New Jersey Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning

You may already know whom you want to provide for. The harder question is often how. If you have young children, who would you want to raise them, and who would you trust to manage the money you leave for them? If you couldn’t make a medical decision for yourself, who would understand your wishes well enough to speak for you? At The Rivkind Law Firm, those conversations come first. They help us prepare an estate plan that reflects your family and the people you count on.

Morgan J. Weil’s estate planning experience began during law school at the New York Legal Assistance Group, where she helped low-income clients prepare wills, powers of attorney, and medical directives. After graduating from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in 2019, she worked on complex estates at a New York City estate planning firm and appeared regularly in Surrogate’s Court.

Wills and planning for children

When we prepare a will, we talk about the people who depend on you, what you own, and whom you trust to carry out your wishes. If you have young children, two questions deserve separate attention: Who would you want to raise them, and who would you want to manage the money you leave for them? You may have the same person in mind for both roles, or very good reasons to choose different people.

We also get into the details that matter to your family. You may want a particular person to receive a piece of jewelry, make a provision for a child from an earlier relationship, or name someone to step in if your first choice can no longer serve. You don’t need to have every answer before you meet with us. Talking through those choices is part of the work.

Trusts and how an inheritance will be managed

Suppose you’d like the money you leave a child to be available for tuition, housing, or support, with someone you trust managing it along the way. We can discuss whether a trust fits that goal, whom you would appoint as trustee, and what instructions you’d want that person to follow. We explain how the proposed arrangement would work for the people who will actually have to live with it.

Powers of attorney and health care documents

An estate planning conversation also covers what you would want during your lifetime. A power of attorney can authorize someone you choose to handle financial matters for you. Health care documents can name the person you want to make medical decisions if you cannot and record wishes you want that person and your care team to understand. We talk through each role with you, including whether the person you trust with your finances is also the person you’d want speaking with your doctors.

Updating an existing estate plan

A marriage, the birth of a child, a divorce, or a death in the family is often what prompts someone to take an older will out of the drawer. If you already have documents, bring them. We’ll review whom you named, what the documents provide, and what has changed since you signed them. We can also review beneficiary designations with you so you can see how those choices fit with the rest of your plan.

Schedule an Estate Planning Consultation

Call (201) 330-0061 to arrange a consultation with Morgan about a will, trust, power of attorney, or health care document. We meet with clients throughout New Jersey by Zoom, telephone, or in person at our Weehawken waterfront office.