Salem County Elder Law Attorney

We understand how challenging and scary it can be to think about dying. However, planning and thinking about the future can make it a little bit less scary and positively impact your family. When you pass, your family will inevitably suffer. By leaving a clear will behind, you can alleviate a little bit of their pain or at least keep them out of a courtroom.

When you work with a Salem County elder law attorney, you can be confident that we will get to know you as an individual and understand your family’s unique needs. We’ll prepare a plan that will work for you.

Why Work With Us

You probably know you need a will. Whether you have millions of dollars to leave behind or just a few sentimental objects, writing down a plan can make the division of assets much easier for your heirs. You may have a hard time imagining it, but it’s very common for siblings and cousins to get into big fights over their inheritance. Writing a will can prevent those fights and keep your family close.

We can also help you consider how you will pay for your end-of-life care. Many people require significant medical care when they are elderly, including residential care. These kinds of services can drain your bank account quickly unless you make a plan ahead of time. Working with a Salem county elder law attorney can help you make a plan so that you can qualify for Medicaid and keep your assets to pass on to your family.

You might also want to consider whom you would trust to care for you if you could not make decisions for yourself anymore. Usually, this is your spouse. However, if you do not have a surviving spouse, you need to determine if this would be a child, grandchild, friend, or professional you trust. Making this determination early will also give you a chance to talk to that person ahead of time and make sure they know your wishes.

The Time to Start is Now

It’s never too early to begin planning for your golden years. Even if you are currently healthy, it could be a great time to connect with a Salem County elder law attorney. Making your plan early means you have time to clarify with your family members the plan for your estate and whether you plan on leaving things to them or not. This is a great opportunity to consider your legacy. Once you have done that, you can focus on enjoying your family now and for many years.

Call us today to find out how a Salem County elder law attorney can help you and your family. We are excited to help you make a plan and ensure that your wishes are in writing and can be defended in court. It’s the best way to ensure that the end of your life goes according to your wishes.

Salem County Estate Administration Attorney

Being the administrator of an estate is a huge responsibility. It is also a sign that someone has a tremendous amount of trust in you. They trust you to fulfill their final wishes, which shows great respect. However, it can be overwhelming. You must navigate legal and financial systems to ensure everything is handled correctly. It requires a lot of paperwork, and there is little room for error. It can be difficult if you do not have expertise in these fields.

In fact, even if you are an accountant, lawyer, or otherwise an expert, it can still be challenging to be an estate administrator. You are also likely to be grieving the loss of someone that matters a lot to you. The stress of grief can make these systems even more difficult to work through.

A Salem County estate administration attorney can help you. We have done this before and are experienced in helping people with estate administration. We can answer your questions, give you step-by-step guidance, or even take over the entire process on your behalf. Whatever you need, you can count on us to help.

How Estate Administration Works

Typically, the first step in executing an estate is to go through probate. However, this is not necessary if there is a surviving spouse. In that case, the assets will go to the spouse. If there is no spouse, the will must be authenticated, meaning a judge must sign off on the will as valid. If the will was clearly notarized and created with the help of a good lawyer, this is very easy. However, you might need to prove that the will is valid in other cases. This can be difficult, but we can help you understand what kind of proof you might need.

You will also need to pay any leftover bills and close out accounts. You will need to determine the value of any assets left behind, pay taxes, and separate the inheritance. This could be simple but also very complicated, especially if there is real estate, a business, or other complex property to divide. We can help you do this and recommend financial professionals to help you if the situation needs more complicated advice.

We can also connect you with mental health professionals. Estate administrators often bury their own grief because they are busy dealing with the logistics of the estate and then find themselves dealing with it much later after everyone else has gone through the process. We believe you should have that support right away.

Work With Us

When you choose a Salem County estate administration attorney, you are choosing someone to walk by your side during one of the most difficult things you will ever do. We know how complicated this process will be, and we can help you every step of the way. Give us a call to find out how we can help you.

Salem County Estate Litigation Attorney

No one likes to deal with the legal system. The courts are complicated, slow, and can tear families apart. The worst time to deal with the legal system is when you are already grieving. Losing someone you love is incredibly draining, and the last thing you need during that painful time is to deal with litigation.

However, a disputed will can lead to a legal filing. If there is no will, the will is unclear, or the will is contested, you will want to have a great Salem County estate litigation attorney available to help you.

Why Work With Us

We know that every family, and every will, is unique. We are proud to get to know every client individually and understand their individual needs. We will help you collect all the information you need to dispute a will and represent you in court.

While wills are legal documents, they can also be highly emotional. There may be a small, relatively low-value object that matters a lot to your family. If the deceased did not clarify who would receive it, that could snowball into a major fight. Or, a family could struggle to accept a will that does not divide assets legally. This situation can be extremely emotional; that’s why you need a skilled Salem County estate litigation attorney on your side.

A will could also be invalidated, such as if the deceased had Alzheimer’s while writing it. Or, there may not be a will at all – in this situation, you will need to litigate every point that the parties cannot agree on. This can be a long, drawn-out process, so you should reach out to us early on. The sooner we learn about your case, the more help that we can be. If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of a will, you should connect with us right away. Sometimes, we can help solve these problems before any litigation occurs.

Reach Out Today

We have helped many families through estate litigation in Salem County. When you work with us, you have someone on your side to help you interpret the wishes of the deceased and the legality of those wishes. If you have a challenging will or estate to administer, a Salem County estate litigation attorney can help. You should get an attorney involved if you have any reason to believe someone else might question the will’s legitimacy. Even if you do not go to court, we can answer your questions and help the process run smoothly.

