According to the Council on Elder Abuse, as few as one in 24-cases of elder abuse go reported to the proper authorities, an unfortunate reality that many across the state and country are actively trying to change. To fulfil the goal of eliminating elder abuse, June is Elder Abuse Awareness…
Schedule an in-office, Zoom or phone consultation Here.
New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
Empowering Your Power of Attorney
Most individuals recognize the importance of comprehensive estate planning, although they may still choose to avoid it. One important part of your estate plan is your power of attorney (“POA”). Basically, a POA is a document that nominates an individual to make legal decisions for you in the event that…
Elder Law Estate Planning in New York – What is Intestate Succession?
When someone passes away without creating a last will and testament or trust, the individual passes away in intestate, meaning his or her assets will be distributed to heirs based on a line of succession under New York state probate laws. While most of us plan for the time after…
IRA Trusts as a Protective Measure
Once an individual decides to engage in comprehensive estate planning, several concerns may arise. One of those concerns often involves leaving a large sum of money to an heir that may be facing financial difficulty or may not yet have the ability to budget in a responsible manner. In such…
Non-Spouse IRA Inheritance
We have written several aspects about the role IRAs can play in your comprehensive estate planning strategy, as well as several concerns that accompany them. Here, we will address the two common choices facing non-spousal individuals listed as heirs for an IRA account that is not slated to go to…
What are the Tax Rules of Gifts to Grandchildren?
All grandparents want the best for their children and grandchildren and many take the initiative to set aside part of an estate to help future generations get a head start in life. Forward thinking grandparents should also be aware there are certain tax and entitlement benefits rules seniors need to…
Anticipating Tax Reform with Your Estate Planning Strategies
The current makeup of the federal government makes it very likely that some type of tax reform will happen within the next couple of years. Many individuals that have comprehensive estate plans in place or are considering engaging in creating a comprehensive strategy may have questions about how such tax…
Elder Law Estate Planning – Choosing the Right Trust for your Estate
When deciding how to disburse assets in an estate, many individuals decide to create a trust over a last will and testament in order avoid probate court and create a public record of the events. The pros and cons of establishing a trust over a will depend on many circumstances,…
The Difference Between a Trust and Payable on Death
In the past, a trust was something that seemed useless for many Americans. It was a term often used to refer to the bank accounts of wealthy individuals. However, trust can be useful tools for many individuals. You don’t have to be a millionaire to make use of them, either.…
Estate Planning and Online Accounts
For some people, the term “estate planning” conjures up images of wealthy families complaining about the estate tax. However, estate planning is an important responsibility for all adults with assets that they wish to leave behind. This is especially true today as most people are becoming increasingly familiar with the…