You Can Control the Distribution of Your Estate with a Will

Choosing the right person to handle your estate might be the most important decision you will make in your lifetime. Upon death, the estate of those without a will might be placed in the hands of the wrong person or the State of New Jersey. Upon your death, the only way to control the destiny is to make sure that you have a written distribution of your estate. If you do not establish who handles the estate, the wrong person can be named its administrator if you were to pass away.

The Will Process
The process of creating a will begins with a consultation. During this phase, Anna-Maria Pittella meets with her clients and examines their background. This includes a fact-finding process exploring if the client has ever been married, or if they have children or stepchildren, even those they do not see anymore. Ms. Pittella looks at the details of their estate and their requests for its distribution.

During the consultation, Ms. Pittella talks with her clients about the people they believe would be most appropriate to handle their estate. The functions of that person - who is known as an “executor” or “executrix” - are limited. The executor's main responsibility is paying debts and distributing the assets for whom he was named.

A client must name a trustee for their children and children under 18 and the trustee will have a longer term of responsibility. People with children should also consider who would be the right person to be the child's physical guardian upon their passing.

Ms. Pittella says, “My role in helping my client make these important decisions is to guide them towards finding the best possible executor, executrix, trustee or guardian for their family. If the estate consists of a substantial amount of money, my role is to make sure that my client has insight into the tax consequences. In that case, my focus is to find them the right outside source for the advice they need. Depending on the estate, this may involve a tax attorney or an accountant.”

Before it’s too late, contact Anna-Maria Pittella to prepare your family’s estate planning tools.