Few spouses are thinking clearly after they lose their partner. Yet, it is usually at that time when many major financial and legal decisions must be analyzed and made by the grieving widow or widower. Our New York estate planning lawyers know that families are able to provide much relief…
For decades our New York estate planning lawyers have helped local residents use living trusts instead of wills to plan their affairs. For many clients a will simply creates more problems than it solves. For example, yesterday the Wall Street Journal published a story exploring the myriad of issues faced…
Professional inheritance planning continues to rise in popularity among all classes of society as more and more seniors reach retirement age and come to appreciate the legal tools available to help in their planning efforts. Interestingly, a new poll discussed in Time magazine this month explains that many of the…
Last week the Wall Street Journal‘s “Family Values” blog discussed the often challenging estate planning issues faced by families who are providing for a disabled loved one. Our New York estate planning lawyers know that more families are in this situation than some might suspect. The latest U.S. Census data…
There is often a default assumption that local parents wish to provide all of their children with equal shares of an inheritance as part of their New York estate plan. However, no two families are identical, and there are a variety of reasons why some parents feel it necessary to…
No matter what stage in life, all local residents have much to gain from conducting New York estate planning. However, proper financial preparation is particularly vital for those who have assets built up over a lifetime or who are nearing the age when long-term care planning is becoming more of…
One of our New York estate planning attorneys, Bonnie Kraham, Esq., recently authored an article that shares information on the increasing use of trusts in the estate plan of many local middle class families. The story was published in this weekend’s Times Herald-Record, and explains the various types of trusts…
Last month we shared information on the unique estate planning issues related to the inheritance rights of children conceived posthumously. A growing number of community members are cryopreserving their gametes for use through in vitro fertilization. This is a particularly popular process for those diagnosed with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy…
Thousands of same sex New York couples have wed since the state became the sixth to legally allow such unions last month. At the time our New York estate planning attorneys noted how the change means that these couples are no longer required to pay state taxes on domestic partnership…
These tough economic times have placed many local residents in difficult financial situations. Many established families in our area may be considering ways to help out their less fortunate friends or family members who have faced recent financial bumps. However, there are often concerns about how tax issues will affect…