LWK & Associates is a modern law firm concentrating in all areas of estate planning and estate administration. With over 30 years of experience, we are able to combine big firm quality work with small firm personalized service. We understand how a busy life can get in the way of planning your estate. That is why we make it easy for our clients by offering both in-person and remote meetings, either during the day or evening. We can help you in the following areas, among others:

Estate Planning for New Jersey and New York residents, including wills, financial powers of attorney, living wills/health care proxies, revocable living trusts and trusts for your children and grandchildren.

Estate Administration for New Jersey and New York decedents. We offer compassionate assistance in all matters relating to probating an estate.

We are conveniently located at

Two University Plaza in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Call or email us now for a consultation.

201-701-1520

Laura@LWKestateplanning.com

Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning

Addressing the Concerns of the Present and the Needs of

the Future

Since every individual is unique and every family is different, estate planning is a highly personalized matter. We can assist you and your family with everything from simple wills to complex trusts involving customized distribution arrangements. We provide compassionate, knowledgeable legal services to families and individuals in a wide variety of life situations.

We take the time to learn about your family, your finances and your specific planning needs. We make sure that there is coordination between your probate assets (assets that will pass under your will), and your non-probate assets (assets that will be controlled by a beneficiary designation form or operation of law).

Our many years of experience help guide you when making difficult family decisions, such as who should be named as guardian to have physical custody of your minor children, and who should be named as trustee to be responsible for managing the children’s assets. We create customized trusts for your children which reflect your values, so that when the children receive their inheritance, it is protected.

We have the experience to create wills that are specifically designed to provide maximum flexibility for a wide variety of circumstances, including the changing tax laws.

Estate Solutions That Meet Your Specific Needs

At LWK & Associates, we assist clients with a full range of legal solutions that meet their particular estate planning needs, including:

Simple and complex wills
Revocable Living Trusts
Living wills and health care proxies for medical decisions
Durable and springing financial powers of attorney
Life insurance trusts
Family trusts including trusts for children and grandchildren
Minimizing death taxes
Legal concerns specific to same-sex couples

We will gladly answer your questions and help you develop a comprehensive strategy to cover all aspects of your estate. We can help you develop a workable estate plan that will meet the needs of your family. Many of our clients like the fact that we frequently charge one reasonable flat fee that covers all their estate planning documents. Contact us for help with your estate planning concerns.

Estate Administration and Probate

Professional guidance through probate

When a loved one dies, the pain of the loss is immense. On top of this, dealing with the administration of a family member’s estate can be overwhelming. As highly experienced and empathetic probate professionals, we can help make this difficult time smoother. While even the mention of the word “probate” can trigger anxiety and dread because of its common association with mounds of paperwork, legal fees, death tax problems and family conflicts, probate administration does not have to be a nightmare. Having a reasonable, sympathetic, intelligent lawyer on your side can make the process much easier than you think.

LWK & Associates provides sensitive, intelligent representation in probate administration, advising and supporting clients in settling matters as quickly and efficiently as possible. Contact us for help with your probate matter.

Help With the Distribution of Assets and Resolution of Tax Concerns

We can address every aspect of your probate matter, paying careful attention to all aspects of the estate and working to minimize any death taxes. Our expertise in probate administration includes:

Guiding an executor regarding his or her responsibilities and duties
Marshalling and distributing assets
Preparing and filing all probate documents
Preparing and filing all tax returns, including federal and state estate and gift tax returns
Communicating and negotiating among family members
Property valuation

Every estate is different. We have successfully handled a wide variety of probate situations, including those involving numerous types of trusts and intestacy estates (estates where the deceased did not have a will).

Podcasts

Paralegal Tea Time (Podcast)

We’re joined by estate planning expert Laura W. Kearney, Esq., the founder and managing partner of LWK & Associates, to discuss simultaneous death clauses in estate plans. With over 30 years of experience in estate planning and estate administration, Laura provides invaluable insight into how we can protect our loved ones and plan for these complex situations. Tune in as we take a closer look at Gene Hackman’s estate and discuss key takeaways on managing estate plans in these delicate circumstances.

Listen now on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Tf34gMlYEehKqysyNd5dh]

Laura Weyant Kearney, Esq.

