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Stacey M. Valentine is managing partner at Avelino Law, LLP, working with A. Jude Avelino to lead the Trusts and Estates practice group. A graduate of Colgate University (magna cum laude) and Washington & Lee University School of Law (cum laude), Stacey leverages her extensive experience in analyzing, structuring and administering sophisticated estate plans to assist individuals and families in achieving their wealth planning goals. In an intricate and ever-changing complex area of the law, clients not only appreciate her vast knowledge, but also her unique ability to communicate clearly and plainly, avoiding overwhelming jargon. She makes the estate planning process straightforward and works tirelessly to make sure that her clients understand the implications of the plans they set in place.

Stacey’s practice encompasses all aspects of trusts and estates law. She handles income, estate, inheritance, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax issues, and helps clients maximize the benefits of charitable giving. As a valued advisor and empathetic counselor, Stacey is often entrusted by her clients with the fiduciary duties of executor or trustee. She also assists estate and trust beneficiaries and fiduciaries to enforce their rights and adhere to their obligations in the event of a dispute. As legal counsel to numerous financial institutions and corporate trustees, Stacey has assisted those entities in the implementation of their fiduciary duty while addressing the risks inherent to the role of executor or trustee.

In addition to providing estate planning services, Stacey assists clients with the administration of estates following the death of a loved one. During this challenging time, she streamlines the process and guides her clients through the difficult and trying responsibilities of probating wills, collecting assets, paying final debts and expenses, filing appropriate tax returns, making distributions and generally completing the administrative tasks required to protect the interests of the fiduciaries and/or beneficiaries of an estate.

More broadly, Stacey advises clients in general corporate matters arising in closely-held family businesses and works closely with members of the firm’s real estate department to assist clients purchasing, selling or investing in real estate. She also has experience working with individuals with special needs, with an emphasis on providing guidance to families and representing individuals in guardianship matters.

A member of New Jersey State Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the Morris County Bar Association, Stacey serves on the Board of the Estate Planning Council of Northern New Jersey, the Board of the Women’s Association for the Morristown Medical Center, the Board of the Great Swamp Watershed Association, and the Board of the Morristown Club

Email Stacey:
svalentine@avelinolaw.com

Washington and Lee University School of Law
Cum Laude
J.D.

Colgate University
Magna Cum Laude
B.A. Political Science

New Jersey
New York