Cooper Levenson works with estates of all sizes throughout New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Nevada, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, Alabama, Massachusetts, Georgia, Arizona, Virginia, Illinois, and the District of Columbia. From the individual needing to write a new will to business owners requiring succession planning assistance, we have the experience our clients seek. Plus, our fees are comparable to those of a small firm, and our clients appreciate our cost-effective services.
Estate planning involves preparation for the orderly transfer of wealth from one generation to the next. It also identifies estate, inheritance and gift tax issues. The planning process includes:
- Determining the extent of your assets
- Determining to whom you wish to leave your assets
- Preparing documents to pass assets to your intended beneficiaries in the most practical and tax efficient manner
Using a variety of tools to accomplish your goals
Through estate planning, you may create trusts and other vehicles to protect your wealth against many risks, including youth and inexperience, overindulgence, old age and infirmity, divorce and remarriage, family disputes, business events, inflation, recession and taxation.
Our estate planning attorneys craft:
- Last will and testaments
- Trusts, including special needs trusts
- Living trusts
- Business succession plans
- Powers of attorney
- Living wills/advance health care directives
updating existing estate plans
If you have an existing estate plan, there are several reasons why you should consider an update:
- Your personal circumstances may have changed. The changes may be as simple as beneficiaries growing up, or may be more complex such as the birth of a child, the death of a family member, a marriage or a divorce.
- Your assets may have changed, requiring changes to pass a larger portion of your wealth to your heirs instead of the government.
- Changes in estate, gift and inheritance tax laws.
Cooper Levenson’s estate planning department also regularly administers estates and trusts. Our lawyers also collaborate with our estate and probate litigation attorneys to resolve disputes that may arise over the disposition of estates and trust funds.
Probate Administration
The loss of a loved one is difficult enough without the added burden of navigating the probate process. Cooper Levenson’s probate administration attorneys guide executors, administrators, trustees and beneficiaries through every stage of estate administration, helping ensure that legal obligations are met efficiently while minimizing delays, unnecessary expenses, and family conflict. Whether a decedent left a Will or died intestate, our attorneys assist with opening estates, obtaining necessary court appointments, identifying and valuing estate assets, providing required notices, resolving creditor claims, preparing estate and fiduciary tax filings, coordinating the sale or transfer of real estate and business interests, and distributing assets to beneficiaries. We regularly administer straightforward and complex estates involving closely held businesses, investment portfolios, multistate assets, and contested creditor issues.
Our probate practice includes estate administrations in New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Nevada, Maryland, Massachusetts, Georgia, Arizona, Virginia, Illinois, Connecticut, Alabama, Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina and the District of Columbia. We also coordinate ancillary probate proceedings when property is owned in multiple jurisdictions, allowing families to work with a single trusted legal team. Throughout the administration process, we focus on practical solutions, clear communication, and proactive planning to help executors, administrators and personal representatives fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities while protecting the interests of beneficiaries. When disputes arise, our probate administration attorneys work seamlessly with our estate litigation team to resolve contested matters efficiently while keeping the administration moving whenever possible.
probate litigation
Click here to read about our attorneys and their expertise in representing heirs, trustees, executors and family members in estate and probate disputes. See also Estate Litigation and Estate, Inheritance, and Gift Taxes.