
When Should I Update My Ardmore Pa Last Will? – Bio
John B. Whalen Jr Esq
Serving Ardmore Pa Probate Lawyers
1199 Heyward Road, Wayne, PA 19087
• Ardmore Pa Probate Lawyers •
• John B Whalen Jr Esq •
John B. Whalen Jr Esq
Serving Ardmore Pa Probate Lawyers
1199 Heyward Road, Wayne, PA 19087
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John B. Whalen Jr Esq
Serving Wayne Pa Probate Lawyers
1199 Heyward Road, Wayne, PA 1908
John provides a full range of services for Pa Wills: drafting, review, amendment, revocation, execution and probate. He provides reliable guidance for testators and executors.
His experience in the probate court, resolving issues related to the validity of wills, enables him to provide practical advice for testators from all walks of life. Similarly, his work in the formation of wills gives us keen insight into how executors should interpret various aspects of a will that may initially seem unclear.
Whether you are a testator formulating an estate plan or an executor implementing a decedent’s wishes, John B. Whalen, Jr. Esq. can simplify many complex aspects of the tasks before you.
He offers pertinent and personal legal advice to obtain the results you need in a timely manner with the least stress possible. Once executed, your will remains your final statement of your intentions until you amend or revoke it.
He recommends reviewing your will every three to five years and updating it to reflect your current wishes.
He concentrates his three decade career in the legal areas Pa Probate,Pa Estate Planning including Pa Last Wills, Pa Powers of Attorney, Pa Living Wills), Pa Estate Administration, Pa Estate Taxation, Pa Estate Litigation, Pa Beneficiary Representation, and Pa Guardianships.
Mr. Whalen has over 3,967 LinkedIn Profile Followers. 99 LinkedIn Peer Endorsements. 27 Avvo Peer Endorsements. 24 Martindale Peer Reviews. 12 Lawyers Client Reviews. 68 Avvo Client Reviews – over 5,000 Reviews
Mr. Whalen has achieved the AV Peer Review Rated Preeminentaward from Martindale, AV Peer Judicial Preeminent award, the Avvo Rated Superb 10.00 award, the Avvo Rated Top Lawyer award, the Clients’ Choice Award, and the Top One Percent (1%) award.
He is the recipient of the Legum Magister Post-Doctorate Degree (LL.M.) in Taxation (from the Villanova University School of Law), a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Wills, Trusts, and Estates, from the Widener University School of Law), and a recipient of the ABA-BNA Law Award for Academic Excellence (from the Widener University School of Law).
He has also been named as an Awesome Attorney in the field of Estate Planning Law (by the Suburban Life Magazine of the Philadelphia suburbs) for the years 2010 through 2018, and was Editor-in-Chief of the Delaware Law Forum at Widener School of Law.
Mr. Whalen is a frequent speaker and writer on the areas of Probate, Wills, Trusts, Estates. He has spoken for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, spoken at the Widener University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and spoken at the Delaware County Estate Planning Council. He has also had his legal articles published by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, the Philadelphia Business Journal, and the Martindale.Com website. He has had his law blogs published on the Lawyers.Com website.
Mr. Whalen is a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the United States Federal Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He is past president of the Delaware County Estate Planning Council, a past Internship Instructor of Conestoga High School, and Villanova University School of Law. He is a past member of the Chester County Estate Planning Council and a past President of the Chesterbrook Picket Post Condominium Association.
There are many factors that can affect the distribution of estate assets. In some cases, there may be a Pa Will that identifies you as a beneficiary; in other cases, there may not be a will at all. In still other cases, there may be a dispute involving the administration of the estate. For example, a beneficiary may disagree with how the executor or personal representative is distributing assets.
Pa Estate Administration is the process of settling a decedent’s affairs. When a loved one passes away, it can be an emotional time. In addition to grieving their passing, those that survive them must tie up all the legal and financial loose ends related to their life and estate. This includes addressing their Pa Last Will and following its instructions.
Pa Estate law comprises many areas of law. However, all of these areas of law focus on taking care of one’s person and property. Estate law is all of the laws that impact how a person makes decisions and issues directives about their personal affairs. A Pa Estate is anything that makes up a person’s net worth. Very simply, an estate is what a person has in their own name alone.
Most estates, especially when there is a proper will in place, are easily settled. Yet there are times when other factors complicate the issue, creating a situation that requires more careful consideration. For example, a family business, an estate that is in bankruptcy or an estate that holds significant amounts of real estate may become complicated quite quickly. This is where estate litigation comes into play.
