A recent Washington Post article discussed the lethal combination of family and finances. The author recounts how even the most close-knit families can be torn apart by disagreements about money matters. The article included one reader to wrote a letter offering an example of how his parent’s will is causing…
If you pass away without a will designating how you’d like your affairs to be handled, you are deemed to have died “intestate.” Some of the most significant legal battles and family feuding occurs in those situation because it is essentially a free-for-all. Generic legal rules apply, but without any…
Before being overshadowed by the election, the talk of the social media universe in the past week and a half was Disney’s purchase of the George Lucas film business (LucasFilm). The film company owned all the rights to the mega-popular Star Wars francise, and the purchase might mean that another…
Do you really need to conduct estate planning if you are only in your 30s, don’t have many assets, and don’t have a lot of money to spend on legal and planning services? Absolutely. The specific costs of these planning efforts can always be arranged to meet your resources. And…
Mystery permanently surrounded the heiress Huguette Clark–a reclusive woman whose $300 million estate is often referred to as the last collection of wealth drawn from the American “Gilded Age.” Her father was a copper magnante many decades ago and was also a former senator from Montana. He is well known…
An estimated one in every twenty homes contains a copy of the work of Thomas Kinkade–the painter best known for traditional works of gardens, cottages, streams, and small town centers. Considering the mass marking and popularity of his work, Kinkade was able to acquire a considerable fortunate over the years.…
Most local residents cherish their privacy. That extends to privacy in sensitive matters like estate planning. When considering estate planning, the first thing that comes to mind for many is the traditional will. Our New York estate planning lawyers frequently explain how there are now many more tools beyond wills…
Delineating what family members, friends, and charities will inherit after one’s death is a large part of New York estate planning. However, intrinsic in the process is also distinguishing who will not receive any part of one’s estate. Disinheritance is therefore just as much a part of the process as…
Last week an article in the Mansfield Patch listed “Five Vital Estate Planning Mistakes” made by local community members. The list touched on a few issues that each New York estate planning lawyer in our firm has seen time and again. Like history, these errors tend to repeat themselves. Being…
Many local families create their New York estate plan with potential family feuds in minds. History is replete with examples of siblings, parents, children, in-laws, and others being torn apart following disagreement regarding the passing of assets at the death of a loved one. Legal challenges following a death are…