WHAT DOES A WILL DO? The simplest way to ensure that your funds, property and personal effects will be distributed after your death according to your wishes is to prepare a will. A will is a legal document designating the transfer of your property and assets after you die. Usually, wills can be written by…
Category: Living Will
Living Trust… Living Will… What’s the Difference?
“My mom told me she has a living will. That way she’s goingto avoid probate” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this when a newperson finds out I was a living trust lawyer. They go on to say, “She got one of those forms at the seniors’center. You know, the one she…
Living Wills – 10 Most Common Questions
Today, more than ever, you need a Living Will. Discover the 10 most common questions you need answered so you too can have peace of mind. What is an advanced health care directive? What are the components? A Living Will which outlines your medical and treatment choices Health Care Power of Attorney – the person…
Living Wills and Health Care Directives
Recent headlines about the Schiavo family in Florida created a multitude of calls to Senior Approved Services from family members who wanted clarification on what it means to designate an individual to make health care decisions on behalf of a loved one that can not make his or her wishes known. Questions about why the…
Everyone Should Have A Living Will
According to information provided by Plan-My-Estate.com an estate planning and asset protection resource web site, a living will, known in most states as a Directive to Physicians or Healthcare Directive, sets out your wishes about what extended medical treatment should be withheld or provided if you become unable to communicate those wishes. The directive creates a…
Living Wills in New Jersey Law
Anyone who cares about the feelings of their family members, or their own final health care treatment, should consider executing a Living Will. It has become an essential element in the practice of Estate Planning Attorneys. Why? A Living Will permits the patient to communicate, in advance, the medical care decisions he or she would…
Estate Planning Overview , Part II
Your Durable Power of Attorney For most people, the durable power of attorney is the most important estate-planning instrument available-even more useful than a will. A power of attorney allows a person you appoint – your “attorney -in-fact ” – to act in your place for financial purposes when and if you ever become incapacitated….
Estate Planning Overview, Part I
Why Plan Your Estate? The knowledge that we will eventually die is one of the things that seem to distinguish humans from other living beings. At the same time, no one likes to dwell on the prospect of his or her own death. But if you postpone planning for your passing until it is too…
Why Do I Need A Will?
A will is a formal legal document detailing the disbursement of your assets. It is crucial to the success of an estate plan that your will be properly in accordnace with state law. The laws governing the drawing up of wills vary considerably from state to state. For example, holographic wills (those written in a…
Who’ll Be Their Guardian?
If you are like most people today, you do not have a will. Thereasons for this failure are many, with the most common being alongthe lines of “I don’t have enough assets to worry about”, “I don’tknow how to write a will”, or “Lawyers charge a lot of money”. Here’s my answer to the last…
The Estate Plan You Wish Your Parents Had!
Do we agree that life is a struggle? It’s kind of fun if you have a sense of humor, but you have to be serious about estate planning. Estate planning simply means doing your best to preserve the wealth and assets you accumulate during your lifetime. For those who have even a modest estate a…
How to Make a Will
In the past, there has been much discussion and discrediting of “do-it-yourself” will kits, when in fact, the sections and clauses they contain, are pretty much the same templates that a lawyer uses in their office. So a straightforward will can be done by an individual, and should have no problem being acknowledged as legal,…
Why is Estate Planning So Important?
What is estate planning and just why is it so important? Estate planning is what a person engages in while they are making out a last will and testament. They determine what will happen to all of the assets they own and who will benefit from such assets. Therefore, estate planning is extremely important, if…
Last Will And Testament
A last will or testament is a document by which a person arranges for the distribution of his or her property and possessions after her death. Family members have the legal rights to property of a person but a person’s will is always respected whether he wants to leave his money to them or some…
Reading A Last Will And Testament
The simplest way to see that your wealth and personal belongings are distributed according to your wishes is to prepare a will. A will is an important document and the law is strict about all its details. This is because the Testator is no longer alive to declare his wishes while implementing a will. Usually…
Last Will And Testament Kits
Preparing a will early on in life is a wise decision. It may not be so timely once you are old and senile. Nearly half of all Americans pass away without proper wills. Every adult must have a will, or the government will step in and appoint a stranger as executor to administer your estate….
Contesting A Last Will And Testament
A will is a precious document that determines the distribution of a person’s assets to individuals on his demise – according to his choice and in a legally approved fashion. The beneficiaries of a will are usually those who fall in the law of descent from spouse, to children and then their descendants. But a…
How To Write A Last Will And Testament
Thinking about your death is not pleasant, but preparing your family for the circumstances of your possible demise is a wise act. The will is a document that prepares a person and his family for the inevitable eventuality of his death. You would want to make a perfect will primarily because you want your precious…
Last Will And Testament Laws
The laws of each state specify conditions for writing a last will and testament. Under old common law there used to be a separate writing disposing of real property (real estate) called ‘testament’, and a separate writing disposing of all other property called ‘will’. Hence the archaic phrase ‘last will and testament’. Because wills are…
Last Will And Testament Forms
Wills are documents that reflect your deep desires to transfer your assets to those you love in the event of your demise. It says how your property must be distributed among your siblings, children, spouse and friends. There may also be instructions on what should be done to your property (such as providing for donating…