Earlier this month, a Texas probate judge turned down a bid by Darla Lexington to stop the sale of five classic cars from her husband's collection - cars, she said, had been meant for her. The problem was that none of this was in writing. The wife (by all...
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Ridgewood Estate Planning Blog
Planning Your Future: Advance Care Directives
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Aug 20, 2010 | Medicaid Planning / Nursing Home Planning
Advance care directives are detailed requests for specific medical treatment, or the withholding of certain treatment, in the event that you become disabled and are not capable of giving such direction. If you become terminally ill or are seriously injured, your...
All In the Family: Estate Planning With Everyone in Mind
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Aug 17, 2010 | Estate Planning
Your estate plan is yours and yours alone. What you put in your will or the rules you designate for end-of-life care are only beholden to your discretion. Still, many times it pays to share your decisions and plans with the members of your family who will be affected...
New Jersey’s Inheritance and Estate Taxes, Part One
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Aug 13, 2010 | Estate Planning
As discussed last week, the federal estate tax is not the only tax to consider when planning your estate. New Jersey also levies an estate tax, as well as a tax on certain assets that are passed on after death. This second tax is referred to as an inheritance tax.The...
Nursing Home Planning – Picking the Right One
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Aug 11, 2010 | Medicaid Planning / Nursing Home Planning
Much in the same way estate planning can help you prepare for your financial future, nursing home planning can help you prepare for future living situations and specific healthcare needs. When you become unable to live alone and care for yourself, you and your family...
Planning for Retirement – More than Just Estate Planning
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Aug 5, 2010 | Estate Planning
Estate planning is extremely important for those hoping to retire in comfort, as well as protect and pass on assets to loved ones. Estate planning, while legal in large part, also has a more accessible side. You cannot do everything on your own, but you can do some...
Avoiding the Estate Tax
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Aug 3, 2010 | Inheritance And Estate Tax
The federal estate tax is coming back in 2011; do you know where your money is going? Did you know that New Jersey also levies an estate tax? Much focus has been spent on the currently absent, but pending, federal tax. However, New Jersey has its own tax on assets. In...
Protecting Your Retirement Savings with a Trust: Potential Problems
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Jul 30, 2010 | Asset Protection
When considering the creation of a trust for the purpose of protecting retirement savings (IRAs) and passing them down to children and loved ones, there are several things to consider and a few stumbling blocks that can get in the way. Still, with the help of an...
Protecting Your Retirement Savings with a Trust: Why You Might
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Jul 29, 2010 | Asset Protection
Retirement savings accounts are a common inclusion in comprehensive estate plans, left by parents to their children or from a single adult to a loved one. A problem, or less than ideal situation, that often occurs in situations such as these involves children who are...
Estate Tax Coming Back to Haunt the Middle Class
On Behalf of The Manna Helmy Law Group | Jul 23, 2010 | Inheritance And Estate Tax
In 2010, the estate tax expired and Congress, marred by indecision and partisan politics, failed to reinstate it. As a result, 2010 was a very lucrative year for some, perhaps most notably, the heirs to George Steinbrenner's fortune. Estimated at more than $1 billion,...