New Jersey Estate Planning Lawyer

Estate Planning

Planning for the future can be one of the hardest things anyone can do. Add in someone passing away, and it can be hard enough just focusing on the now, let alone having to figure out what to do about everything they have left behind. At Scott Counsel, we have a few goals. One of them is to be the best possible team we can be for the sake of our clients. Another is to present a wealth of information covering anything you might need to know about elder law and all that comes with it. However, where we want to set ourselves apart is in the presentation of that information. There is certainly a lot out there to wrap your mind around, and we want to make sure that both clients and potential clients leave our office with confidence in the knowledge they have gained. With that in mind, the information in each section of this website is presented in such a way that people can understand it without feeling like their intelligence has been degraded in the process.

One of the areas in which we can serve you is Estate Planning. Now, estate planning sounds like a very wide term, an all-encompassing one, and in a way, it is. There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to estate planning. But what does it deal with?

Simply put, estate planning deals with the more “general” side of things—things many people think of after a loved one has passed away.

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For many people, estate planning sounds like something they can put off until they are retired. Then tragedy strikes, and they don’t have the legal documents in place. Consequently, many family disputes break out regarding medical decision making and the inheritance of key assets.

At Scott Counsel, P.C., we work with clients both young and old. Our legal team crafts estate plans that are responsive to our client’s concerns as well as their goals. Please call us to schedule a consultation with a New Jersey estate planning lawyer.

Estate planning is a broad term that deals with the following topics:

Wills

Most people have a will, which serves multiple purposes:

• You can leave assets to specific beneficiaries, such as your home to your eldest child.
• You can divide your estate equally between one or more people.
• You identify your estate’s personal representative.
• You name guardians for your minor children.

Dying without a will is called dying “intestate,” and your estate gets divided according to New Jersey’s intestacy rules. You will lose the ability to determine who inherits what if you lack a valid will at death.

Trusts

Trusts often supplement wills and are an excellent vehicle for reaping tax savings. You can create a will to leave assets to charities or to a person with disabilities so that they can continue to qualify for government benefits. Trusts can go into effect while living or at your death.

Our legal team can find the right trust for you depending on your estate planning goals. One benefit of a trust is privacy, since the trust is administered outside probate.

Living Wills

When faced with a terminal illness or incapacity, many of our clients wish to avoid some or all life support. A living will identifies which life-extending measures you want when you cannot speak for yourself. Without a living will, many children are embroiled in arguments over what Mom or Dad should receive a feeding tube or artificial respiration. Make your desires known with a living will.

Powers of Attorney

You can give someone the legal power to make decisions for you when you are incapacitated. A power of attorney is an excellent document for appointing someone to handle your finances or make medical decisions. We can discuss who to appoint as your attorney-in-fact to make sensitive choices when you can no longer speak for yourself.

Blended Family Estate Planning

People are increasingly marrying more than once and often have children with multiple spouses. Protecting their children’s inheritance is a key concern for many of our clients. For example, your surviving spouse could inherit more of the estate than you want by virtue of New Jersey law, which can override your will. Protect all your children by engaging in conscious estate planning with an attorney who appreciates the realities of blended families.

Estate planning is a broad term that deals with the following topics:

• Power of Attorney
• Living Wills
• Wills
• Trusts
• Estate Tax Planning
• Veterans Benefits

Now that we have more of an idea what estate planning is, let’s see some of the questions you might come across or come up with:

• What is a Power of Attorney? How many different types are there?
• What is a Living Will?
• How does a Living Will differ from a regular Will?
• What all can a Will do for me?
• What is a trust?
• What is an irrevocable trust?
• What is a qualifying income trust?
• How can benefits for veterans help with estate planning?

Again, these are just a few of the questions that you may have when you come to visit us here at Scott Counsel. You get the idea. You’ll probably have many more, and that’s okay, because we can help you with those too. Our goal is not simply to help you through one of the hardest times life can throw at you. Rather, we want to do that while also instilling in you the confidence and assurance you need to face the coming challenges head-on without fear. When you choose Scott Counsel, you’re choosing a firm that doesn’t just put clients first, we put people first. You’re choosing a team that believes that what we do doesn’t matter if people don’t matter. So, if you need help with estate planning, you’ve come to the right place.

We’re here to help in a multitude of areas, so let’s get started.