Estate Planning

Many New Jersey residents create a detailed estate plan as a way of providing for the next generations in their family. With a well-written will, financial trusts and lifetime gift planning, people can help to ensure that their family members do not lose a large chunk...

People in New Jersey may want to avoid probate by passing their assets in ways other than a will. Wills still do have some advantages, however. There are a number of ways that a person can pass their assets to their intended beneficiaries, both within the structure of...

Most New Jersey residents understand the importance of having an estate plan. However, many young people have not put any thought into what they want to happen should they become incapacitated. Following the highly publicized death of Bobbi Kristina Brown, young...

An incomplete estate plan can cause a person's assets to be tied up in the New Jersey probate process for years. Additionally, end-of-life decisions about finances, life support, and other emotional issues could be left in the hands of a judge if clear directions have...

While many people in New Jersey have probably heard that it's important to complete estate planning, too many people put it off until it's too late, passing away without a will or trust in place to distribute their assets. Still others fail to ever update their estate...

Thanks to the Supreme Court decision on June 26, same-sex couples can now enjoy the same rights and privileges of marriage as heterosexual couples, and this includes the same rights in estate planning. While marriage was already legal for gay couples in New Jersey, a...

For some New Jersey residents, a will may not be the best estate-planning tool. In some cases, a will may get tied up in probate for months. Probate can also be expensive. However, families of individuals who opt for do-it-yourself estate planning tools may still find...

Revocable trusts play key roles in many New Jersey estate plans. They allow the grantor to direct the distribution of assets in accordance with the trust's instructions without incurring the expenses associated with probate. Indeed, in most cases the trust operates...

New Jersey residents interested in estate planning issues may wish to know why their current documents may be obsolete. Because circumstances and law are subject to change, the older documents may no longer have the effect that they once did. Wills and other...

Having a will is important for all New Jersey adults regardless of whether they have many assets or few. Without a will, the state decides how to distribute the individual's possessions after their death. With a will, a person appoints an executor to administer the...