Estate Planning
The attorneys at Gebhardt & Kiefer, P.C. work with individuals and families throughout New Jersey to plan for their future generations.
Our attorneys will work with you to develop a comprehensive estate and gift tax plan that fits your immediate and long term estate planning needs while minimizing the impact of Federal Estate Taxes and New Jersey Inheritance & Estate Taxes.
A Typical Estate Plan
The typical estate plan includes a combined advanced directive for health care, a general durable power of attorney and a last will and testament. Each of the documents included in your estate plan will fulfill a specific purpose in the plan. It is therefore important to have documents prepared by experienced estate attorneys.
- Combined Advanced Directive for Health Care
Your combined advanced directive for health care will serve to memorialize your final wishes in the event that you are unable to make your own health care decisions. This document will allow you to appoint a trusted individual to carry out your wishes as well as provide that person with an outline of your end-of-life choices.
- General Durable Power of Attorney
Like a combined advanced directive for health care, the general durable power of attorney allows you to designate an individual whom you trust to be charged with making decisions on your behalf. This individual will be authorized to interact with the necessary individuals in order to make financial decisions in your best interest.
- Last Will & Testament
Probably the best known of the estate planning documents, the last will & testament allows you to determine how your assets will pass to your designated beneficiaries. Without a will, the state laws of intestacy will determine which persons are to receive the assets of your estate. The state’s intestacy laws will not take into consideration any of your wishes.
Our estate planning attorneys can help you to create a comprehensive estate plan that will meet your goals and avoid the application of the intestacy laws to determine the ultimate disposition of your assets.
For more information or to set up an estate planning or probate consultation with a lawyer at Gebhardt & Kiefer, P.C., call 908-735-5161, or fill out the contact form on this site. Our firm serves clients throughout central and northwestern New Jersey.