Not as Much Time as You Think (Part 2)
In last week’s blog post I started to tell you about Mary’s call to our office. She reached out because her dad, who was in the hospital, wanted to make a change to his will to leave his home to Mary. It’s something he had told her
Not as Much Time as You Think (Part 1)
A part of what we do as elder law attorneys involves drafting the essential legal documents that will help clients set forth clearly their wishes and help family members assist them in accomplishing their goals. This usually includes a power of attorney, health care directive, last will and testament
Why You Want to Avoid Intestacy Laws – Part 2
In last week’s post I started talking about intestacy laws which direct how assets pass when a person dies without a will. This week I will discuss a couple of instances where failing to prepare a will proved harmful. In the first case, Joe was married but he had
Why You Want to Avoid Intestacy Laws – Part 1
In the past few months we have had calls regarding how to distribute assets of a person who dies without a will. This is what is known as dying “intestate”, without leaving a will or set of instructions as to how you want your assets distributed. Keep in mind
Unexpected Inheritance – Too Good to Be True? Part 2
In last week’s post I shared with you a letter my client, John Smith, received about an unexpected inheritance. There are several red flags that tell us it’s a scam. The letter contained the bank’s recognizable logo. It appeared to be “off”, although I was
Unexpected Inheritance – Too Good to Be True? (Part 1)
In this week’s post I will share with you a letter a client received that he forwarded to me. Our client – we’ll refer to him as John Smith (not his real name) – received a letter from the account manager at a foreign branch of
What Constitutes a Validly Executed Will (Part 2)
Last week I was telling you about an Australian case in which the court held that a deceased man’s unsent text message found on his phone was considered to be a valid will. How might a New Jersey court rule on these facts? New Jersey law generally establishes that
A Simple Estate Matter? Not so Fast (Part 2)
Last week I was telling you about Mark’s call regarding the administration of his sister, Melanie’s estate. He had gone to the Surrogate to get appointed as administrator of the estate but had listed only 4 of 5 siblings as heirs, thinking his brother, Frank should not be listed
A Simple Estate Matter? Not so Fast
Mark called because he needed assistance with an inheritance tax return. The attorney he had hired to assist him in selling his sister, Melanie's home was unsure how to complete it. A little bit of background is helpful. Melanie died without a will. She had never married and had
Estate Planning – Changing as We Age (Part 3)
Last week I was talking about what we call senior estate planning and something called a tax waiver. New Jersey probate – the process of administering an estate after someone dies – is easy in some respects but not so easy in others. Let’s go back to Jack and