Camden NJ Probate & Estate Administration Law Blog

A holocaust survivor, aged 97, died without naming anyone to inherit his estate. His assets have been valued at approximately $40 million. It remains a mystery as to why this man never named anyone to benefit from his fortune, but at this time there is no documentation that shows he selected an heir. As strange as this sounds, it is not uncommon for people to pass away in New Jersey without naming heirs.

His friend, who also survived the Holocaust, commented that the man was extremely bright; however, he did not pass away in an intelligent fashion. Another friend, who also served as his accountant, said he reminded him many times over the years to identify who the beneficiaries of his estate would be, and even explained how to do it. The accountant finally convinced him to complete the paperwork the next time they met, but the man died before they saw each other again.

The death of a loved one is always difficult, emotionally speaking. However, what may also add to the pain is having to deal with a complicated and lengthy estate administration process in New Jersey or in any other state. Now that doing business and making investments through online portals has become commonplace it is even more important to make sure estate planning documents are in place in order to allow heirs to access passwords for online financial accounts.

Experts are now suggesting that clients include a list of these accounts and passwords as part of their inventory list in their wills. Online accounts are treated just like any other asset, which will need to be distributed during the estate administration process. Some experts are suggesting that people create a letter of intent, which would include important information such as online accounts and passwords.

A civil wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the Michael Jackson estate after his demise in 2009. In New jersey or elsewhere, part of the estate administration duties in settling an estate is to gather all of the assets of the decedent for distribution. In this instance, the claim is against AEG Live, the promoters of the "This is It" international tour for which Jackson was preparing at the time of his death.

The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that the promoters ignored the health of the pop singer in favor of maximizing financial returns. The estate asserts that the King of Pop's doctor, who was subsequently convicted in California criminal court of wrongful death, was actually hired by the promoters to ensure that Jackson kept his tour commitments at the expense of Jackson's own well being. Jury selection for the civil trial was scheduled to begin in early April, and the trial itself may take about three months to litigate. Jackson's mother and two of his children are rumored to be ready to testify for the estate.

New Jersey readers in learning about a court challenge to the last will and testament of an elderly woman from a northeastern state. She died at the age of 94 in Dec. 2012, and an attorney who represented her for years says that a will she executed about seven months before her death was the product of undue influence. The probate litigation dispute is currently focused on three applications before the court - one seeking authorization to administer the May 2012 document, one seeking to reexamine it, and a third seeking dismissal of the request to reexamine as premature.

The decedent's prior will left the bulk of her estate to charity. The will now being offered for probate leaves most of her estate to a local police officer, including a Cadillac, a bond and some stocks, and the decedent's home on a river. According to the woman's prior lawyer, the policeman "shopped" the elderly woman's plans to change her will to four different attorneys before one finally agreed to draft the documents and supervise their execution. The prior lawyer has formally challenged the probate of the latest will and has also requested that the court authorize payment to him from the estate for services rendered to the woman over a number of years.