Health Justice Clinic: Estate Planning Project
About the Project
The Estate Planning Project is operated by the Health Justice Clinic at the Seton Hall Law School Center for Social Justice (CSJ). The Project is operated by attorneys licensed to practice in New Jersey, with the assistance of students from Seton Hall Law School. The Center for Social Justice is a legal services organization that provides free legal assistance to low-income individuals in New Jersey.
We provide legal representation to individuals with health-related legal needs. Specifically, we assist individuals in drafting and/or reviewing five types of estate planning documents: (1) wills; (2) health care advanced directives (living wills or instruction directives); (3) health care proxies (durable powers of attorney or proxy directives); (4) powers of attorney; and (5) guardianship orders. (*See definitions below).
If you are interested in receiving assistance with one of these matters, please submit the Request for Legal Assistance / Estate Planning Project form and a member of our team will be in touch with you to schedule a consultation.
Resources & Contact Information
For general information about the Center for Social Justice or to request a speaker, please contact us at 973-642-8700 or [email protected].
*Definitions
(1) A will is a legal declaration of an individual’s wishes regarding the disposition of their property, possessions, or estate after their death, and identifies an executor to manage that distribution.
(2) A health care advanced directive (living will or instruction directive) provides instructions to family, physicians, and others, regarding the future health care of an individual. The instructions take effect in the event that the individual is unable to make their own health care decisions due to physical or mental incapacity.
(3) A health care proxy (durable power of attorney or proxy directive) appoints a health care representative with the legal authority to make health care decisions on an individual’s behalf and to consult with that individual’s physician and others. The legal authority takes effect in the event that the individual is unable to make their own health care decisions due to physical or mental incapacity.
(4) A power of attorney is a legal document that appoints an individual to act on another person’s behalf in legal, property, financial, and other affairs.
(5) A guardianship order appoints a legal guardian to make decisions for an incapacitated person regarding personal and medical care, financial affairs, and other matters.