Blog & Resources

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: I am the executor under my Uncle’s will (he is alive and living in Gloucester County). I would like to make a minor change to his will. My uncle agrees to the change. Do I need a lawyer to change the will?

Each competent person over the age of 18 can have a will, but only that person can change or modify the will. Your uncle is free to change the Will if he is still competent. The Executor is the person who carries out the terms of the Will after death, so right now you have no power to do anything, especially make changes.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My second husband and I live in a house that I own outright. If I die, I want him to be able to live in the house as long as he chooses, but I want my children to inherit the house when he moves out or dies. How do I keep them from evicting him from the house?

Avoiding conflict between children from the first marriage and the second spouse can be challenging, but if you are honest about the personalities involved, there is usually a way to satisfy everyone. One option in your case is to form a trust in your will that holds your house.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: I have some very nice pieces of jewelry that I would like to make sure stays in the family, passing from oldest daughter to oldest daughter. Can I form a trust in my will to hold jewelry?

Yes, in your will, you can form a trust to hold almost anything. In the past, I have formed trusts to hold real estate, artwork, and even a rather unique chair. The trust’s terms can be crafted to suit your needs, including making sure your jewelry is held for the eldest daughter.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My mother passed away in Camden County, New Jersey divorced, with four adult children, leaving no will. She only owned a house, but it has a mortgage taken out by her boyfriend. How do we sell the house?

When a person dies a resident of New Jersey without a will, they die “intestate.” New Jersey has a set of rules that dictate who has the right to Petition the Camden County Surrogate to be named the Administrator of an intestate estate. In your case, all four children have this right.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My brother has filed a will with the Surrogate that I believe is not my mother’s will. I want to contest the will, but how long do I have to file the will challenge?

Once the will is filed and accepted by the Surrogate, to challenge the will you must have a complaint filed in the proper format with the New Jersey Superior Court Clerk. If you are a New Jersey resident, you only have four months to file the complaint. if you live outside New Jersey, you have six months.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: < strong>My estate is worth about $4,000,000, which includes a $1,000,000 life insurance policy. At my death, my estate passes to my two children. Now that the Federal Estate Tax Exemption is at $5,000,000.00, what good is an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust for me?

In rough terms, as long as your estate stays under $5,000,000.00 (adjusted for inflation) at your death your estate will not owe any Federal Estate Tax, but you are a resident of Camden County, New Jersey, so you are forgetting about the New Jersey Inheritance Tax and the New Jersey Estate Tax. If your assets pass to your children, the New Jersey Inheritance Tax will be zero, but the New Jersey Estate Tax taxes all assets over $675,000.00.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: One of four siblings is now deceased since death of our parents. Do the deceased sibling’s three children or his surviving spouse inherit his share of the estate?

There are two different answers depending on the order of the deaths.

If your sibling died first, and then the surviving parent died without a will, then that parent’s probate estate is divided up under the New Jersey intestacy rules which give 1/4th share to each surviving child and a 1/4th share to be split among the deceased child’s children. Your sibling’s spouse receives nothing.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My husband died a resident of Gloucester County without a will. All his assets were owned jointly with me. This week, I received a form letter in the mail from a creditor saying they had issued a statement and proof of claim against my husband’s estate. Also, they requested 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 as the assets pass to the surviving spouse because of the joint ownership. That being said, avoiding probate by using a joint ownership does not mean that he avoided his creditors.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My father, who lives in Atlantic County, New Jersey, is having serious health problems. He wants me to be able to use his general power of attorney, but it says I need a doctor’s note saying that he is incapacitated. Is that normal?

Your father has a “Leaping” Power of Attorney, which used to be the normal document that Atlantic County Estate Planning Lawyers would prepare. A Leaping Power of Attorney only gives the “Agent” the power to act if—and only if—the principal is incapacitated, and the principal’s doctor confirms the incapacity in a letter. Without the letter the power of attorney is useless.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My father died a resident of Burlington County, New Jersey. I live in California. His only asset was his bank account, and I am his only child, but the bank will not give me the account. They say I need to get a certified certificate from the Surrogate. Why is this?

When someone dies a resident of New Jersey, their assets pass to other persons or entities either under their will or, if they have no will, by the New Jersey rules of intestacy.

The bank has no idea who should get those funds in his account, as your father could have a will giving them to anyone