There are a number of common estate planning errors that we see people make. These errors occur in almost equal proportion among the wealthiest as well as individuals of modest means. In the hopes of making the estate planning process more efficient for everyone, this article reviews some of…
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New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
Opioid Crisis at Home: Rise in Elder Abuse Tied to Opioid Epidemic
This is the second post in a two-part series on the opioid crisis at home. Addiction, the subject of our first post, is not the only opioid-related impact on older adults. The following post will examine the rise in elder abuse tied to the opioid epidemic. I assisted a client…
Tips on Keeping Estate Planning Documents Safe
After creating an estate plan, you might think that you’ve made all of the steps necessary to plan for your future. Instead, it is just as important to make sure that estate planning documents are stored in a safe location. This article reviews some of the various options that…
Reasons to Routinely Update Beneficiary Designations
Many of us don’t keep our assets in tangible items. Instead, many people’s assets are retirement accounts including 401(k)s, IRAs, and worker benefit plans. One way in which retirement accounts differ from more tangible assets is that wills do not dictate how individual accounts are disposed. As a result,…
Irrevocable Trusts and Divorce: Words of Caution
A recurring theme in estate planning is that it is not a once and done activity. Instead, it is critical to revise estate plans following major life changes. One of the countless life changes that many people still do not think necessitates changes to estate plans is divorce. In…
Important Details You Should Know about Federal Estate Tax
The federal estate tax is a tax that is placed on a person’s estate after death. While many people are familiar with this general concept, they have a number of more specific questions about what the federal estate tax does and does not include. For one, many people…
Preventing Deed Fraud and Mortgage Scams
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a group of bills intended to increase consumer homeowner protections. By press release, the Governor’s office announced three important improvements in an effort to strengthen homeowner safeguards and close loopholes to prevent deed fraud and mortgage scams. Unbeknownst to the homeowner, deed fraud…
Divorce and Estate Planning: Advice to Follow
It’s a tale as old as time. A couple is married for several years and during that time, the couple successfully grows a small business into a million dollar one. The couple’s marriage ultimately does not last and they divorce. Because the couple is still young, they do not have…
Lessons Learned from Northport Health Services v. Posey
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in Northport Health Services v. Posey recently reversed a lower court’s decision to grant summary judgment in a wrongful death action. One son in the Posey family in this case had signed the admission agreement of his brother at a resident rehabilitation center owned…
A Quick Guide to Revocable Trusts
Estate planning is a difficult activity, but it’s a necessary one. Many people, however, that estate planning is only necessary for the richest of the rich. In reality, most people can benefit from some form of estate planning. There are a number of different options when a person begins…