Estate Administration: Probate is the first Step When there is a Will
A Last Will and Testament designates an Executor who has legal authority to handle the estate assets. The Will also specifies who receives what, and in what way; the language of the Will specifies if the share is to be put in a Trust or is to pass outright, and who will receive the share if the named beneficiary has died. If assets are jointly owned or if they have named beneficiaries, they...
County Surrogates Offices are working remotely, but some procedures are suspended
The Middlesex County NJ Assignment Judge has issued a Notice with details concerning procedures for filing and handling of cases in Middlesex County now that the courts are closed to in-person proceedings. mcba_county_procedures_3-31- Depending on the court, cases can be initiated electronically or by mail or drop off in an outside mailbox; mail is being held for 24 hours before...
Handwritten Wills may work … maybe
A handwritten Will is sometimes called a “holographic Will.” In New Jersey, it is referred to as a writing intended as a Will. The baseline statute for what is a “Will” requires that for something to “be a Will” it must be (1) in writing; (2) signed by the testator or by someone else at the testator’s direction while the testator is consciously...