Estate Planning

Estate Planning Lawyers in Ridgewood, New Jersey

Serving People Throughout New York and New Jersey

An estate plan can be simple or complex, basic or elaborate. Whatever the shape and form of the plan, it can provide for your loved ones and give you peace of mind.

At Michael A. Manna & Associates, we create estate plans for people in all walks of life. We are highly experienced in this area and understand the many creative uses of estate documents and vehicles.

Our firm provides a full range of estate planning services including:

• Wills
• Trusts
• Revocable and irrevocable living trusts
• Gifting strategies
• Durable powers of attorney
• Health care directives (living wills)
• And other estate planning services

Michael A. Manna & Associates provides advice and services for people with medium to large estates.

Call 201-447-2800 or send us an e-mail for a free consultation.

Estate Planning for the Disabled

If you have a disabled child, spouse or relative, you are presented with a unique set of problems. If the disabled person is receiving Medicaid or other government benefits, or may be eligible for them in the future, these benefits may be needs based. By that it is meant that the disabled person must be poor to receive them. Should these people inherit wealth, it could disqualify them for Medicaid and other needs based assistance, effectively knocking them off these government programs that are paying for their care. Their inherited wealth would then have to be used to pay for their care until it is spent down, at which point Medicaid or similar program would resume paying for the disabled person's care. The net result is that the person would not receive any better care and the inherited wealth would be wasted.

Michael A. Manna & Associates would present to you all of the methods available to provide for such a disabled person, without losing these very valuable government benefits. Methods such as disinheritance, supplemental needs trusts, and irrevocable trusts should all be discussed and the pros and cons of each method thoroughly reviewed.

The Estate Planning Process

Michael A. Manna & Associates will begin the estate planning process by getting to know you, your family and your financial situation. We will learn about your hopes and dreams as well as areas of concern and anxiety. We will then create an estate plan that will accomplish your goals and reflects your values.

As your family and financial situations change, it makes sense to revisit your estate plan. The birth of a child, a marriage or divorce — these or other events may require changes to your existing plan or require additional documents or estate vehicles.

Michael A. Manna & Associates can provide these and other services as the need arises.

Creative Estate Tax Minimization Strategies

Our attorneys have a great deal of experience in the uses of the law to minimize estate taxes.

We understand how to use trusts and gifting in creative ways to achieve your goals and which reduce or eliminate the payment of estate taxes. We can discuss your needs and potential tax minimization strategies with you.

Contact an Estate Planning Attorney