Trust and Estates Attorneys in New Jersey
    The attorneys at Kemeny, Ramp & Renaud, LLC counsel business owners, individuals, and their families in the planning and transmission of their assets. We help clients understand the issues, the process, the decisions, and the consequences of actions they may take. Whether it be the disposition of a home, family business, the transmission of accumulated wealth, considerations involved with a second marriage, a family member with special needs, the preservation of family assets, or any other number of situations that individuals and their families may face, our knowledgeable attorneys can help clients evaluate situations, resolve unsettled questions, and implement plans in accordance with their personal and family situations and objectives.
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    The process of putting one’s affairs into order to protect a spouse and provide for one’s family involves considerations that are often tied as much to personal values, family circumstances and lifetime experiences as they are to financial considerations. In these situations, guidance and counsel from a sensitive and knowledgeable advisor can be critical.
    Our trusts and estates attorneys are experienced in the preparation of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and proxies for the provision of health care, as well as programs that will achieve lifetime giving and charitable goals through outright transfers or the creation of lifetime trusts. We can assist in minimizing the impact of estate and gift taxation on the transfer of assets; help develop expeditious and cost-effective plans for the disposition of assets (during lifetime or at death); and handle all aspects of estate and trust administration. Our attorneys can also provide counsel with respect to guardianships and special needs situations.
New Jersey Estate and Trust Planning
Our attorneys work closely with clients to develop targeted wealth preservation and accumulation strategies. We provide the full gamut of estate planning services, ranging from individually tailored wills and trusts, powers of attorney and living wills to more complex wealth transfer strategies for families and individuals. Our lawyers advise individual and corporate fiduciaries on all facets of estate and trust administration, preparation of state and federal death and fiduciary income tax returns, post-mortem tax planning, and fiduciary accountings, helping them navigate the often-complicated state and federal income and estate tax regimes and advising them regarding their fiduciary obligations.
New Jersey Estate and Trust Administration
When a loved one dies, the combined emotional and financial burdens can seem overwhelming. A steadying hand, a trusted advisor, is needed to lessen the load. Our attorneys and paralegals fill this essential need by expertly handling all aspects estate administration, from filing the initial petition to final distribution of assets.
Our services include:
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Probating wills
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Interpreting wills and trusts
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Administering testate and intestate estates
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Preparing applications for Letters Testamentary and Letters of Administration
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Preparing ancillary proceedings and handling of non-resident estates
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Preparing inventories, estate asset accountings, and fiduciary accountings
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Preparing State Inheritance Tax Returns
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Settling and distributing estate assets, including investing assets and marshalling and protecting assets
The purpose of an estate administration is to collect and protect assets and pay the debts, funeral expenses, and all obligations of the estate, and then distribute what is left to those entitled to it under the will or by the laws of intestacy. A fiduciary has great latitude to manage, invest, collect rents from, pay taxes on, sell, lease, or mortgage properties, but the fiduciary must always act in the best interest of the beneficiaries.
Estate and trust administration can be complicated and require legal expertise to navigate properly. The attorneys our firm provide experienced guidance and assistance in these matters to executors, administrators, trustees, and beneficiaries.
New Jersey Estate and Trust Litigation
The attorneys at Kemeny, Ramp & Renaud, LLC prosecute and defend all facets of probate litigation, including:
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Will and trust contests,
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Actions to have a will or a document intended as a will to be admitted to probate,
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Actions to remove an executor, administrator, or trustees,
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Actions to compel an accounting,
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Actions to recover damages when an estate or trust was improperly administered, and
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Guardianship and incapacity proceedings