Among the most personal and important decisions a person can make in life is how they want to raise their children. An infinite variety of good parenting techniques, styles and philosophies exist. They are all linked by a parent’s undying love for their kids,...
Results-Oriented Legal Services
Year: 2014
New Jersey probate process can get complicated
When a loved one passes away, there is grief and loss to try to grapple with and accept. But like so many times in life when we least want to be bothered with legalities, paperwork and details, the time of mourning also includes those intrusions. The probate procedure...
For one family, estate litigation plays out like bad movie
Relatives of a flamboyant widow say her last years of life were like a bad movie. She spent much of her time following her husband’s 2000 death in the company of a younger man, to whom she left much of her wealth. The family is trying to change the end of that...
Leaving inheritors with headaches and bills
Ancient Egyptians used to bury a dead pharaoh with mounds of gold and jewels for the afterlife. Centuries later, the treasures were still sitting there unused. A few things have changed since then, but we still can’t take our wealth with us. Nor can we pack up...
Childless and wealthy: where will the money go?
In this high-tech era, fortunes can be made very rapidly by very young entrepreneurs. Because they’re young and focused on making their businesses succeed, they are often childless and unmarried. If they’re as practical as they are talented, they understand that for...
Estate planning tools at your disposal
As every carpenter knows, the proper tools enable a person to do a job well. So it is with estate planning. While not everyone in Flemington has to plan for the disbursement of vast wealth, all of us have to consider what we want done with our assets when we pass on,...
Changing dynamics in estate planning could affect family
Just a generation ago, families looked quite a bit different than they do today. The shift in family structures can have a strong impact on how people view their relationships and what goals they may have for financial planning. This can be seen in how estate planning...
Think you don’t need an estate plan? You may want to think again
One of the most common misconceptions that people have regarding estate planning is that they do not have any assets that will need to be distributed or settled when they pass away. They may think that because they do not have robust investments, property ownership or...
Proposed bill could change tax implications in New Jersey
In a recent post, we discussed the unique challenges that New Jersey residents face when it comes to estate and inheritance taxes. This state is just one of two that requires both state estate taxes and inheritance taxes to be paid upon a person's death. Our earlier...
Digital assets, access should be considered in estate planning
After someone passes away, an estate administrator will generally need to take care of settling a person's estate. This can be a very difficult and complex process, especially if the deceased has not left an estate plan with instructions on what he or she wants....