HARRISBURG (Oct. 18, 2004) � In an effort to educate the public about important estate planning and consumer protection issues, the Pennsylvania Bar Association Client and Community Relations Committee today launched its �The Truth About Wills and Trusts in Pennsylvania� public education campaign during a news conference at the State Capitol

Joining with PBA President Michael Reed and committee Chair Craig Neely for the campaign�s kick-off in Harrisburg were Chief Deputy Attorney General Frank Donaghue and Neil Hendershot, former chair of the PBA Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section.

Part of a statewide campaign co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania and local bar associations, this program is designed to educate the public about the legal basics of estate planning and how to protect themselves from predatory marketing schemes. Covering such issues as wills, the probate process and trusts, this campaign works to help Pennsylvanians protect themselves and their families through estate planning.

�Statistics show that a majority of Americans die without a will or some other safeguard of estate planning in place,� said PBA President Reed. �If a loved one dies without an estate plan, the surviving family members may face unnecessary headaches and hardship at a difficult time. This campaign works to help Pennsylvanians prepare for the future and understand the legal issues associated with estate planning.�

The PBA�s The Truth About Wills and Trusts campaign will run Oct. 18-24 across Pennsylvania. Local bar associations will sponsor educational events, including free public seminars, radio call-in programs and informational expos. A series of ads highlighting legal questions and a toll-free number (1-888-799-4557) to receive the free PBA The Truth About Wills & Trusts guide will appear in most newspapers statewide during the campaign. These ads are the result of a partnership between the PBA and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. The campaign is funded through a grant from the Pennsylvania Bar Insurance Trust.

�We are pleased that 33 local bar associations and the Office of Attorney General have partnered with the PBA for this important project,� said Neely. �Through this campaign, we are hoping that Pennsylvanians will be reminded of the importance of preparing for the future and protecting themselves and their families from unscrupulous marketing schemes.�

The following local bar associations are participating in the campaign: Beaver County Bar Association; Berks County Bar Association; Blair County Bar Association; Bucks County Bar Association; Cambria County Bar Association; Cameron County Bar Association; Centre County Bar Association; Columbia-Montour Bar Association; Cumberland County Bar Association; Dauphin County Bar Association; Delaware County Bar Association; Erie County Bar Association; Fayette County Bar Association; Franklin County Bar Association; Jefferson County Bar Association; Lackawanna Bar Association; Lancaster Bar Association; Lebanon County Bar Association; Bar Association of Lehigh County; Lycoming Law Association; Mercer County Bar Association; Mifflin County Bar Association; Monroe County Bar Association; Montgomery Bar Association; Northampton County Bar Association; Northumberland County Bar Association; Schuylkill County Bar Association; Somerset County Bar Association; Susquehanna County Bar Association; Washington County Bar Association; Westmoreland Bar Association; Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association; and York County Bar Association.

For more information on the campaign or to receive a free guide on estate planning, citizens may contact the Pennsylvania Bar Association campaign toll-free hotline at 1-888-799-4557.