As your parents age you may have taken on the role of their caretaker. While you have good intentions as a caretaker, some family members may not think so if they are unhappy with their inheritance. They may accuse you of exerting “undue influence,” over your parent’s...
Many New Jersey families have one or more members who are disabled according to the criteria established by the Social Security Administration. Both the Federal government and the state of New Jersey have established financial assistance programs for these disabled...
There are many advertisements on the Internet for do-it-yourself estate planning. These ads are certainly tempting because they claim you can get the essentials done on your own for less money. However, do-it-yourself estate planning is generally not going to result...
You work and save for your eventual retirement. You also accumulate assets with the desire to pass them on to your loved ones. Not only is accumulating valuable assets important as a legacy to your loved ones but planning exactly what you wish to happen to your assets...
One of the main purposes of a trust is to protect the assets in the trust for the benefit of the beneficiaries. Unfortunately, sometimes beneficiaries can get into financial trouble that threatens the integrity of the trust. An estate plan that includes a spendthrift...
Most Bridgewater area residents do not have a lot of experience in dealing with a person’s estate after they pass away. It’s not something we do on a regular basis, so when the time comes it can be confusing and stressful. If you find yourself as an estate executor...
Gifting can be an incredibly satisfying part of estate planning. By gifting assets during your lifetime, you get the enjoyment of seeing what your loved ones do with this part of their inheritance. One concern you may have about gifting, however, is whether these...
Many individuals in New Jersey may owe a “fiduciary duty” to another person without knowing which “duties” are expressly owed to the other person. A fiduciary duty arises whenever one person is chosen to manage the assets of a deceased person’s estate, manage the...
There are a lot of ways to go about protecting your assets. But not all of them are created equally. You need a plan that suits your needs and protects your wealth in an effective way. However, if you’re not careful in how you go about doing that, then you could face...
New Jersey residents who have accumulated a fair amount of assets may consider putting them into a trust for their intended beneficiaries. There are two general types of trust: revocable and irrevocable. One of the biggest differences between the two types of trusts...
