Serving Franklin County Since 1974 in Chambersburg, PA

Hoskinson Wenger & Rife Law Offices is an experienced law firm located in historic downtown Chambersburg in Franklin County Pennsylvania. Founded in 1998, with a specific concentration in the areas of advanced estate planning and administration. Today, our attorneys serve their clients’ needs in the areas of Estate Planning and Administration; Real Estate; Business, Employment, and Incorporation; Elder Law and Special Needs Individuals; Landlord Tenant; Collections; and Civil Litigation throughout the Franklin County region and surrounding areas.

Areas of Practice

  1. Estate Administration
  2. Wills
  3. Powers of Attorney and Living Wills
  4. Elder Law
  5. Business Law and Corporations
  6. Real Estate
  7. Landlord Tenant Law
  8. Guardianships
  9. Special Needs Individuals

Estate Administration

The death of a loved one is a time of great loss and grief. We strive to ease the burden on our clients during this difficult time by helping them navigate the various stages of the estate administration process including:

• Facilitating Appointment of the Executor or Administrator
• Guiding the Client through the entire process from initial filing to final distribution
• Assisting the Client with the Appraisal and Assessment Assets, Payment of Debts, and Satisfaction of Other Obligations
• Preparing and Filing the Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Returns
• Preparing and Filing the Federal Estate, and Gift Tax returns, when appropriate
• Final Accounting and Final Distribution
• All done in a prompt and professional time table

Wills

Having a well drafted Will is the first step towards proper estate planning. We pride ourselves in taking our time to learn about our client and work with them to create a Will that saves them and their loved ones from unnecessary expense, delay, or hardship. These services include:

• Drafting Wills and Trusts to our clients’ precise needs
• Revising or amending existing Wills for changed circumstances
• Specially Tailored Planning utilizing Guardianships, Special Needs Trusts, and Gun Trusts
• Multigenerational Planning and Preservation of Assets
• Planning for the Possibility of Distributions to Minors
• Planning for Anticipated Conflicts or Contests

Powers of Attorney and Living Wills

It is important to understand that more than just a Will is necessary for adequate estate planning. We take the time to educate our clients about the benefits of Power of Attorneys, both Medical and Financial, and Living Wills, which can help clients and their loved ones through:

• Financial authorization to pay bills and deposit checks
• Authority to Speak on your behalf to businesses and government agencies
• Authority to Oversee Assets for planning, investment, and preservation
• Authority to Speak with Medical Professionals about health status and ongoing treatment plans
• Short term or Long Term Planning
• Planning in the event of Medical Emergency
• Resuscitation, Organ Donation, and Life Support Decisions

Elder Law

Elder law encompasses many areas of planning and is more important than ever as our population continues to age. In addition to general Estate Planning, we go above and beyond to ensure our elderly clients have made adequate plans for:

• Assisted Living and Nursing Care Planning
• Preservation of Funds and Asset Ownership Structuring
• Gifting, Trusts, Lending, and Annuities
• Medicaid Planning
• Multigenerational Planning

Business Law and Corporations

Whether you’re a large corporation, established small business, or aspiring entrepreneur, having knowledgeable legal counsel makes all the difference. It is our pleasure to assist clients a variety of legal services tailored to business owners including:

• Business Formation & Incorporation
• Employment Law, Policies & Practices
• Buy/Sell Agreements and Options Contracts
• Employee and Independent Contractor Agreements
• Customer and B2B Contract Drafting & Review
• Debt Collections
• Unemployment Compensation

Real Estate

The sale or purchase of a home can be the one of the biggest decisions of your life. We pride ourselves in assisting our clients in all areas of real estate law whether they are buying or selling in a variety of ways including:

• Deed Preparation and Recording
• Drafting & Reviewing Agreements of Sale
• Offering Title Searches, Title Insurance
• Providing Complete Settlement Services
• Handling 1031 Exchanges
• Representing clients in Property Disputes

Landlord Tenant Law

To a tenant a rental property is their home, for a landlord it is their livelihood, and both parties greatly benefit from having an attorney assist them when problems arise. We take great pride in being on the forefront of landlord tenant law with experience representing both landlords and tenants alike in matters including:

• Commercial and Residential Property Rental
• Eviction Proceedings and Litigation
• Collections for Unpaid Rent, Property Damage Litigation,
• Lease Drafting & Review
• Commercial Storage Units
• Habitability Compliance & Defense.

