New York Estate Planning Lawyer Blog

December 3, 2017

Financial Mistakes Made Now Could Significantly Impact Your Estate Plan

Estate planning is sometimes thought of as something older, more established individuals engage in when they have kids to worry about and significant assets to protect. While it is never too early to start thinking about comprehensive estate planning, it is also important to be aware of and avoid some very common financial mistakes that can occur at any age and end up significantly impacting your estate plan and the assets you are able to leave behind to your heirs. Recently, The Huffington Post ran an article discussing some of these common financial missteps. Some of them are included below, and being aware of them can help make sure you understand their significance and can take steps to avoid them. This is not an exhaustive list, but an experienced estate planning attorney can work with you in making sure that your finances are moving in the right direction in order to support the estate planning objectives you have set for yourself.

Breaking Your Budget

Vacations and treating yourself are fine ways to enjoy your hard-earned money. However, it is important to make sure you incorporate these things are part of a well-balanced budget so that you don’t completely drain your savings and find yourself in need of resources that are no longer there. Creating a safety net for emergencies is a good way to make sure you can handle unexpected expenses that could appear out of the blue. You may be hit with medical bills, a family emergency, car repairs, or even loss of a job. Planning ahead will help you navigate these obstacles much more successfully.

November 25, 2017

Charitable Giving and Estate Planning

by Ettinger Law Firm

For both practical and philanthropic reasons, charitable giving can be an important part of your estate planning strategy. However, it is important to approach charitable giving in estate planning in a responsible manner to make sure that you are getting the most out of it while being sure your objectives for charitable giving are being met.

Keep Tax Consequences in Mind

Tax consequences can play a significant role in our decisions to give to charity on a yearly basis, so it is no surprised that they play a significant role in our decision as to how to distribute assets to charity on death. Donations to qualified charities are tax deductible up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income, which means that giving a little extra to charity could help you and your family save on taxes when it comes to inheritances.

November 20, 2017

Accessing Safe Deposit Boxes

by Ettinger Law Firm

Needing access to a deceased family member’s safe deposit box is a common issue many families face as they prepare to pass a last will and testament through probate in New York Surrogate’s Court. While many assume they can simply bring their loved one’s death certificate and box key to the bank and explain the situation to the bank manager, the truth is that most bank officials will turn down these requests without proper paperwork from the Surrogate Court.

When faced with the impasse, many individuals look at the situation as a catch 22. On the one hand, access to the safe deposit box is needed to probate the will and on the other hand, the safe deposit box cannot be accessed until the estate is probated. Fortunately, New York’s estates and trust laws are prepared for such scenarios and offer a somewhat streamlined process for gaining access to a safe deposit box where a will and other important documents may be stored.

New York Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act, Section 2003 gives interested parties, those with claims to an estate, the right to request access to the deceased’s safe deposit box for the purpose of uncovering the last will and testament. To gain an “Order to Open Safe Deposit Box,” the interested party will need to file the necessary paperwork with a copy of the death certificate and applicable fee.

November 17, 2017

Kinship Law in New York

by Ettinger Law Firm

In New York, if someone passes away without a surviving close family member to inherit the estate, it becomes what is known as a kinship case. While most of us take the time to plan our estate by creating a last living will and testament or a trust to leave our assets to family members and close friends, not everyone is blessed to leave behind a loving family or close associates to pass on an estate.

Chapter 17(B) of the N.Y.S. Consolidated Laws codifies who is entitled to receive the deceased’s estate if he or she passes away without leaving a will. Typically, the surviving spouse is entitled to all of the deceased’s estate if the couple leaves behind no surviving children or grandchildren. If there are children, the surviving spouse receives the first $50,000 of the estate and then half or the remainder which will be split with the surviving children.

When children lose both their parents, the estate will be divided equally between the surviving children. But what if the deceased leave no wife or children? How far will courts and interested parties need to go to figure out who gets what? The answer depends on a variety of factors, including who the deceased leaves behind and whether any interested parties have passed away.

November 15, 2017

Increased Medicare B Costs May Consume More of Social Security Adjustments

by Ettinger Law Firm

Millions of senior citizens will soon find out just how high their Medicare Part B premiums will be in 2018 and whether or not their cost of living increases from Social Security will be able to help offset those adjustments. Unfortunately, many low income seniors may be due for some especially bad news as the board of trustees of Medicare are likely to ask for a premium increase consistent with the expected cost of living adjustment from Social Security, leaving may struggling to better their current situation.

