When you start thinking about protecting your loved ones with an estate plan, the terminology you encounter may be confusing. Maybe you’re thinking about creating a will, but then you see mention of self-proving wills (which are just ordinary wills…

The phrase “self-proving” will suggests that no further evidence of the document’s validity is necessary. While that’s true in a sense, a self-proving will is subject to the same witness requirements as any other written will. New Jersey requires two…

When you lose a loved one, identity theft is probably the furthest thing from your mind. Clearly, it’s not an issue that you want to or should have to concern yourself with when a family member dies. Unfortunately, identity theft…

Whether your spouse has just passed away or you have lost your mom or dad, the emotional trauma of losing a loved one often comes with a bewildering array of financial and legal issues demanding attention. It can be difficult enough for…

The main purpose of a will is to direct where your assets will go after you die, but it can also be used to instruct your heirs how to pay your debts. While generally heirs cannot inherit debt, debt can…

Most people know what when a married person dies without a will, the surviving spouse is entitled to a significant share of the deceased’s estate. Depending on the family structure and other natural heirs, the surviving spouse may inherit the…

If you’re over the age of 18 and are thinking about the right time to create a will, chances are good that the answer is “now,” or even “you should have taken care of that a while ago.” Of course,…

Most people know that when a person passes property through a will or dies without having made provisions for distribution of the property he leaves behind, the estate must pass through probate. However, many don’t understand exactly what probate is,…

You’ve undoubtedly heard that it’s important for all adults to have a will or other legal plan for passing assets and getting debts settled when they pass away. You may also have heard that, despite that importance, most Americans don’t…

Most American adults don’t have wills. Reasons vary, including procrastination, believing they’re too young to need a will, not thinking they have enough property to bother with estate planning and discomfort thinking about end of life issues. Those who don’t…