Guardianships

When adult individuals are unable to make well-reasoned decisions for themselves, either financially or medically, and a Power of Attorney is not feasible, a guardianship can be used to ensure a qualified loved one can act on behalf of the incapacitated loved one. It is our pleasure to assist our clients navigate the Guardianship process through the steps including:

• Determining appropriateness of Full or Partial, Medical or Financial appointment
• Drafting and Filing of Petition
• Securing Medical and Family Testimony
• Conducting the Orphans Court Hearing before a Judge
• Defending against Malicious Interveners
• Drafting appropriate Orders of Appointment

Special Needs Individuals

There are a variety of issues a family faces in caring for a handicapped individual. Regardless of the individuals age or nature of their disability, we pride ourselves in offering compassionate and experienced services to our clients including:

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Long Term Benefit Planning and Security
• Special Needs Trusts
• Ensuring Adequate Planning Without Disrupting Benefit Eligibility
• Powers of Attorney or Guardianships

George "Ed" Wenger Jr.

Esquire

Attorney Wenger has concentrated in the areas of Estate Planning, Estate Administration, Wills, Trusts, Powers-of-Attorney, Guardianship, Elder Law, Real Estate, Business, and Special Needs Individuals and Special Needs Trusts.

George ("Ed") Wenger, Jr., Esquire, a partner in the law firm of Hoskinson Wenger & Rife, is a native of Chambersburg, PA, graduating from Chambersburg Area Senior High School in 1966 and earning a degree in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University in 1970. Attorney Wenger graduated from Dickinson School of Law with a Juris Doctorate in 1974. He has been a member of the Franklin County Bar Association since 1974.

Richard K. Hoskinson

Esquire

Attorney Hoskinson, (Passed 2020) was a partner of Hoskinson Wenger & Rife, and served as the Chairman of the Franklin County Orphans' Court Rules Committee for 20 years and has maintained an AV preeminate rating from Martindale-Hubbell, for over 20 years.

Richard K. Hoskinson, Esquire, is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Penn State - Dickinson School of Law. Formerly, he worked as a trust officer of a major bank in Pittsburgh. Attorney Hoskinson is a Past-President of the Franklin County Bar Association and was legal counsel for Sentry Trust Company. He has been the solicitor for F&M Trust's Trust Department since the 1970s and the Solicitor for the Franklin County Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills for over 35 years.

Lawrence R. Rife IV

Esquire

Attorney Rife, a partner of Hoskinson Wenger & Rife, has concentrated in the areas of Business Law & Formation, Real Estate, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning & Administration to provide his clients with sound and common sense legal advice to aid them in their legal matters by drawing on his background and experience in these areas.

Lawrence R. Rife IV has been practicing since 2012 and joined the firm in 2016. Lawrence is a Chambersburg local who graduated from CASHS, earned his Bachelors in Political Science from Shippensburg University, and his Juris Doctorate from Widener School of Law Harrisburg. He is licensed to practice throughout the Commonwealth and is a proud member of the Franklin County Bar Association and Pennsylvania Bar Association. Lawrence is the Solicitor for the Franklin County Register of Wills & Recorder of Deeds, one of the Franklin County Custody Conciliators, Co-Solicitor for Bear Valley Water Authority, and member of the Franklin County Orphans Court Local Rules Committee.

Our Staff

Over 70 Years of Combined Experience

Our attorneys are supported by three full-time legal professionals with over 70 years combined experience in a variety of legal matters with vast achievements and qualifications in their field. All of our legal professionals hail from the local Franklin County region and are eager to assist our clients however possible. (From left to right: Laura, Evelyn and Tricia)