Estate Planning

Many people have family heirlooms that they have inherited from their parents or grandparents. Some of these items may have been in your family for generations and hold significant sentimental value, if not actual monetary value. Even those that aren’t as old, such as a piece of jewelry your grandmother owned, may be considered valuable...  read more

One common question people have is whether or not the executor of an estate can disregard your Will and do whatever they want with the assets. Fortunately, there are some safeguards in place to prevent this. However, it’s important to understand the legal responsibilities of an executor and how they apply to an estate. They...  read more

You can leave assets to your heirs in two different ways: through a will and through a trust. Both have their pros and cons, and neither is inheritably better than the other. If you’re beginning the estate planning process, it’s important to understand how these two options differ so you can determine which one works...  read more

There are a number of different types of trust funds you can create to leave assets to your heirs. One of the more limited types of trusts is called a spendthrift trust. This type of trust does not give the beneficiary direct access to any of the money in the trust. Instead, the trust pays...  read more

If you have had a major falling out with a family member, you may want to legally disinherit them. This term simply means you leave them nothing in your will. Legally, they are not entitled to any asset or part of your estate. Of course, as with any legal action related to your estate, there...  read more

You may have heard of someone leaving one of their children or other relatives a dollar in their will. Why would they do that? Was it a joke? In many cases, leaving someone a token inheritance is not a joke. It’s actually a legal strategy that can help stop that person from contesting the will....  read more

Your will is one of the most important documents you’ll ever write. It outlines your final wishes and what you want done with your assets. While a lot of people only think about writing their will once, it’s actually a document you should update from time to time. When should you change your will? Here...  read more

NEW YORK – The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data today issued its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, which shows that total household debt increased by $193 billion (1.4%) to $14.15 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2019. This marks the 22nd consecutive quarter with an increase, and the...  read more

Generally, when a person is writing a will, they talk to the person they plan on naming as their executor to let them know that such a responsibility is coming. This is, ideally, the best time to decline being named as executor. However, circumstances may lead to you being named executor of an estate without...  read more

When a person dies, their estate will go through the probate process. The main point of probate in New York is to examine the person’s will or other document to determine if it is valid and legally binding. If it is, the process can be quite short. If it’s not, however, or if there’s a...  read more