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Browns Mills Estate Planning Attorney

Estate Planning Lawyers In Browns Mills Helping You Plan Your Estate

When it comes to estate planning, many factors must be considered. Ensuring proper asset distribution post-death and making arrangements for healthcare and final expenses can be overwhelming. Our Browns Mills estate planning attorney can provide necessary assistance.

At Posternock Apell, PC, we specialize in estate planning to meet your specific needs and ensure your loved ones are cared for. Our New Jersey lawyers provide guidance on wills, trusts, and estate administration. Call us today at 856-242-8151.

Quick Summary:

  • Estate Planning: Estate planning is crucial to ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes and to make arrangements for healthcare and final expenses.
  • Basic Estate Planning Documents: Important estate planning documents in New Jersey include a Last Will and Testament, Revocable Living Trust, Durable Financial Power of Attorney, and Advance Healthcare Directive.
  • Benefits of Estate Planning: Estate planning offers control over your legacy, peace of mind, flexibility, protection for loved ones, efficient asset transfer, tax minimization, and asset protection.
  • When to Hire an Estate Planning Attorney: You should hire an attorney when you have a will, during significant life events like marriage or divorce, or if you have young children.

Our Browns Mills estate planning attorney is essential for ensuring that your assets are distributed according to your wishes and your loved ones are protected. Posternock Apell, P.C. offers comprehensive estate planning services to help you create a plan that aligns with your circumstances and objectives. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and achieve your estate planning goals.

What Is Estate Planning?

Estate planning is the process of arranging for the distribution of your assets in the event of your incapacity or after you die. Incapacitation means you’re mentally or physically unable to handle your own affairs. Incapacity can happen unexpectedly at any age and to anyone, not just the elderly or ill.

An estate plan can also include things like health care decisions and final arrangements. This legal and financial planning ensures that your wishes are carried out effectively and that your loved ones are provided for according to your intentions.  

There are several things to take into consideration when estate planning, such as your age, your health, and your wealth. Our Browns Mills estate planning lawyer can help you create a plan that fits your specific needs and goals. We can also guide wills, trusts, and other legal matters related to estate planning.

Our estate planning lawyer can also help you with other legal matters related to estate planning, such as guardianship and probate. If you have any questions about estate planning, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would be happy to answer any of your questions.

What are the Basic Estate Planning Documents in New Jersey?

There are several fundamental estate planning documents that you should consider when creating a comprehensive estate plan. These documents help you manage your assets, protect your loved ones, and ensure your wishes are carried out. Here are the basic estate planning documents in New Jersey:

Last Will and Testament

A will is a legal document that distributes assets after death. It designates beneficiaries, appoints an executor, and specifies guardians for minors. A well-drafted will prevents intestate succession and ensures wishes are honored. 

Choose an executor, typically a family member or friend, to manage the will. The executor’s responsibilities include gathering assets, starting probate, filing taxes, paying debts, and distributing assets according to the will.

Trust

Depending on your assets and goals, it may make sense to use trusts as part of your estate plan as well. A trust is an arrangement in which a grantor puts assets into the care of a trustee for the benefit of one or more parties called beneficiaries.

There are two main types of trusts that you can establish while you’re still alive:

Revocable Living Trusts

A revocable living trust is an estate planning tool that manages your assets during your lifetime and determines their distribution after your death. By placing assets in the trust, you can avoid the time-consuming and costly probate process. You can act as the trustee while alive and appoint a successor trustee for after your passing.

Irrevocable Living Trusts

An irrevocable living trust can’t be revoked or changed once created. It requires the grantor to permanently give up control over their assets, demanding careful consideration. This type of trust serves purposes like protecting assets from creditors, reducing estate tax, and making conditional gifts to beneficiaries.

Durable Financial Power of Attorney

A financial power of attorney is a legal document that appoints an agent or attorney-in-fact to handle matters on your behalf in case of incapacitation. A durable power of attorney can decide on your assets, finances, and legal matters, avoiding costly guardianship proceedings. The powers granted to your agent may cover tax matters, business interests, real estate, banking, retirement plans, securities, and other transactions, as well as access to safe deposit boxes and management of government benefits.

