Wills

Ethical Wills

We have heard about a Will – a Last Will and Testament, which names someone to take care of wrapping up our affairs and directs the distribution of our assets.  But, have you heard of an Ethical Will? What exactly is an Ethical Will?  Simply put, it is a communication to your loved ones to […]

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So, You Don’t Think You Need A Last Will And Testament?

You are married and you own everything jointly with your spouse. You don’t have much in the way of assets. All of your assets are beneficiary designated – retirement accounts, life insurance policies. All of your assets are jointly owned. All of your assets are in a trust. The above scenarios may lead you to […]

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How Do You Spell Will?  T.E.A.M.

How Do You Spell Will? T.E.A.M.

When it comes to estate planning, “it’s not just about valuables, but about values; not just about principal, but about principles.” [Dr. Barry Baines, “Ethical Wills, Putting Your Values on Paper”]  Transferring values and ideals, in addition to your monetary wealth, is an important part of leaving a legacy.  In other words, what your children […]

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Safekeeping Original Documents

Where are your original estate planning documents?  In a safe place – right?  That safe place could be a safe deposit box at a bank, a fireproof box or safe in your home. Hopefully, not in a container that could burn or perhaps suffer water damage if there was a fire.  There are certain documents […]

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Electronic Wills

WOW – who would have ever thought that an electronic Will would become acceptable to probate (file of record with the court as being the decedent’s intentions).  Yes, we do so much electronically, but a Will, which back in the day couldn’t have an erasure on it (and I am talking way back in the […]

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Will You Make Your Kids Angry After You Die?

During my career of doing estate administration, I found in the earlier years that the beneficiaries were more appreciative of what they received.  The children got along and all was well.  However, our society has changed and now there are many cases ending up in court to settle matters which were not able to be […]

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When to Re-Visit Your Estate Planning

You have spent days, and maybe even weeks, working with your attorney on your Estate Planning. You finally feel that you have addressed all of your concerns and are comfortable with who your belongings are going to after you pass away. Now, you can sit back and relax and never worry about your estate planning […]

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Think you do not have anything to leave behind? Think Again! (Part 4 of 4) – Living Will and Advance Directive

You have now prepared your Last Will and Testament and have named your Attorney-In-Fact in your Power of Attorney, but what about your health? Who will take care of you and your medical needs if you become incapacitated? That is precisely what a Living Will and Advance Directive will provide. A Living Will and Advance […]

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Think you do not have anything to leave behind? Think Again! (Part 2 of 4) – Wills

Now that you have considered all of the various possibilities that you may amass a sizeable estate when you pass away, you then must consider to whom you would like the assets to pass to and, just as important, who will administer your estate. First, the decision of who will inherit from your estate. A […]

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The Ever Expanding Definition of What Constitutes A Will

One of the most important legal documents an individual can ever execute is his or her Will. Until recent years, it was a formal writing prepared by a lawyer to insure that one’s assets were passed to his or her heirs. Yet over the past few decades, alternative planning methods have arisen. Moreover, New Jersey […]

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