

Executors have responsibilities too. Before distributing estate property, they may need to evaluate creditor claims, insurance coverage, liens, available assets, and statutory payment priorities. Paying beneficiaries too early while known obligations remain unresolved can create additional issues. 📋

Gibson & Perkins, PC assists executors, beneficiaries, creditors, and families in Media with questions involving estate claims, deadlines, estate property, and fiduciary duties.

Read our full article for more information about lawsuits and creditor claims involving Pennsylvania estates: https://www.gibperk.com/can-an-estate-be-sued-after-someone-dies-in-pennsylvania/

Learn when a Pennsylvania estate can be sued, which claims survive, and how deadlines apply. Call Gibson & Perkins, PC at 610-557-1977.

08/20/2026

Decades of legal and tax experience shape Walter J. Timby, III’s approach to complex employment matters. ⚖️ His background includes litigation involving discrimination, harassment, wage laws, medical leave, and disability related claims.

Gibson & Perkins, PC is proud to have Mr. Timby as part of our team. A Villanova University graduate, he earned his Juris Doctorate from Villanova University School of Law and later became a member of both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bars. 🎓

His employment litigation experience includes matters involving the EEOC, PHRC, and United States District Court. He has also defended claims involving Title VII, the ADEA, ADA, FLSA, FMLA, and New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination. 📚

Beyond litigation, Mr. Timby has experience consulting with employees to help avoid potential employment disputes. He has also authored two treatises addressing employment law and the Family Medical Leave Act.

For businesses and individuals in Media facing employment law questions, our team can discuss the circumstances and the legal issues that may apply. 💼 Have a workplace concern involving discrimination, leave, wages, or another employment matter? Contact our team to discuss your situation.