Even if you spend the time meeting with your estate planning attorney and follow up annually to make changes, it can be frustrating for your loved ones to have no idea where to look for your final wishes when you pass away. It can also be a mistake to include your burial instructions with your[...]
While you will certainly need a will as your basic estate planning tool, you may also choose to use a revocable trust. There are several different reasons why revocable trusts can be seen as advantageous when compared with wills. Flexibility A revocable trust that has been funded may allow you to list out of state[...]
There are four primary estate planning mistakes that individuals all across the wealth spectrum are guilty of but there are important lessons that can be drawn from celebrities who have made these mistakes as well. Not Having a Will Singer, Amy Winehouse, passed away without a will at age 27 leaving behind a $6.7 million[...]
There are several important considerations that you should factor in to the process of putting together a will in New Jersey. Working with a knowledgeable estate planning attorney can help ensure that you are in compliance with all relevant state laws and regulations and that you have a document that is in line with your[...]
Giving and receiving are hot topics during this time of year, and you’ve probably done your fair share of both this holiday season. Of course, the nice thing about gifts around a tree is that you have some sense of what to expect when the big day comes around. Unless your loved ones are especially[...]
The beginning of life might seem like an odd time to start thinking about the end of life, but it’s precisely the right time. View image | gettyimages.com TIME Money magazine recently listed estate planning as one of the eight essential steps that new and expectant parents must take when a baby is on the[...]
We all know we need one, but how many of us follow through? Not enough, that’s for sure. Estate planning is one of procrastination’s favorite victims. Americans continue to neglect their end-of-life preparations, despite growing awareness of how unwise that can be. Sickness and death aren’t the most pleasant topics under the sun, after all.[...]
Sure, you can create a will without a lawyer. There are even a number of downloadable documents online, and software programs available from your nearest electronics store, to help you do it. However, a recent article in the ABA Journal showcases why the do it yourself approach is not such a good idea. The article[...]
Revocable living trusts are one of the most powerful tools in the estate planner’s toolbox and offer a number of advantages over wills. These include avoiding probate, reducing delays in the distribution of assets, greater control over your assets while you are alive and in the event of incapacity, greater privacy, and more. Unfortunately, many[...]
In New Jersey, if a person passes away without a will or trust, his or her estate assets are distributed according to what is known as intestate succession. It’s an estate plan of sorts, and for most people, not a very good one. Certain assets are not subject to New Jersey’s intestate succession laws. These[...]