Advance Healthcare Directive

An advance healthcare directive includes a proxy directive and a living will. It lets you choose a healthcare proxy and specify your medical preferences. It must be signed and dated by you with two adult witnesses present, or signed, dated, and acknowledged by you in front of a notary public or authorized person.

Why Is Estate Planning Beneficial?

Estate planning is a crucial process that offers numerous benefits for you and your loved ones. It involves creating a comprehensive strategy to manage your assets, protect your family, and ensure your financial and personal wishes are carried out effectively. Here are some of the reasons why estate planning is highly beneficial:

Control Over Your Legacy

Estate planning allows you to retain control over important decisions, even if you’re unable to make them yourself. By having a comprehensive estate plan, you can specify how your assets are distributed, who will make medical decisions on your behalf, and who will care for your minor children, ensuring your values and preferences are respected.

Peace of Mind

Estate planning provides peace of mind for both you and your family. Knowing that your affairs are in order and that your wishes will be honored in the event of your incapacity or passing can alleviate stress and uncertainty during challenging times.

Flexibility and Customization

Estate planning is highly customizable to your unique circumstances and preferences. You have the flexibility to create a plan that aligns with your specific financial goals, family dynamics, and charitable intentions.

Protecting Your Loved Ones

One of the primary benefits of estate planning is protecting your family and loved ones. By creating a will or trust, you can define how your assets should be distributed, thereby preventing potential disputes among family members. You can also designate guardians for your minor children, ensuring their well-being is in good hands.

Efficient Asset Transfer

Estate planning aims to streamline the transfer of assets to your heirs, reducing the burden on your beneficiaries and minimizing the complexities and costs associated with probate court. Proper planning can help ensure that your assets are distributed promptly and efficiently.

Avoiding Intestacy Laws

Without an estate plan, the state’s intestacy laws determine how your assets are distributed. Estate planning allows you to make these decisions yourself, ensuring your assets go to the individuals and causes you choose.

Minimizing Taxes

Effective estate planning can help minimize estate and inheritance taxes, preserving the value of your assets for your beneficiaries. By utilizing various tax-saving strategies, you can pass on more of your wealth to your loved ones or chosen beneficiaries.

Asset Protection

An estate plan can include measures to protect your assets from creditors, lawsuits, and other potential threats. Trusts, in particular, offer a way to shield assets from certain financial risks.

Estate planning allows you to safeguard your family’s future, manage your assets effectively, and create a legacy that reflects your values and intentions. The peace of mind and security it provides for you and your loved ones make estate planning an important investment in your financial and personal well-being. Consulting with our estate planning lawyer in Browns Mills NJ can help you create a plan tailored to your unique circumstances and goals. 

When Should I Hire An Estate Planning Attorney?

The best time to hire an estate planning attorney is when you have a will. If you don’t have a will, an estate planning attorney can help you create one. They can also help you with other legal matters related to estate planning. After you pass on, your will goes into effect, and it determines how your assets are distributed. If you don’t have a will, the state will determine how your assets are distributed, which may not be what you wanted.

Hiring an estate planning attorney is also advisable when getting married, divorced, or if you have young children, to ensure your plan is updated and they are cared for if something happens to you.

If any of these things apply to you, then it may be worth working with our Browns Mills estate planning lawyer. Contact us today at 856-242-8151 to schedule a consultation. We would be happy to discuss your needs and see how we can help.

Call Our Browns Mills Estate Planning Attorney Now!

Creating an estate plan is most effective when done before a crisis. Inadequate preparation and delayed response lead to increased costs and loss of control. Estate planning provides peace of mind and allows you to maintain control even in times of incapacity or after your passing.

At Posternock Apell, P.C., our Browns Mills estate planning lawyers are committed to creating personalized estate plans that alleviate your concerns and help you make informed decisions. Our estate planning law firm understands your unique needs and concerns, offering comprehensive solutions that safeguard your legacy. We utilize a variety of estate planning techniques to assist you in reaching your estate planning goals, including preparing complex wills, trusts, arranging for the lifetime gifting of assets, and creating powers of attorney and living wills.

Whether it’s creating a will, establishing trusts, or minimizing taxes, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation and discover how we can make the estate planning process a smooth and effective one. We can also help you handle business law, real estate, and litigation cases in New Jersey.