The Client Care Program, now in its seventh year, was created to give our estate planning clients an opportunity to have their Last Wills, Powers of Attorney, Advance Directives for Healthcare or Living Wills, and other documents, reviewed in light of present-day law and opportunities.
If there is no Last Will and Testament appointing an Executor, or if none of the people named as Executor in a Last Will are able to act, then the appointment of an administrator will be necessary to administer the estate. Who will be
Bob Shanahan has been named Volunteer Guardianship's Volunteer of the Year. Bob Shanahan “Please join Volunteer Guardianship One on One in honoring Robert J. Shanahan, Jr., Esq., who has been an active volunteer in the Hunterdon County community for the past 24 years.
A Last Will and Testament, if properly drafted, indicates how you would like your assets distributed to your heirs, appoints an Executor to carry out your wishes, and should indicate who has authority over the disposition of your remains. In New Jersey, it can be
Inheritance tax will be the last remaining “death tax” in New Jersey, as of January 1, 2018. On that date, the state’s estate tax will disappear. New Jersey Inheritance Tax NJ Inheritance Tax: Who's paying? The “Transfer Inheritance Tax” is assessed against inheritances
The Facebook “Hard Questions” blog recently addressed the issue of what should happen to people’s online identity when they die. https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/08/what-should-happen-to-online-identity/ This is a wonderful article expressing the emotional and practical issues surrounding one’s online postings after death and how, at least one company is
Can the terms of a Will be changed to make them “fair”? Let’s say that a parent has died. Under the terms of the parent’s Will, one of four children is disinherited. The child and parent did not get along, and, for good reason. The
“Control over my funeral” is becoming a developing issue in my practice. Funeral directors have asked me to sign statements that I have such authority when I have buried my wards as a court appointed guardian. Now, family survivors are disagreeing over the disposition of
Probating an estate is one of life’s duties for many of us. At some point, you may be called upon to handle a loved-one’s estate. It just happens. Whether being named as “Executor” in a Last Will, or stepping forward to act as “Administrator” where
In New Jersey, and many other states, a surviving spouse has a right to one-third of a deceased spouse’s estate, despite provisions in the Last Will to the contrary. In other words, you may disinherit your spouse in your Last Will, but he or she
New Jersey Chief Justice, Stuart Rabner, announced a statewide program to monitor court appointed guardians and their care of the state’s most vulnerable citizens, the elderly and disabled who rely on legal guardians to manage their financial and health-related decisions. The plan calls for volunteers
The February 2013 edition of Consumer Reports (CR) has an interesting article on “7 Money Stumbles to Avoid”. CR completed a study about American’s money habits and found “several common and insidious blunders that could cause significant financial, and sometimes emotional, pain.” Guess what was
Many people leave a percentage of their estate, instead of a specific dollar amount, to one or more charities in their Last Will and Testament. Under New Jersey law, when a percentage of the estate is left to a charity, the State Attorney General's office
Mom or Dad will need nursing home care sometime in the immediate future. In order to preserve the asset for the kids, should Mom and Dad sign a deed and transfer ownership of the house to the kids for one dollar? Maybe not. First, if
Being an Elder Care attorney for over fifteen years, I have seen so many people in anguish over caring for their aging parents. Many times, I have heard men and women say, "The pressure is killing me." Most of the time, it is the women