An attorney who specializes in Pa Estate Planning can help you create a complete plan (including Pa Last Wills, Pa Powers of Attorney, and Pa Living Wills, etc.) to protect your spouse and children if you become unable to manage your financial affairs. Pa Estate Planning allows you to make decisions now so your wishes can be carried out if you die or become incapacitated.
When you execute a legal document called a power of attorney, you are authorizing another individual to make certain decisions on your behalf. The person who signs the document is called the principal and the person who is authorized to make decisions is known as the agent or attorney-in-fact.
Living wills are also referred to as an advance directive or a health care directive. It is a legal document that communicates your desire in the treatment of serious medical problems in the event that you are unable to speak for yourself. They do not go into effect unless you are incapacitated and unable to express yourself. Having a living will can relieve your close relatives from the burden of having to make the decision about whether to remove you from life support.
Trusts are legal documents that allow you to control how your assets will be allocated or managed. You are considered the grantor and the person that manages and distributes assets in the trust is known as the trustee. Individuals who receive money or other assets are the beneficiaries.
Property placed in a trust, unlike wills, is not subject to probate. You can also create a revocable trust which can be canceled or revoked at any time while you are alive. Trusts can be set up for a child’s education or to reduce estate taxes.
A Will is an important document to execute in order to avoid disputes about how your assets will be divided when you die. The executor who administers the distribution of assets from your estate will allocate your possessions as you specified. You should periodically review your Will to make sure it is still relevant and accurate. Life changing events, such as the birth of a child or a marriage, may require amendments to the original document.
A loved one’s legacy can ease the pain of loss by reminding heirs of a departed family member’s enduring love. But when questions arise about the validity of a will or the management of estate assets, uncertainty can arouse animosity and prevent closure.
Most estates, especially when there is a proper will in place, are easily settled. Yet there are times when other factors complicate the issue, creating a situation that requires more careful consideration. For example, a family business, an estate that is in bankruptcy or an estate that holds significant amounts of real estate may become complicated quite quickly. This is where estate litigation comes into play.
When an individual acts in a fiduciary capacity such as a Pa Executor of a Pa Last Will or a Pa Trustee of the financial assets of another person or entity, they have the responsibility of keeping accurate financial records. Those records should show how money was spent, invested or distributed while under the fiduciary’s care and control. Proper accounting can bring to light the mismanagement or bad investment of funds should an issue arise with an interested party.
The Pa Guardianship process can be filled with emotions. Realizing that a loved one is no longer capable of caring for his or her self can be difficult to accept. For the past twenty-five (25) years, Attorney Whalen has built a reputation for providing compassionate legal care for his clients, putting their needs and interests first while navigating emotionally trying circumstances.
The Pa Probate process, itself, is a very simple process. However, it is merely the beginning of the Pa Estate Administration (also known as the Pa Estate Settlement) process, which involves settling a decedent’s affairs, and can (and does) involve many, many other steps, depending on many, many other things.
The Ardmore Pa Attorneys Probate Guide is the core of this website. It consists of the best, most important articles on this website. Their focus is to provide the best and most complete information on various topics.
John B. Whalen, Jr., JD., LL.M., is an AV Peer Review Rated Preeminent 5.0 and Avvo Rated 10.0 Superb (obtaining over 95 client reviews and peer endorsements) premier and prestigious Attorney and Counselor at Law. He is located at 1199 Heyward Road Wayne Pa 19087. He serves all surrounding counties, on all 7 days, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and on evenings, weekends, and holidays. He provides free initial consults all seven days, provides home visits, and provides flat fee structures. He can be reached by email at jw60297@me.com, and by telephone at 1-610-407-0220. He has amassed over 60 prestigious and premier professional awards and over 5000 client reviews and endorsements.
John B. Whalen, Jr., JD., LL.M., is an AV Peer Review Rated Preeminent 5.0 and Avvo Rated 10.0 Superb (obtaining over 95 client reviews and peer endorsements) premier and prestigious Attorney and Counselor at Law. He is located at 1199 Heyward Road Wayne Pa 19087. He serves all surrounding counties, on all 7 days, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and on evenings, weekends, and holidays. He provides free initial consults all seven days, provides home visits, and provides flat fee structures. He can be reached by email at jw60297@me.com, and by telephone at 1-610-407-0220. He has amassed over 60 prestigious and premier professional awards and over 5000 client reviews and endorsements.
