Estate Planning • Chatham, NJ

Estate Planning for Chatham Families

You moved here for the schools. The document that decides who raises your children if you and your spouse are both gone is the one most Chatham parents haven’t signed. I’m Shlomo Himmel — estate planning attorney and former ER nurse. My clients get their entire plan done in two to three weeks for one flat fee, with evening video sessions and a signing that takes twenty minutes.

Book a Planning Session → (908) 671-1434

The Stakes

What’s Actually at Stake for a Chatham Household.

Two careers, young children, and assets spread across a decade of job changes. The pieces that matter most are the ones that don’t pass the way people assume.

Who Raises Your Children

Without a written guardianship designation, the decision goes to a judge. Family members can petition — including ones you’d never have chosen — and the court decides among whoever shows up. This is a one-page document. It is also the single most consequential thing you will sign.

Money That Arrives All At Once

If both parents die, life insurance, retirement accounts, and the house can land in a child’s hands the day they turn eighteen — with no structure and no one managing it. A trust lets you stage distributions and name who oversees the money in the meantime.

Two Careers, Two Sets of Accounts

Equity compensation, 401(k)s from multiple employers, and group life through work all pass by beneficiary designation — not by your will. Designations naming a parent or an ex-spouse are the most common failure I find, and families don’t discover it until it’s too late.

Local Note

Chatham Is Morris County.

Worth knowing: Chatham Borough and Chatham Township sit in Morris County, so probate here runs through the Morris County Surrogate in Morristown — not Union County. It’s a well-run office, but it’s a different court with different timelines than most of my Union County clients see. I handle both.

What’s Included

Everything Your Family Needs. One Complete Plan.

Wills & Living Trusts

Decide exactly who inherits what — and keep your family out of probate court. A trust also keeps everything private and avoids months of delay.

Powers of Attorney

Name someone you trust to manage finances and legal decisions if you ever can’t. Without this, your family has to go to court for permission.

Healthcare Directives

Healthcare proxies, living wills, and advance directives — drafted by an attorney who’s used them clinically in emergency departments.

Guardianship Designations

Name who raises your children if something happens to you. Without a written designation, a judge decides — and your wishes aren’t part of the record.

Your Attorney

Built by Someone Who’s Seen When These Documents Get Used.

When I draft your healthcare directive, I’m not guessing what incapacity looks like — I’ve stood at the bedside in Level I trauma centers as a registered nurse. Every document in your plan is written by one attorney who has seen exactly when, and how, it matters. No handoffs, no hourly billing, no surprises.

How It Works

Three Simple Steps for Chatham Clients.

The Planning Call

Thirty minutes, by phone or video. I learn about your family and goals. You leave with a clear flat-fee quote — before anything begins.

Plan Design Session

By video, evenings available. We name guardians, decide will vs. trust, and I draft everything for your review.

Signing & Done

At my office — about twenty-five minutes from Chatham — or at your home, including weekends.

The Real Cost

A Plan Now Costs a Fraction of No Plan Later.

Every estate plan comes with a clear, flat fee — quoted on your planning call, before anything begins. No hourly billing, no surprises. Here’s how the numbers compare for a Chatham family.

Without a Plan

The court decides who raises your kids
Your home and accounts sit frozen in probate for months
Your estate becomes a public court record
Your family pays thousands in avoidable fees and taxes
Loved ones are left guessing your wishes

With a Plan

You choose who raises your children
Your home transfers privately — no probate
Your affairs stay your family’s business
One flat fee, quoted upfront, and it’s done
Your wishes are crystal clear and legally binding

Get Your Flat-Fee Quote →

Curious What Probate Would Actually Cost Your Family?

Run your numbers through the free NJ Probate Cost Calculator — two minutes, real figures for an estate like yours.

Try the Free Calculator →

FAQ

Good Questions. Clear Answers.

We can’t agree on a guardian. Can we still do this?

Yes, and you’re in good company — it’s the most common reason plans stall. You can name alternates in order, and you can change the designation any time. A named guardian you’re eighty percent sure about beats no guardian at all.

Our kids are little. Isn’t this premature?

It’s the opposite. Guardianship designations only matter while your children are minors, which means the window you’d need them is exactly the window you’re in now.

Does the person we name have to agree?

They should know, and you should ask. But the designation is yours to make, and naming someone doesn’t obligate them — which is why naming alternates matters.

Do you come to Chatham?

Yes. Signings can happen at your home, including evenings and weekends. Planning sessions are typically by video, so you never need to take a day off work for this.

What about our life insurance and 401(k)s?

Those pass by beneficiary designation, not by your will — and outdated designations are one of the most common (and most painful) estate planning mistakes I see. Reviewing them is part of every plan I prepare.

Ready to Name a Guardian?

One conversation. A clear flat fee. Done in two to three weeks.