Estate Planning

Everything You Need To Protect Your Family

Whether or not you realize it, you need Estate Planning. Estate Planning is the process of working with an attorney to create a legally-binding plan for what will happen to everything you leave behind when you pass away. If you die without creating a valid Estate Plan, those decisions will be made by the state of New Jersey in probate court. Estate Planning has so much more to offer than simply passing along property – you can protect your children and your own future. Get in touch with Dublin Packard today to set up an Estate Plan that is right for you.

Wills

The standard foundation of any Estate Plan is a Last Will and Testament. While you may think you can scribble a Will out on a napkin if you ever get sick, that won’t cut it in probate court. Working with an attorney, you can use your Will to specify who gets what from your estate and assets, and when they get it. Furthermore, you can use your Will to establish potential guardians for your minor-aged children or for yourself in the distant future.

Trusts

A Trust is a fund that you create and continually make payments contributing to throughout your life. It is owned and managed by a third-party, and at the time of your death will be passed along to whoever you choose – a loved one, a friend, or even a charity. Trusts give you an opportunity to put money towards the future across your entire lifetime, rather than just distributing whatever is left in your bank account at the time of your death. They also are protected from probate, so they pass along immediately and without having expenses removed.

Guardians

One of the most important aspects of Estate Planning for young families is the ability to elect guardians who would raise your minor-aged children if anything were to happen to you. If you do not specify this in an Estate Plan, the state would make the choice for you – taking the decision of who raises your children out of your own hands. You can even elect multiple options if your first choice is unable, and pass along guiding values that you want your children to be raised on. If you are a parent, Estate Planning can help you sleep a little easier knowing your children are protected.

Special Needs Trust

If you have a special needs child who requires their own individual considerations, you may want to set up a Special Needs Trust. Many Estate Plans only protect children until they are eighteen years old, and do not have much to offer older children beyond merely passing along money. Special Needs Trusts can help you make provisions for your child’s own unique situation to make sure they will be protected long after you are gone. We have experience working with Special Needs Trusts and can help meet all your unique needs with them.

Revocable Trust

When you set up a Trust, you can choose to make it Revocable or Irrevocable. Although a Trust is not set up in your name and does not legally belong to you, a Revocable Trust can still be returned to you. This is important if you change your mind about one of the recipients or you end up needing access to the funds in an emergency situation. We have experience setting up both kinds of Trusts at Dublin Packard.

Irrevocable Trust

When you set up a Trust, you can choose to make it Revocable or Irrevocable. An Irrevocable Trust is permanent, meaning no one can access the funds contained within it outside of the beneficiary you selected. This helps to preserve trust between people and ensures that your intentions and desires are always met. We have experience setting up both kinds of Trusts at Dublin Packard.