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The Pa Probate process, itself, is a very simple process. However, it is merely the beginning of the Pa Estate Administration (also known as the Pa Estate Settlement) process, which involves settling a decedent’s affairs, and can (and does) involve many, many other steps, depending on many, many other things.
In United States law and terminology, “probate” refers to proving that a will is valid.
In many U.S. states, a person would petition the court for probate, and then add the will that is to be considered to their petition.
Once probate is approved by the court, the petitioner officially becomes the Executor and then has full legal rights to be able to deal with the deceased individual’s estate.
Although some states do have onerous Probate procedures (where “avoiding probate” may be a prudent strategy), Pennsylvania is not one of those states, In fact, Pennsylvania is very “Probate-Friendly.”
The most common misconception that surrounds a Pa Last Will is the process called “Probate” and the seemingly universal theme that it should be avoided at all costs.
Again, and virtually to the contrary, the word “Probate” is merely based on the Latin infinitive verb that means “to prove.” Nothing more!
You will need the following documents to probate a Pa Last Will in Wayne PA.
At the Register of Wills Office, the PA Executor will take an oath and be sworn in as the Executor to the estate. Furthermore, the executor will pay probate fees. These fees depend on the size of the PA Estate.
A Short Certificate is a legal document that shows the decedent’s name and date of death. It will also show the name of the Executor/Executrix who has been named to handle the affairs of the estate.
Having a Short Certificate indicates that one has been appointed by the Register of Wills and has been issued.
The Information below is to assist you in locating the Chester County Register of Wills in order to begin the Probate Process:
To complete the process of settling an estate, I guide individuals throughout Pennsylvania through the Probate and Estate Administration with confidence and efficiency.
Executors can easily make mistakes due to inexperience, stress and hasty decisions. This can be costly, as executors can be held personally liable for beneficiaries’ losses. I guide Pa Executors through every step of the probate process, with reliable, detailed advice, so you can settle the testator’s estate as efficiently, quickly and easily as possible.
I provide reliable guidance for Pa Testators and Pa Executors. My experience in the probate court, resolving issues related to the validity of wills, enables me to provide practical advice for testators from all walks of life. Similarly, my work in the formation of wills gives us keen insight into how executors should interpret various aspects of a will that may initially seem unclear. Whether you are a testator formulating an estate plan or an executor implementing a decedent’s wishes, John B. Whalen, Jr. Esq. can simplify many complex aspects of the tasks before you. I offer pertinent and personal legal advice to obtain the results you need in a timely manner with the least stress possible.
The best gift you can give your loved ones is to have your Estate Planning complete. Unfortunately, to a great extent, misinformation about critical terms such as Pa Inheritance Tax, Federal Estate tax, Pa Probate, avoiding probate, simple will, Pa Living Will, and Pa Living Trust, tends to lead to misunderstandings of estate planning.
He concentrates his three decade career in the legal areas Pa Probate,Pa Estate Planning including Pa Last Wills, Pa Powers of Attorney, Pa Living Wills), Pa Estate Administration, Pa Estate Taxation, Pa Estate Litigation, Pa Beneficiary Representation, and Pa Guardianships.
Mr. Whalen has over 3,967 LinkedIn Profile Followers. 99 LinkedIn Peer Endorsements. 27 Avvo Peer Endorsements. 24 Martindale Peer Reviews. 12 Lawyers Client Reviews. 68 Avvo Client Reviews – over 5,000 Reviews
Mr. Whalen has achieved the AV Peer Review Rated Preeminentaward from Martindale, AV Peer Judicial Preeminent award, the Avvo Rated Superb 10.00 award, the Avvo Rated Top Lawyer award, the Clients’ Choice Award, and the Top One Percent (1%) award.
He is the recipient of the Legum Magister Post-Doctorate Degree (LL.M.) in Taxation (from the Villanova University School of Law), a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Wills, Trusts, and Estates, from the Widener University School of Law), and a recipient of the ABA-BNA Law Award for Academic Excellence (from the Widener University School of Law).
He has also been named as an Awesome Attorney in the field of Estate Planning Law (by the Suburban Life Magazine of the Philadelphia suburbs) for the years 2010 through 2018, and was Editor-in-Chief of the Delaware Law Forum at Widener School of Law.
Mr. Whalen is a frequent speaker and writer on the areas of Probate, Wills, Trusts, Estates. He has spoken for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, spoken at the Widener University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and spoken at the Delaware County Estate Planning Council. He has also had his legal articles published by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, the Philadelphia Business Journal, and the Martindale.Com website. He has had his law blogs published on the Lawyers.Com website.