Laura Weyant Kearney is the founder and managing partner at LWK & Associates. Laura has been practicing exclusively in the areas of estate planning and estate administration for over 30 years. Laura is admitted to the New Jersey State Bar. Laura received her J.D. from Western New England School of Law where she graduated cum laude and her B.A. degree in English from Bucknell University where she also minored in religion and philosophy. While in law school, Laura served as Note Editor for the Western New England Law Review.

Laura frequently lectures on estate planning and administration in Hoboken and Ridgewood. She was also the featured speaker for Konica Minolta’s Step Forward Program on estate planning. She is the co-author of the article, "Trusts as Beneficiaries May Prolong IRA Distributions and Save Taxes"; which was published in the Journal of Taxation. She was the Co-Program Chair of the ICLE program "How Tax Invades Your Practice".

Laura lives in Bergen County with her husband, Philip, their children and dogs (a basenji and

husky). She is a competitive tennis and paddle player in numerous Bergen County leagues and also enjoys golf.

Laura can be reached at Laura@LWKestateplanning.com

Past Employment Positions

Steinbach & Associates, P.C. Hackensack, NJ, Partner 2020-2022
Steinbach & Associates, P.C. Hackensack, NJ, Of counsel 2015-2019
Martin M. Shenkman, P.C., Paramus, NJ, Senior Associate, 1997-2010
Witman Stadtmauer, P.A., Florham Park, NJ, Associate, 1994-1997

Kristen S. Mirsky, Esq.

Kristen S. Mirsky is Of Counsel to LWK & Associates. Kristen has over 25 years of experience practicing primarily in the fields of estate planning, wealth preservation, and probate administration. Kristen received her LLM at Georgetown University Law Center, her J.D. at St. Thomas University School of Law where she served as Associate Editor of the St. Thomas University Law Review, and her B.A. at University of Florida. Kristen is admitted to the Maryland State Bar and is awaiting admission to the New Jersey State Bar. Much of Kristen's legal career has been spent working simultaneously in traditional law firms and the public accounting environment. Kristen also spent many years working as a writer and editor for two of the most respected legal publishers, providing comprehensive and authoritative analysis of federal income and estate tax issues to attorneys, CPAs, and other members of the tax professional community. Her vast experience ensures that her clients' most important personal planning is not only substantively and financially sound but also tax efficient. Dedicated to developing long-term relationships, Kristen enjoys working closely with her clients to ensure that their wealth preservation goals are met and that their client service expectations are exceeded.

Kristen can be reached at KMirsky@LWKestateplanning.com

Sarah Briguglio, Esq.

Sarah L. Briguglio is Of Counsel to LWK & Associates. Sarah is licensed to practice law in New Jersey, New York, Florida and Texas. She is an active member of the New Jersey, New York, Florida and Texas Bar Associations. Sarah focuses her practice on complex estate planning, Medicaid planning, guardianships and elder law, trust and estate administration, estate litigation, intergenerational wealth transfer and tax planning, construction litigation, business litigation, personal injury and providing business and transactional counsel to clients. Sarah has practiced in the Trusts & Estates Department at several New Jersey Law Firms and served as a law clerk in Superior Court in New Jersey before diversifying her practice in Florida. Sarah utilizes her knowledge of the law in multiple states to assist clients with interstate planning needs. Sarah has conducted various Trial Court sand Surrogate’s Court proceedings throughout the Tristate area

and Florida, representing clients in a wide range of disputes. Sarah has represented clients in business and commercial litigation, construction litigation and personal injury. Sarah draws on her experience counselling clients on a wide array of estate planning and transactional matters Court matters to avoid common missteps that may otherwise lead to costly litigation. Sarah further strives to guide her clients on asset protection and wealth transfer to preserve her clients’ estates for future generations. Sarah has also been instrumental in advising and representing clients on succession planning, sale/purchase of their business, residential and commercial real estate sale/purchase, shareholder agreements, operating agreements, and buy/sell agreements.

Sarah earned her undergraduate degree from The College of New Jersey where she majored in Psychology and graduated with honors. Sarah went on to pursue her law degree from Seton Hall Law School. During law school, Sarah interned at the US Attorney’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office of New Jersey and with the District Court of New Jersey and served in a pro bono clinic assisting with a death penalty case.

When not practicing law, Sarah enjoys cycling, nature walks, touring art museums and attending the theater.

Sarah can be reached at SBriguglio@LWKestateplanning.com

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The information you obtain at this site may be considered attorney marketing and/or advertising. The information you obtain at this site is for general information only and is not intended to be legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.