Charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) are an excellent tool to reduce taxes in both retirement and estate planning.Charitable remainder trusts are tax-exempt irrevocable trusts that are set up to accord with federal tax laws and regulations. Depending on the type of...
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Ridgewood Estate Planning Blog
Self-proving wills help in avoiding problems later on
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | May 2, 2011 | Estate Planning, Wills
Sometimes the question arises as to how long a will remains valid after its execution, or whether the witnesses have to be alive at the time it is probated. The short answer is that, provided the will was valid when signed, it is still valid years later. And witnesses...
What taxes must be paid upon the death of a NJ resident?
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Apr 27, 2011 | Estate Planning
When a New Jersey resident dies leaving property, there are several types of death taxes that will have to be deal with, depending on the specific situation.The first of these is the federal estate tax, which applies to estate over $5 million. To take care of this...
Uneven inheritances: estate planning options, P.2
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Apr 25, 2011 | Estate Planning
In our last post, we began looking the issue of uneven inheritances between children and what estate planning options a couple has in a situation where one child is not considered trustworthy enough to be left with significant amounts of property.As we said before,...
Uneven inheritances: estate planning options
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Apr 21, 2011 | Estate Planning
When it comes to leaving inheritances to children, problems can arise around the issues of fairness and trust. Which child should receive what? How much should each child receive? With what can each child be reasonably entrusted? The answers to these questions often...
Avoiding probate: pay attention to how assets are owned
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Apr 18, 2011 | Probate
Although probate is not necessarily always a difficult process, many individuals want to set up their estates so that their assets avoid probate in order to save costs and avoid any possible hang-ups in distributing their assets once they die. When estate planning to...
Lost or misplaced will: what to do? P.2
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Apr 13, 2011 | Probate
In our previous post, we began looking at what to do when a testator's will has been lost or misplaced. As we noted, the steps to be taken depend on whether the testator has died or still alive. In this post, we'll look at what to do if the testator is deceased and...
Lost or misplaced will: what to do? P.1
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Apr 11, 2011 | Probate
Drafting a will that accurately reflects one's desires is a job in itself, but it isn't the end of the story. One must also ensure that one's will is going to be available upon one's death.Sometimes wills get lost or misplaced. When this happens, the steps one should...
Planning for long term care an important step to take
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Apr 7, 2011 | Medicaid Planning / Nursing Home Planning
A recent article in the Pocono Record, written by executive director of Families USA Ron Pollack, discusses the importance of planning for long- term care and learning about all the options available as one makes that transition in life. Elderly individuals can...
Estate planning: making a donation of tissue or organs, P.2
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Apr 4, 2011 | Estate Planning
In our previous post, we began looking at a recent article in the New Jersey Journal which discussed the various ways of making a donation of tissue or organs part of one's estate plan. Although such a donation may not suit every person, it is a great way to give back...