Trenton Estate Planning Attorney

Work with an Experienced Trenton Estate Planning Attorney to Develop a Plan for Your Family’s Future

There are lots of reasons to have an estate plan, and while people often find excuses for putting off talking to a Trenton estate planning attorney, the reality is that there is no good reason to wait. While it is never too early to prepare an estate plan, it can be too late—and leaving your loved ones without the guidance they need can lead to unnecessary confusion, costs, and complications in the future.

At Helmer, Conley & Kasselman, P.A., we provide comprehensive and custom-tailored estate planning services in Trenton and throughout Mercer County. An experienced Trenton estate planning attorney at our firm can help you understand your needs and develop an estate plan that is customized to your family and financial circumstances. Your attorney will walk you through all of the options you have available, and your attorney will help you make informed and confident decisions focused on the future.

Estate Planning Documents in New Jersey

We use a variety of planning documents to meet our clients’ estate planning needs. Depending on your family and financial circumstances, some of the documents we may use to build your estate plan include:

Wills

A well-drafted will is the foundation of any estate plan in New Jersey. While most people will want to use a revocable trust to distribute their assets at the time of their death (more on this below), there are still several important reasons to have a will in place.

Revocable Trusts

Revocable trusts are flexible estate planning tools that allow for a person’s assets to be distributed at the time of death without the need for probate. Probate is a time- and resource-intensive process, and it is generally best to plan to avoid probate as much as possible. We regularly draft revocable trusts for our clients, and we assist our clients with placing assets into their revocable trusts as well.

Irrevocable Trusts

Irrevocable trusts do not offer the same level of flexibility as revocable trusts, but they can offer different benefits in many circumstances. There are several different types of irrevocable trusts, including (but not limited to):

Charitable trusts
Irrevocable life insurance trusts
Qualified personal residence trusts
Special needs trusts
Spendthrift trusts

Each type of irrevocable trust has its own unique set of benefits (and drawbacks), so it is important to choose wisely when incorporating an irrevocable trust into your estate plan. A Trenton estate planning attorney at our firm can help you understand whether it makes sense to include an irrevocable trust in your plan, and, if so, your attorney can help you choose the right type of irrevocable trust for your specific goals and needs.

Healthcare Directives

Healthcare directives (also referred to as advance directives or medical directives) allow you to make decisions about your care in advance should you become incapacitated in the future. This is extremely important, as it provides clear guidance for your doctors while also ensuring that your loved ones will not have to make difficult decisions on your behalf. Your attorney can walk you through the key terms and provide the insights you need to ensure that you are making sound decisions.

Powers of Attorney

Powers of attorney (POAs) give someone else the authority to make important healthcare and financial decisions on your behalf. Healthcare directives and healthcare POAs go hand-in-hand—and you will want to choose someone you trust to make any care-related decisions that fall beyond the scope of your directive should the need arise. Financial POAs come into play under similar circumstances, and here, too, you will want to choose someone who you know will make decisions with your best interests in mind.

Understanding the Importance of Working with an Experienced Trenton Estate Planning Attorney

When you are ready to put an estate plan in place, it is important to work with an experienced attorney who can guide you step-by-step through the process. Here are just some of the ways an experienced Trenton estate planning attorney at Helmer, Conley & Kasselman, P.A. can help:

1. Identifying Your Personal Needs

Your attorney will begin by identifying your personal needs. We take a personalized approach with all of our clients, and this starts with determining which estate planning documents will be necessary to protect our clients’ interests in the future.

2. Addressing Your Personal Goals and Wishes

Our personalized approach also involves listening carefully to our clients’ goals and wishes. While addressing your needs is essential, this is not the only focus of the estate planning process.

3. Putting Together a Comprehensive and Enforceable Estate Plan

Once we have a clear understanding of your needs, goals, and wishes, we will put together a comprehensive estate plan on your behalf. We will also help ensure that your plan is fully enforceable under New Jersey law.

FAQs: Getting Started on Your Estate Plan in Trenton

When Should I Put Together an Estate Plan?

We recommend talking to an attorney as soon as you have questions about putting together an estate plan. As we said above, it is never too early, and putting a plan in place now will provide you and your loved ones with peace of mind for the future.

What Happens if I Die Without an Estate Plan in Trenton?

If you die without an estate plan in Trenton, your assets will be distributed according to New Jersey’s intestate succession laws. Your family will also be forced to go through the probate process, and your loved ones will be forced to make a variety of difficult decisions without your guidance.

What Are the Risks of Putting Together an Estate Plan Without an Attorney?

There are two main risks involved in putting together an estate plan without an attorney. The first is that your estate plan will not fully or accurately reflect your wishes. The second is that it will not be enforceable under New Jersey law. Both of these are extremely important reasons to work with an experienced attorney during the estate planning process.

Discuss Your Plan with an Experienced Trenton Estate Planning Attorney in Confidence

If you would like to speak with a Trenton estate planning attorney, we invite you to get in touch. To schedule a confidential initial consultation, give us a call at 877-435-6371 or tell us how we can reach you online today.