This program is eligible for 3 hours of CLE credit in 60-minute states. In 50-minute states, this program is eligible for 3.6 hours of CLE credit. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.
Overview
Turbulent financial conditions, increased use of non-probate transfers, and increased life expectancies/individuals outliving their resources have left many probate estates without resources to pay the creditors and administrative expenses of a decedent’s estate. This popular program will identify the key issues, traps for the unwary, and practical solutions for counsel to consider in these nuanced estates. The panel will also address the availability (or not) of a decedent’s non-probate property to pay creditors of an estate.
Recorded in June 2025.
Faculty
Anthony L. Marone, Esq.
Mr. Marone is a partner of Harvey, Ballard, and Bornstein, L.L.C. and has extensive experience representing elderly and disabled individuals in a variety of matters involving Medical Assistance benefits, wills and trusts, estate planning, decedents’ estates, guardianship, and Special Needs Trusts. He has pursued cases on behalf of his clients in a variety of forums including Orphans’ Court, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court, Federal Court, as well as administrative hearings. He successfully litigated matters involving Medicaid Qualifying Annuities, Medical Assistance eligibility, eligibility of aliens for public benefits, distributions from Special Needs Trusts, and guardianships of intellectually disabled and mentally ill individuals. Prior to joining Harvey, Ballard, and Bornstein, L.L.C., Mr. Marone was a partner at McAndrews, Mehalick, Connolly, Hulse, Marone, and Ryan. He joined McAndrews in 2014 as an associate, focusing on elder law and Special Needs Trust matters, and was eventually named a partner. Prior to 2014, he was an Assistant Counsel in the Office of General Counsel to the Governor of Pennsylvania. For seven years he represented various agencies of the Department of Public Welfare and was the Department’s primary litigator and appellate attorney for both Medical Assistance Long-Term Care issues and Special Needs Trusts issues in all the counties of eastern Pennsylvania. He advised the Department on numerous policy decisions and reviewed multiple bills from the Pennsylvania Legislature. Mr. Marone was a sole practicing attorney in Philadelphia prior to joining the Department and has extensive experience in wills, estates, probate, guardianship, bankruptcy, and family law matters. Mr. Marone served as a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard from 1984 to 2007. His military specialty was intelligence analysis, and he held a top-secret security clearance. After the September 11th terrorist attacks, Mr. Marone was deployed overseas as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and was responsible for analyzing the threat situation, tracking terrorist activities, advising the Command on multiple operations, and security. He was also mobilized with the Pennsylvania Guard for every natural disaster in southeastern Pennsylvania from 1984 to 2007 and was deployed to Louisiana for Operation Katrina Relief. He retired from the military in 2007. Mr. Marone is an active member of the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA). He was named the 2023 PAELA person of the year. Mr. Marone continually lectures at venues across Central and Eastern Pennsylvania. He is a frequent speaker on Special Needs Trust and Medicaid issues for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and PAELA. Mr. Marone is a lifelong resident of Philadelphia. He is retired from the military and is a veteran. Mr. Marone remains active in veterans’ issues and is a member of several veteran’s organizations.
Eric R. Strauss, Esq.
Mr. Strauss is a partner with the Lehigh Valley law firm Gross McGinley, LLP, with offices in Easton, Allentown, and Stroudsburg, where he focuses his practice on Estate Planning, Estate Administration, and Orphans’ Court litigation. He received his B.A. from Syracuse University in 1987 and his J.D. from the Western New England School of Law in 1989. Mr. Strauss is a member of the Lehigh and Carbon County Bar Associations as well as the Pennsylvania Bar Association (member: PBA Elder Law Section and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section: Vice President Probate Trust Division 2012-2014, Section Chair 2014-2015) and Lehigh Valley Estate Planning Council. Eric is an elected fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). He has authored numerous articles and frequently lectures to community and professional groups, including the National Business Institute and Pennsylvania Bar Institute, on the topics of estate planning, estate administration, trust administration, fiduciary income tax, Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax, Federal Estate Tax, and related areas. He also devotes time to community organizations including the Allentown YMCA-YWCA, Board of Directors (President 1997-1998), Trustee (1999-present); Lehigh County Senior Center, Board of Directors(2003-2009) and Trout Unlimited.
Erik D. Spurlin, Esq., LLM, CELA
Mr. Spurlin practices law in the areas of estate planning and administration and long-term care planning. Before establishing his firm in York County, Mr. Spurlin was a principal of the Elder Law Firm of Robert Clofine and an associate of Appel & Yost. Before that, he served as a judicial law clerk to the York County Orphans’ Court. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys, the Elder Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the Estate Planning and Probate Section of the York County Bar Association. He serves as a board member to multiple sections of the York County Bar Association and a professional adviser to Leave a Legacy York County. He frequently presents seminars for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, most recently presenting the following courses: Elder Law Update (2019); Practical Medicaid Planning (2018); Fixing Broken Trusts (2018 and 2016); Medicaid Basics (2017); Guardianship Updates and Trends (2016); Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid (2016); Estate Planning for the Alzheimer’s Client (2015); and Guardianship Practice and Procedure (2015). Mr. Spurlin is a graduate of Arizona State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, in political science, and master’s degree, summa cum laude, in international relations. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he also received his LL.M. (Master of Laws) in taxation, with distinction. During this time, he earned a graduate certificate in estate planning and was the sole recipient of the Joseph Price Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Tax Law in 2010.

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