Mr. Whalen is a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the United States Federal Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He is past president of the Delaware County Estate Planning Council, a past Internship Instructor of Conestoga High School, and Villanova University School of Law. He is a past member of the Chester County Estate Planning Council and a past President of the Chesterbrook Picket Post Condominium Association.
There are many factors that can affect the distribution of estate assets. In some cases, there may be a Pa Will that identifies you as a beneficiary; in other cases, there may not be a will at all. In still other cases, there may be a dispute involving the administration of the estate. For example, a beneficiary may disagree with how the executor or personal representative is distributing assets.
Pa Estate Administration is the process of settling a decedent’s affairs. When a loved one passes away, it can be an emotional time. In addition to grieving their passing, those that survive them must tie up all the legal and financial loose ends related to their life and estate. This includes addressing their Pa Last Will and following its instructions.
Pa Estate law comprises many areas of law. However, all of these areas of law focus on taking care of one’s person and property. Estate law is all of the laws that impact how a person makes decisions and issues directives about their personal affairs. A Pa Estate is anything that makes up a person’s net worth. Very simply, an estate is what a person has in their own name alone.
Most estates, especially when there is a proper will in place, are easily settled. Yet there are times when other factors complicate the issue, creating a situation that requires more careful consideration. For example, a family business, an estate that is in bankruptcy or an estate that holds significant amounts of real estate may become complicated quite quickly. This is where estate litigation comes into play.
An attorney who specializes in Pa Estate Planning can help you create a complete plan (including Pa Last Wills, Pa Powers of Attorney, and Pa Living Wills, etc.) to protect your spouse and children if you become unable to manage your financial affairs. Pa Estate Planning allows you to make decisions now so your wishes can be carried out if you die or become incapacitated.
When you execute a legal document called a power of attorney, you are authorizing another individual to make certain decisions on your behalf. The person who signs the document is called the principal and the person who is authorized to make decisions is known as the agent or attorney-in-fact.
Living wills are also referred to as an advance directive or a health care directive. It is a legal document that communicates your desire in the treatment of serious medical problems in the event that you are unable to speak for yourself. They do not go into effect unless you are incapacitated and unable to express yourself. Having a living will can relieve your close relatives from the burden of having to make the decision about whether to remove you from life support.
Trusts are legal documents that allow you to control how your assets will be allocated or managed. You are considered the grantor and the person that manages and distributes assets in the trust is known as the trustee. Individuals who receive money or other assets are the beneficiaries.
Property placed in a trust, unlike wills, is not subject to probate. You can also create a revocable trust which can be canceled or revoked at any time while you are alive. Trusts can be set up for a child’s education or to reduce estate taxes.
A Will is an important document to execute in order to avoid disputes about how your assets will be divided when you die. The executor who administers the distribution of assets from your estate will allocate your possessions as you specified. You should periodically review your Will to make sure it is still relevant and accurate. Life changing events, such as the birth of a child or a marriage, may require amendments to the original document.
A loved one’s legacy can ease the pain of loss by reminding heirs of a departed family member’s enduring love. But when questions arise about the validity of a will or the management of estate assets, uncertainty can arouse animosity and prevent closure.
Most estates, especially when there is a proper will in place, are easily settled. Yet there are times when other factors complicate the issue, creating a situation that requires more careful consideration. For example, a family business, an estate that is in bankruptcy or an estate that holds significant amounts of real estate may become complicated quite quickly. This is where estate litigation comes into play.
When an individual acts in a fiduciary capacity such as a Pa Executor of a Pa Last Will or a Pa Trustee of the financial assets of another person or entity, they have the responsibility of keeping accurate financial records. Those records should show how money was spent, invested or distributed while under the fiduciary’s care and control. Proper accounting can bring to light the mismanagement or bad investment of funds should an issue arise with an interested party.
The Pa Guardianship process can be filled with emotions. Realizing that a loved one is no longer capable of caring for his or her self can be difficult to accept. For the past twenty-five (25) years, Attorney Whalen has built a reputation for providing compassionate legal care for his clients, putting their needs and interests first while navigating emotionally trying circumstances.
The Pa Probate process, itself, is a very simple process. However, it is merely the beginning of the Pa Estate Administration (also known as the Pa Estate Settlement) process, which involves settling a decedent’s affairs, and can (and does) involve many, many other steps, depending on many, many other things.
