Wills, Trust & Probate

Wills, Trusts, & Probate Law

Last Will & Testament Document — Cherry Hill, NJ — Elkind and DiMento, P.A.

Too often we ignore our own mortality. It is only when we come to realize the inevitability of our mortality that we appreciate the need to have a plan in place to transfer our Estate in accord with our wishes. One of the most important actions any individual can take during their lifetime is to establish their Estate Planning in the manner that they deem best. Absent a valid Last Will and Testament, an individual’s Estate will pass pursuant to a State’s applicable Intestacy Statutes, which very well may not fulfill an individual’s desires. It is too often that we meet new clients who are at an advanced age in life whom either have never prepared Estate Planning documents or have not reviewed in many years Estate Planning documents which they prepared much earlier in life. As one ages and as one’s immediate family ages, circumstances and Estate Planning objectives change. Additionally, as an individual’s circumstances change, Estate Planning documents need to be reviewed. At Elkind and DiMento, P.A. we enable our clients to feel as comfortable as possible in discussing, thinking about, and making informed decisions about their Estate Planning objectives. Our goal at Elkind and DiMento, P.A. is to fully explore with each individual client their Estate Planning objectives and to meet each of our individual client’s personalized objectives.

It is even more important for parents with minor children to establish within their Last Will and Testament the Guardians for their minor children so that there will be continuity and certainty over where their minor children will live and who will be responsible for their minor children in the event of the parents’ early demise. With minor children, it is also important to consider the establishment of a Trust to prevent your minor children from being able to access their inheritance at the age of majority, in the event of the parents’ untimely demise.

Our distinctive approach at Elkind and DiMento, P.A. is geared to help the individual achieve peace of mind. Our scope of services include but are not limited to:

Modification of an existing Will
Preparation of a new Will, including trusts for children or grandchildren within the Will
Preparation of Revocable or Irrevocable Trusts
Interpretation of Wills and Trusts
Preparation of Advanced Health Care Directives including Living Wills
Preparation of Durable or Springing Powers of Attorney

The members of Elkind and DiMento, P.A. also have extensive experience in litigation involving Will and Trust disputes including but not limited to claims of undue influence and issues surrounding whether or not a purported Will should be admitted to Probate.

Our firm also has experience in Estate administration and the probate of Wills. Probate is the process that transfers legal title of property and distributes assets from the Estate of an individual who has died. At Elkind and DiMento, P.A. we prepare all of the necessary paperwork for probate on behalf of our clients and help with the orderly administration of the Estate until distribution of the Estate assets and conclusion. We also help our clients in the negotiation of any outstanding debts so as to maximize estate assets for the beneficiaries. The members of Elkind and DiMento, P.A. are available to meet or speak with our clients concerning all issues that come up during the course of administration of an Estate.