According to reports, the Social Security Administration is poised to increase monthly benefits by 2.2 percent, a raise from an average monthly allowance from $1,360 to $1,390. Although the increase is not dramatic, it is much higher than the miniscule 0.3 cost of living adjustment given last year. Those cost of living increases from the Social Security Administration are important because they have a direct impact on whether or not Medicare can increase premiums.

Under the law, Medicare’s board of trustees cannot allow any premium increases that would effectively decrease the amount of benefits individuals would receive from Social Security. While seniors did not see any increases in their Medicare Part B premiums over the past few years, this was because there was no corresponding increase in Social Security benefits.

November 13, 2017

Estate Planning for Young Families

by Ettinger Law Firm

Starting a family is one of the most exciting times in our lives. With marriage and children comes responsibility to plan for our futures and ensure our loved ones are taken care of in the event of tragedy. While many young families may feel as though they can put off planning their estate, the truth is that it is never too early to start or too late to revise.

One of the first things new families will need to consider is appointing guardianship for children in the event both parents pass away. Although it is difficult to think about, children need to be entrusted to a reliable person to raise them to adulthood. The difficulty often lies in both parents coming to agreement on who should raise the children in a scenario like this.

Another important step is naming an executor to your estate to ensure your children receive all that is due to them should both you and your spouse pass away. Choosing who will manage your estate can have a tremendous impact on the situation and should be someone trustworthy and willing to go the distance until the children are grown and able to take responsibility.

November 9, 2017

The Importance of Digital Assets in Estate Plans

by Ettinger Law Firm

Laws that address how a person’s estate should be divided after their death were created at a time when no one had anticipated the onset of the electronic era. Today, however, there are many important elements of a person’s life that involve digital files. Some of the most common examples include electronic bills that are not printed in paper form and profiles created through social media accounts that contain personal information.

It is critical that individuals who have important information that exists in digital form take proper steps to prepare their account in case of their unexpected demise. If these preparatory steps are not taken, individuals are at risk of having their assets or estate being divided in a manner that they might not have desires. This article will review some of the most crucial tips that should be followed during estate planning by individuals with digital assets.

Tip #1 – Adequately Record Account Names and Passwords

November 7, 2017

Common Myths About Estate Planning

by Ettinger Law Firm

A large number of individuals are confused about some of the complicated issues involved in estate planning. It is critical, however, that individuals understand all of the details about estate planning. Failure to properly understand the estate planning process can result in individuals facing some substantial difficulties including improper administration of assets.

Myth 1 – A Last Will and Testament Avoid Probate

In actuality, in the state of Florida, even if a person writes a Will and Last Testament, the individual is still required to make sure that a decedent’s assets are passed to the proper heirs and beneficiaries.

November 3, 2017

Three Estate Planning Tips for Blended Families

by Ettinger Law Firm

More and more often, families include less traditional definitions than they once did. Remarriages are more common, and cohabitation in lieu of marriage is also more common. In other words, blended families are increasingly common in our society today. If you are considering remarriage or have already remarried, it is extremely important to think about estate planning for your new marriage and how to either approach it from the beginning or revisit an estate plan that may already be in place. The following tips could prove useful for blended families exploring the estate planning process and may help you figure out where to begin your estate planning discussion with an experienced estate planning attorney.

Consider a Prenuptial or Postnuptial Agreement

A prenuptial agreement is an agreement that you enter into with your perspective spouse before the two of you get married. It sets out terms that dictate the property and financial rights of the spouses in case of divorce. They can also be used to set forth terms of asset distribution and other important aspects of estate planning. By specifying these terms, you can help your loved ones avoid conflict between members of your blended family while ensuring that your wishes for your assets are carried out. A postnuptial agreement can accomplish many of the same goals but is entered into after you have already gotten married.

November 1, 2017

Understanding Holographic Wills

by Ettinger Law Firm

The internet provides us with a wealth of information at our fingertips. Unfortunately, some less scrupulous websites take advantage of the trust many people put into the internet and provide less than sound legal advice on important issues – like creating a Will and/or a trust. Sometimes, people mistakenly believe the advice they find on the internet, which can be wholly incorrect or only applicable in certain jurisdictions. One problem many individuals come up against is believing that they have a valid Last Will and Testament but what they really have is known as a holographic will.

What is a holographic will?

Basically, a holographic will is a will that has been entirely handwritten and then signed by the testator. Typically, such wills do not have witness signatures. For any Will to be valid, it must comply with the statutes governing trusts and estates in the respective state that the Will is being created and/or administered in. Sometimes, a state will allow a Will to be administered if it was created in another state and would have otherwise been valid in the state where it was created even if it contradicts the administering state’s laws. For the most part, holographic wills are invalid in most states.