DJ Jazzy Jeff, reporting his experience with COVID-19, describes exactly why you need to have your estate planned right now: “When my wife and I were at the store, I looked at her and told her I didn’t feel well. And she was asking what was wrong, and I said ‘I feel a little achy, like I’m coming down with something.’ I literally went home and got into bed and almost don’t remember the next 11 days after that…”
The disease comes on quickly, and can have devastating results. To protect your family, you need a will that lays out your wishes. You also need a power of attorney that allows a loved one to handle your bills and other financial decisions if you are incapacitated, and a living will that expresses your medical wishes and who you want to be in charge of carrying them out, and who you want to be able to access information about your health conditions liberally.
Although everyone should have one, you are particularly vulnerable if:
- You have a partner you share your life with but without the protections of marriage. They may be entitled to nothing if you don’t lay it out in a will.
- You have children you don’t wish to inherit, either because of estrangement, they have a disability that inheriting would negatively impact their government benefits, or they have a drug or alcohol problem wherein inheriting may prove dangerous for them.
- You have children from multiple relationships and want/need to divide your assets differently.
- You have under age children for whom you may need to name a guardian if you and their other parent are sick, deceased or if the other parent is not in their lives.
- You have a particular unique wish for certain items to go to a particular person.
THE PROCESS
On April 15, Governor Murphy authorized electronic notarization during the crisis so we are now able to complete this process quickly and in a no contact way. You will do a brief intake with a paralegal or lawyer after filling out a form with your wishes, your documents will be written up for you and emailed. Once you have approved them a signing will be scheduled. Mail the documents back to our office once you have signed and we will notarize and return them to you by email and mail.
We will endeavor to turn these around as fast as possible to serve our clients. Call today to get started 856-227-7888 or email [email protected] to get a copy of the paperwork to fill out.
Health care workers will receive a 40% discount on our services, so if you are that please mention it.