We are proud to help our clients navigate the legal system successfully and prevent family feuds from beginning. Call us today to find out how we can help your family navigate estate litigation.

Salem County Estate Planning Attorney

When you think about the legacy you want to leave behind, it is probably the values you want to instill in your children and grandchildren. You may hope to be remembered for your professional acumen or as an involved community member. You also most likely wish to leave behind monetary assets for your heirs.

Estate planning lets you think about what will happen to your assets once you have passed. If you have any level of wealth – whether it’s a few thousand dollars in the bank or millions in real estate – it’s a good time to think about your family’s future.

The Value of a Plan

Without an estate plan, you cannot control what will happen to your assets after you die. The letter of the law will be followed, but the people executing your estate won’t know what was particularly meaningful to you. If you have an unmarried partner, they likely will not receive anything. Your friends, likewise, would not be able to inherit from you without a will. People may argue over your assets, leading to rifts that last for decades.

Typically, people begin their estate planning when other people depend on them, such as when they get married or have a child. However, single, childfree people should also consider their long-term plans.

However, if you have minor children, one of the most important things to consider in your estate planning is what will happen to them. If you are no longer around to take care of them, and their other parent is also not around, you should make a plan. You need to appoint a guardian and ensure they are willing to take responsibility. If you have not done this, the state will select a guardian for them. The chances are small that this will be the person that you would have chosen.

As you and your family get older, it’s important to revisit your estate plan regularly. Your children’s needs will change as they move into their teenage and young adult years. Your estate will get larger or smaller. You may acquire property or start a business. You will need to keep your will updated so that it continues to represent your wishes and needs.

Working with a Salem County Estate Planning Attorney

Working with an attorney ensures you will get the best advice. You will almost certainly need a will, but you might also choose to create a trust, make planned giving, or other more complicated instruments. We can help you understand all of your options.

A well-considered estate plan is a great gift to your family. Losing you prematurely would be a huge burden on them no matter what. By being proactive, you ensure they can carry out your wishes. Call us today to find out how we can help with your estate planning needs.

Salem County Life Care Planning Attorney

Most of us have seen someone we love deteriorate mentally. It can be horrible to watch someone we respect lose their faculties. It can be even worse to think about the same happening to you one day. However, the sad truth is that it happens to most people. There will likely come a time when you can no longer be legally responsible for your finances, healthcare, and other major decisions.

How We Can Help

Working with a Salem County life care planning attorney can allow you to spell out your wishes ahead of time, which is the best way to ensure they are followed. It can be horrible when someone must make these decisions on your behalf without knowing what you wanted. It can lead to extreme stress for someone who loves you very much. By creating a plan, they can make decisions in confidence – because they are simply following the decisions that you already made.

Planning removes a huge burden from your loved ones, who would otherwise be left trying to guess what you would have wanted or asking around to see if anyone had these conversations with you ahead of time. You can give them certainty and ease by writing out your wishes long before they are needed.

The Right Time to Make a Plan

It’s never too early to work with a Salem County life care planning attorney. The tragic truth is that death happens anytime; a life care plan is necessary even if you are currently healthy. If you are suffering from a debilitating illness, you should make a plan right away. Getting a life care plan in place is essential if you have any concerns that you may be losing your mental faculties. This document can go a long way toward helping your family navigate a highly stressful situation.

The earlier you begin making a plan, the more we can help you. For example, we can help with tax planning, introduce you to various options, and help you understand any benefits you might be eligible for as you age.

You will have the opportunity to work with our elder care coordinator, who is well versed in this entire process and will help you and your family understand your options and create a comprehensive plan. When you work with us, you can be confident that you are making a plan that will hold up in court. It’s never too early to get your wishes in writing.

Reach out to us today to find out how we can help you create a life care plan so that you can be confident that your wishes will be followed, no matter what happens.

Salem County Medicaid Planning Attorney

Many older adults need plenty of medical support in their twilight years. They may have had regular nursing care or lived in a nursing home. This kind of care is costly. It can drain decades of savings in just a few months, and your existing insurance almost never covers it.

What About Medicaid?

You have likely heard of Medicaid, which many people plan on using to cover their medical expenses as they age. However, you may not know that Medicaid has strict income and asset limits. You cannot access this service until you have already spent down your assets. These limits are quite strict and can result in having almost nothing to leave your family after a lifetime of hard work.

The IRS also looks back at the past five years of your financial statements before you qualify, so you can’t simply make significant gifts to your children and then claim Medicaid. You need to plan much further than that.

How Can I Plan for Medicaid?

If you are like many people, the idea of spending your entire life’s savings on a few months of care is unappealing. Instead, you want to leave something that can be enjoyed by your children, grandchildren, and generations to come. You know that you will likely need medical support, but you want to help your family as well.

The good news is that if you are at least five years from requiring significant medical care, you can begin distributing your assets and eventually qualify for Medicaid. You can disburse money and property while you are still alive and see your family enjoy it, or you can place the assets into a trust or other financial vehicle to protect them.

You may even find that you enjoy giving away large amounts of your estate now. It can be fun to help someone’s dreams come true and be there to see them happen. You can help supply a down payment on a home and be invited over for the first family dinner. You can help a child attend college – and then watch them walk across the stage at graduation. These can be significant experiences for many of our clients.

It’s impossible to see the future, so you can’t know when you may begin needing Medicaid coverage. That’s why you should start planning as soon as you can. Working with a Salem County Medicaid planning attorney can help you protect your assets while ensuring you still have access to what you need now.

Call us today to find out how we can help you begin planning to qualify for Medicaid. Many resources are available to you – consider us your trusted guides in navigating this complicated system.