The Ardmore Pa Attorneys Probate Guide is the core of this website. It consists of the best, most important articles on this website. Their focus is to provide the best and most complete information on various topics.
John B. Whalen, Jr., JD., LL.M., is an AV Peer Review Rated Preeminent 5.0 and Avvo Rated 10.0 Superb (obtaining over 95 client reviews and peer endorsements) premier and prestigious Attorney and Counselor at Law. He is located at 1199 Heyward Road Wayne Pa 19087.
He serves all surrounding counties, on all 7 days, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and on evenings, weekends, and holidays. He provides free initial consults all seven days, provides home visits, and provides flat fee structures. He can be reached by email at jw60297@me.com, and by telephone at 1-610-407-0220.
He has amassed over 60 prestigious and premier professional awards and over 5000 client reviews and endorsements. Mr. Whalen has achieved the AV Peer Review Rated Preeminent award from Martindale, AV Peer Judicial Preeminent award, the Avvo Rated Superb 10.00 award, the Avvo Rated Top Lawyer award, the Clients’ Choice Award, and the Top One Percent (1%) award. Mr. Whalen is the recipient of the Legum Magister Post-Doctorate Degree (LL.M.) in Taxation (from the Villanova University School of Law), a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Wills, Trusts, and Estates (from the Widener University School of Law), and a recipient of the ABA-BNA Law Award for Academic Excellence (from the Widener University School of Law).
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The Ardmore Pa Probate Lawyers Avvo Superb 2020 Rating is our effort to evaluate a lawyer’s background based on the information available in an attorney’s Avvo profile.
We create the rating using a model that considers information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from public sources like state bar associations and lawyer websites.
Any information that affects the Avvo Rating is visible in an attorney’s profile.
There is no bias. The rating is calculated using a mathematical model, and all lawyers are evaluated on the same set of standards.
The Avvo Rating cannot be bought. At Avvo, all lawyers are treated equally. We don’t play favorites, and attorneys can’t pay us to improve their ratings.
It was developed by legal professionals and people looking for legal services. The model used to calculate the rating was developed with input from hundreds of attorneys, thousands of consumers, and many other legal professionals who deeply understand the work attorneys do. We created the Avvo Rating to reflect the type of information people have identified as important when looking to hire an attorney.
It’s as simple as counting to 10. Ratings fall on a scale of 1 (Extreme Caution) to 10 (Superb), helping you quickly assess a lawyer’s background based on our rating.
The Avvo Rating is based only on the information we have collected and that the attorney has provided, so we don’t recommend the Avvo Rating as the only piece of information you use to evaluate whether an attorney is right for you. The rating is a tool that provides a snapshot assessment of a lawyer’s background, and should be considered alongside other information such as client reviews and peer endorsements.
The best gift you can give your loved ones is to have your Estate Planning complete. Unfortunately, to a great extent, misinformation about critical terms such as Pa Inheritance Tax, Federal Estate tax, Pa Probate, avoiding probate, simple will, Pa Living Will, and Pa Living Trust, tends to lead to misunderstandings of estate planning.
He concentrates his three decade career in the legal areas Pa Probate,Pa Estate Planning including Pa Last Wills, Pa Powers of Attorney, Pa Living Wills), Pa Estate Administration, Pa Estate Taxation, Pa Estate Litigation, Pa Beneficiary Representation, and Pa Guardianships.
Mr. Whalen has over 3,967 LinkedIn Profile Followers. 99 LinkedIn Peer Endorsements. 27 Avvo Peer Endorsements. 24 Martindale Peer Reviews. 12 Lawyers Client Reviews. 68 Avvo Client Reviews – over 5,000 Reviews
Mr. Whalen has achieved the AV Peer Review Rated Preeminentaward from Martindale, AV Peer Judicial Preeminent award, the Avvo Rated Superb 10.00 award, the Avvo Rated Top Lawyer award, the Clients’ Choice Award, and the Top One Percent (1%) award.
He is the recipient of the Legum Magister Post-Doctorate Degree (LL.M.) in Taxation (from the Villanova University School of Law), a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Wills, Trusts, and Estates, from the Widener University School of Law), and a recipient of the ABA-BNA Law Award for Academic Excellence (from the Widener University School of Law).
He has also been named as an Awesome Attorney in the field of Estate Planning Law (by the Suburban Life Magazine of the Philadelphia suburbs) for the years 2010 through 2018, and was Editor-in-Chief of the Delaware Law Forum at Widener School of Law.
Mr. Whalen is a frequent speaker and writer on the areas of Probate, Wills, Trusts, Estates.
