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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
In 1994, Helen M. Weste executed a Last Will. She was single and had no children. The Will made three charitable bequests, left her personal property to a niece, and left the remainder of her estate to be divided in differing percentages among a sister along with eight nieces and nephews. In 2002, Helen executed […]
On February 2, 2014, Philip Seymour Hoffman died of a drug overdose at the age of 46. He was an Academy Award winning actor who appeared in many productions on stage and screen. He was survived by his life partner, Mimi O’Donnell, and their three children, Cooper (10), Tallulah (7) and Willa (5). His estate […]
Capehart Scatchard’s Thomas D. Begley, III obtained a significant decision in the Superior Court of New Jersey when he successfully argued that an unexecuted Will of a Burlington County resident be admitted to probated. In February 2012, SalvatoreVarsaci consulted with an attorney to revise his Will. The Will was drafted and sent to him for […]
Any individual, who aspires to practice estate planning or elder law, must be proficient in the areas of will drafting, trusts, and basic taxation. One of the fastest growing areas of litigation throughout the country is will contests. The primary reasons for this growth are: (1) the increase in our elderly population and (2) inadequate […]
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