Some New Yorkers eschew an estate plan because they assume their wishes are very simple. “I just want the kids to split it” is a common refrain. For one thing, default rules in the state do not automatically mean that children will split a parents’ assets. The only way to…
Some mistakenly assume that estate planning only deals with minimizing taxes. With all of the focus on the estate tax in recent weeks it is easy to see how this assumption might gain ground. And it is true that for some families, significant planning must be conducted to ensure that…
The New York Times reported last week on the seeming end to one of the most high-profile New York estate planning feuds in decades. For almost five years Brooke Astor’s only son was engaged in a prolonged battle to settle his inheritance and control over other portions of the family…