Hope A. Lang, Attorney at Law can be your legal counsel in drafting your will and in estate planning. She can be your legal counsel in the following areas:

• Wills
• Trusts
• Guardianship Proceedings
• Power of Attorney
• Living Will
• Health Care Representative
• Pet Trusts

A primary purpose of having an estate plan is the peace of mind it will bring you in knowing that your spouse, children and loved ones are provided for in the way you desire.

A properly drafted estate plan includes designating a power of attorney and a health care representative or a living will. A will that is properly drafted eliminates the need to later have your executor post an expensive non refundable bond required by the state.

Ensuring Your Legacy: The Importance of Estate Planning for Protecting Your Loved Ones and Minor Children

The proper planning, drafting and execution of documents will ensure that your property goes to the persons you desire and without unnecessary expenses to your heirs. Your decision making in this area will provide to your minor children, spouse, and others as you desire and not as the state dictates. 

Concerns for your minor children can be planned for in advanced through having a testamentary trust drafted by your attorney. Estate planning with the children in mind will also include naming your designated guardian and a trustee.

Tailoring Your Estate Plan: Ensuring Thoughtful Inheritance Distribution and Protection for Your Family's Future

Parents generally know their children's capacities and maturity levels better than would an outsider third party; and parents can better deem when it would be most beneficial for a child to receive his/her inheritance.  A properly drafted estate plan with a testamentary trust can stipulate that minors receive their inheritance through your vision and intimate knowledge of them and will implement your wishes; such as by having payments made to your beneficiaries be allocated over a several year time span to insure an early adult does not spend all of his/her inheritance prematurely.

A properly designed estate plan will ensure that your money and property are handled by the persons you trust and will go to the beneficiaries that you desire in a time frame that you believe is prudent. A properly designed estate plan will include a Power of Attorney to enable your loved ones to take care of you when you most need them. It prevents the later necessity of your family members having to file costly Guardianship proceedings in your behalf in Court.

Call Hope A. Lang, Attorney at Law now at 201 599-9600

FAQs

What documents are typically included in a complete estate plan? 

A thorough estate plan generally includes a will, a power of attorney, a health care representative designation or living will, and — depending on your family situation — a trust. For parents of minor children, a testamentary trust and named guardian are also important components. Hope A. Lang can draft and execute all of these documents to ensure your wishes are properly carried out.

Why is estate planning especially important if I have minor children? 

Without a plan in place, the state — not you — determines how your assets are distributed and who cares for your children. A properly drafted estate plan lets you name a guardian, designate a trustee, and structure inheritance distributions on your own terms. For example, a testamentary trust can spread payments to a young beneficiary over several years, preventing an inheritance from being spent prematurely before they have the maturity to manage it wisely.

What are the practical financial benefits of having a proper estate plan? 

A well-drafted estate plan can save your heirs significant money. For instance, a properly executed will eliminates the need for your executor to post an expensive, non-refundable bond required by the state. A power of attorney also helps avoid the cost of court-filed guardianship proceedings if you become unable to make decisions on your own. Call Hope A. Lang at (201) 599-9600 to get started.

From offices in Oradell, the law firm of Hope A. Lang, Attorney At Law represents persons throughout New Jersey,  including Bergen, Middlesex,  Essex, Hudson, Monmouth, Ocean, Union, Camden, Passaic, and Morris Counties.