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Q: What is the spouse’s Right of Election?

New York and New Jersey estate planning attorneys are watching with interest as details of the estate plan of Cars front man, Ric Ocasek, come to light.
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Q: What should I know before buying a home?

New York and New Jersey real estate attorneys help clients purchase their first home, upgrade to a larger home, and downsize to something smaller. Often, their first contact with a prospective homebuyer happens after they have already found what they think is the home of their dreams and are ready to go into contract.

Sometimes,

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Q: How do I know if I need to update my estate plan?

As a new year-- and a new decade--recently began, many people made New Year’s resolutions to improve their lives. Quitting unhealthy habits like smoking, or adopting healthy habits like eating well and exercising are common resolutions--but they require a long-term commitment and real effort by the resolution-maker. Sometimes with frustrating or less than optimal results.

But

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Q: How are creditors’ claims against estates handled?

When people think of estate planning, they often think about what assets they have and who they want to leave them to after they are gone.

Similarly, when beneficiaries think of

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Q: Is it safe to buy a home on the flood-prone coasts of the New York City area?

When most people think of buying real estate in New York City, they may think of the “concrete jungle” setting of Manhattan—high up in skyscrapers where it’s dry and the idea of your home being flooded in a hurricane doesn’t even cross one’s mind.

Of course, Read more . . .

Q: Should you talk about your estate plan at the holiday dinner table?

New York and New Jersey estate planning attorneys often encourage their clients to tell their adult children about their estate plans. You might even consider working estate planning talk into the holiday dinner conversation if the mood is right and the important people are present.

In today’s political climate, the discussion would likely be less controversial than discussing politics.
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Q: How can having many accounts or joint accounts impact estate planning and administration?

When New York and New Jersey estate planning attorneys meet with a client to craft a comprehensive estate plan, they begin a fact-finding mission that examines the individual’s unique lifestyle, their assets and debts, their goals and plans, their worries and dreams.

Despite following an estate planning road map of sorts, no two plans are exactly alike.
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Q: Can I disinherit my spouse?

Even in the best circumstances, the relationship between an adult child and their divorced parent’s new spouse can have its rough moments. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the field of estate planning, as New York and New Jersey estate planning attorneys can attest. 

There is a literal arsenal of estate planning tools for each individual’s personal scenario.
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Q: Why should people plan for incapacity?

New York and New Jersey estate planning attorneys not only prepare people’s wills, but draft several other documents that together make up a comprehensive estate plan. 

What documents are needed when planning for incapacity?

Planning for incapacity is essential in estate planning, regardless of age or health. Not to frighten you, but the stark reality is that tragedy can strike anyone at any moment.
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Q: What is a revocable living trust?

Whether they’re from the music or television world, celebrities are viewed by some as role models – much to the chagrin of parents that might disagree with the examples set by their on-stage or off-screen behavior. Antics and personalities aside, estate planning attorneys are more likely to judge celebrities on their choices – or lack of choices – in the estate planning department.

Mega-stars, like the late Prince, sometimes die without any estate planning documents in place, leaving an Read more . . .

Q: Where can I find an affordable house or apartment in New Jersey, but close to Manhattan?

Whether you work in New York City or would just love to live nearby so you can easily visit more often, buying a home in the city can be challenging. For that reason, New York real estate attorneys often help clients, who can’t afford to purchase a home in Manhattan, with leases for apartments in and around the Big Apple.

New York and New Jersey real estate attorneys have found that in recent years clients have looked for homes in Staten Island and other boroughs--as well as New Jersey neighborhoods near Manhattan.
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