Bratton Law Group Attorneys is pleased to announce that partner Charles “Chris” Bratton was named Top Attorneys 2017 by SJ Magazine. This is Mr. Bratton’s ninth consecutive year for being recognized for his work in the field of Estate Planning. Every year SJ Magazine polls local attorneys to tell them which of their peers excel in their […]

Wills are not only for the wealthy. No matter how much, or how little, you have in your estate, you want to make sure that your hard-earned assets are distributed to your beneficiaries according to your wishes. New Jersey’s intestacy laws, the laws that dictate who your property goes to when you die without a will, are very complex. For

Having a properly drafted Will is essential to any estate plan. However, many question whether a trust is beneficial, or even necessary, to their estate plan. There are many different types of trusts which serve many different purposes.  One of the simplest and most common types of trusts are revocable living trusts (“RLTs”). An RLT is created

By now, we all know that New Jersey is set to repeal its estate tax.  New Jersey is one of two states that has two, separate death taxes; an estate tax and an inheritance tax. The New Jersey legislature recently voted to repeal the state’s estate tax as part of a deal to include a

You’re a responsible parent. You’ve looked out for your children in the event of the unthinkable. You and your spouse may have wills, estate plans, powers of attorney and other asset-protecting documents in place and have left instructions on where to find them. But what about your college-age children? The single-most common misconception that people

The IRS has announced that the basic estate tax exclusion amount for the estates of decedents dying during calendar year 2017 will be $5.49 million, up from $5.45 million for calendar year 2016. The increase in the estate tax exclusion means that the lifetime tax exclusion for gifts will also rise to $5.49 million, as

Do you have an estate plan in place, or is it one of those things that you know you need to do but simply haven’t made it a top priority? If you’re in the latter camp, then National Estate Planning Awareness Week is all about you. It’s an event that was created by the NAEPC – the

It’s August … do you have a will? August is traditionally when we go on vacation, start buying back-to-school supplies, and generally try to avoid the heat, so writing a will and putting your financial affairs in order may be the last thing on your mind. If you’re not comfortable with the idea of sitting down and

If you’re one of those who is spending the summer gathering up supplies for your college-bound child – or even the concerned parent of any over-18-year-old — then there’s a little know but necessary step you need to take. In order to ensure yourself peace of mind and the ability to act in their best