I have spoken for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, spoken at the Widener University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and spoken at the Delaware County Estate Planning Council.
He has also had his legal articles published by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Pennsylvania Law Weekly, the Philadelphia Business Journal, and the Martindale.Com website.
He has had his law blogs published on the Lawyers.Com website.
Mr. Whalen is a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the United States Federal Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
He is past president of the Delaware County Estate Planning Council, a past Internship Instructor of Conestoga High School, and Villanova University School of Law.
He is a past member of the Chester County Estate Planning Council and a past President of the Chesterbrook Picket Post Condominium Association.
John B. Whalen, Jr., JD., LL.M., is an AV Peer Review Rated Preeminent 5.0 and Avvo Rated 10.0 Superb (obtaining over 95 client reviews and peer endorsements) premier and prestigious Attorney and Counselor at Law. He is located at 1199 Heyward Road Wayne Pa 19087. He serves all surrounding counties, on all 7 days, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and on evenings, weekends, and holidays. He provides free initial consults all seven days, provides home visits, and provides flat fee structures. He can be reached by email at jw60297@me.com, and by telephone at 1-610-407-0220. He has amassed over 60 prestigious and premier professional awards and over 5000 client reviews and endorsements.
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John B. Whalen, Jr., Esq.
Born July 14, 1962
AV Peer Review Preeminent® 2006-Present
I have been asked often what the AV Peer Review Rating means. The following explanation is directly from the Martindale Website.
For more than 130 years, Martindale-Hubbell has been evaluating attorneys for their strong legal ability and high ethical standards through a Peer Review Rating system. Prior to the 1887 edition of Martindale’s American Law Directory, which was the first publication to provide such ratings to attorneys, there was no way of truly knowing if the lawyer you were considering to do business with was trustworthy, ethical, or skilled in the legal field.
Today – Martindale-Hubbell continues to provide verified ratings for attorneys based not only on their legal ability and ethical standards as judged by their peers, but also based on reviews from their clients. While the criteria and format of the Peer Review Rating system has evolved since the 1800’s – the goal of Martindale-Hubbell ratings remains the same: to help keep the public informed when making the decision to do business with an attorney or law firm.
Historically the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ system utilized an “A – B – C” scale to estimate the legal ability and ethical standards of an attorney.
To qualify for an “A” rating an attorney had to be reported as “Very High” in their legal ability and had been practicing for at least 10 years, a “B” rating meant an attorney was rated “High” and had to be practicing for at least 5 years, and a “C” rating meant that the attorney was rated “fair” with no limitations on how long they were practicing.
A second rating was also given to go along with the “A – B – C” rating and that was a “V,” meaning that the attorney’s peers stated they had “Very High” ethical standards. Over the years this transitioned to “AV”, “BV”, and “CV” ratings – with an “AV” rating meaning that the attorney had reached the highest of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity.
Today, Martindale-Hubbell conducts a thorough review of attorneys who wish to receive a Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, through a secure online peer review survey where a lawyer’s ethical standards and legal ability in a specific area of practice is assessed by their peers.
Once the review process is completed an attorney may receive 1 of the following Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™:
While the Peer Review Ratings™ is still the gold standard in attorney ratings – times have most certainly changed since the first attorney ratings were released in 1887.
With the rise of the internet and how easy it is to share your experience with a business – it was important that Martindale-Hubbell also introduced a rating system for client reviews. In 2017 Martindale-Hubbell introduced a yearly client review rating award known as the “Client Champion” award to help consumers understand the real world experience previous clients had with a lawyer or law firm.
Attorneys can qualify for 3 different award levels of “Client Champion” based on client reviews:
Whether you’re a consumer who is looking to enlist the services of an attorney or a lawyer interested in being awarded a Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ or Client Champion rating – Martindale-Hubbell has all the information you need; just select your path below.
John B. Whalen, Jr., JD., LL.M., is an AV Peer Review Rated Preeminent 5.0 and Avvo Rated 10.0 Superb (obtaining over 95 client reviews and peer endorsements) premier and prestigious Attorney and Counselor at Law. He is located at 1199 Heyward Road Wayne Pa 19087. He serves all surrounding counties, on all 7 days, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and on evenings, weekends, and holidays. He provides free initial consults all seven days, provides home visits, and provides flat fee structures. He can be reached by email at jw60297@me.com, and by telephone at 1-610-407-0220. He has amassed over 60 prestigious and premier professional awards and over 5000 client reviews and endorsements.