Blog & Resources

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: Before she died, my aunt lived with me in Burlington County, New Jersey for several years. My wife and I took her to the doctor and cared for her when she became bedridden. She died without a will and all her assets are being divided between my cousins. They never helped with her care. This is not fair. Can I make the estate pay me for my time?

Under New Jersey rules, your Aunt could have made a will and given you the entire estate, or had a will that said you would receive some of her estate to reflect the work you did. Because she did not make a will, the New Jersey intestate rule divides her assets between all her children, equally.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My aunt’s will names me as her personal representative and divides the estate between all her nieces and nephews. We are not a close family and there have been disputes in the past. I am worried that my cousins will be angry that I was named the personal representative and may cause trouble. Can they sue me as the personal representative?

If you agree to be sworn in by the surrogate as the estate’s personal representative, then you have a fiduciary duty to all beneficiaries to act in their best interest. You will be given broad powers and will be largely unsupervised by the Surrogate. To counter these broad powers the beneficiaries are given the right to Petition Surrogate’s Court to review every action and expense.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My husband died a resident of Burlington County without a will. All his assets were owned joint accounts with me. This week, I received a form letter in the mail saying a bank had issued a statement and proof of claim against my husband’s estate and requesting immediate payment in full. It is addressed to his estate, but came in the mail to me. What should I do?

When someone dies without a will and all their assets are held jointly with a spouse, there is no need to file a will. The assets pass to the surviving spouse because of the joint ownership. That being said, avoiding probate this way does not mean that your husband avoided his creditors.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: There seem to be many different types of trusts. Which one is the best to avoid probate?

Trusts are very flexible estate planning tools. They can be used to avoid creditors, shelter assets from divorce, reduce taxes, and to avoid probate. To avoid probate in New Jersey, you could use a Revocable Living Trust or you could use any number of different Irrevocable Trusts.

That will depend on what her death certificate says. If the death certificate says her residence was Florida, then only the Surrogate in Florida will probate the will. Likewise, if the death certificate says her residence was Philadelphia, then only the Philadelphia Register of Wills will probate the will. If your mother was only visiting Philadelphia when she died, then she was still a Florida resident. If she had moved up here and then died, then she is Philadelphia resident.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: The term “Anchor Baby” is in the news, referring to parents coming to the USA to have a baby that automatically qualifies for citizenship simply by being born on American soil. Given that this is completely legal, and given that these parents obviously care about their child’s future and don’t want the child to be left in the USA without support, how can these parents plan ahead for the child’s care?

Any person on earth is able to form a protective trust in the United States for their child. The trust has to have a connection to the United States, so it will require a trustee located in the United States.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: I have a collection of Curt Schilling memorabilia that I have been gathering since he started pitching for the Phillies in 1992. It is worth some money, but is mostly something that my son and I have shared together and is near to our hearts. I am remarrying soon and I am worried that — should I die — this collection will become a problem between my wife and my son. I would give the collection to my son now, but he has no place to keep it yet. Any suggestions?

You are right to worry about the impact a second marriage can have on the children from your first marriage. No matter how well they get along, after you die there are going to be opportunities for conflict between your second wife and your children.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My father recently died a resident of Chester County, PA, but he owned a nice parcel of land in Susquehanna County, which has a Marcellus Shale gas lease. I found a buyer at a great price, as I am worried that the recent drop in oil prices could reduce the land’s value.

My brother was left out of the will, for very good reasons. He contacted the buyer and told him he plans to challenge the will. Now, the buyer might try to back out, as he doesn’t want to get stuck in litigation. My brother is full of bull: he never will challenge the will, as he knows it is bulletproof, but he knows he can draw this out and cause me trouble. What can I do?

Normally, your brother has one year from the date of the will’s filing to bring his Will Challenge. So, if you do nothing, then you just have to wait for the year to expire.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My brother used undue influence on my father — who suffered from Alzheimer’s — to change his will. I have filed a will contest in Camden County. My brother’s attorney is not doing any work, as he says the burden is on me. Is he correct?

When you are the challenger in a will contest the initial burden of proof is on you to show that the will was created under undue influence. An experienced will contest lawyer can explain this burden to you, as it is a bit too complex for a blog post.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My mother named me the Personal Representative of her estate. I am happy to serve, but I have a family and a job, so I just don’t have the time to do all the work. I want to hire an estate attorney to help me, but I am unclear as to how they are paid. Do I have to pay the attorney from my own money?

Every Personal Representative in New Jersey has the right to hire an attorney to assist them. These attorneys are paid out of the estate’s funds, not out of the Personal Representative’s pocket. An experienced probate lawyer will have a staff available to economically help you with the probate process, the sale of estate assets and protecting you from personal liability.