New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog

Back to Basics: Your First Estate Planning Meeting

Published on: September 28, 2016 | by Ettinger Law Firm

The first time you meet with your estate planning attorney can be stressful and emotional. Many people go into the meeting not knowing what to expect. In order to make your first meeting as painless and hassle free as possible, here are a few things to consider ahead of time

Think About Your Wishes Beforehand

Come to the meeting prepared. During this meeting, you will be making decisions that will affect your future and your family for generations to come. Estate planning decisions should not be made lightly. The size of your estate and the unique makeup of your family can determine aspects of your plan. Consider your specific needs.

End of Life Counseling and Medicare

Published on: September 25, 2016 | by Ettinger Law Firm

Medicare was established by the federal government as a way to provide health insurance for people 65 years old and above, as well as younger people with disabilities. This program provides coverage through a variety of different plans for different services, such as skilled nursing home care, hospice care, doctor visits, outpatient care, as well as prescription drug services. Depending on the plan covered under, Medicare will pay for a specific amount of counseling services, which now will also include end of life counseling services.

Roughly 25% of Medicare spending is done for beneficiaries in their last year of life, and with the largest number of older adults turning 65 years old a day in United States history, end of life planning is more important than ever. While many doctors consult their patients about their wishes as they near closer to the end of their life, Medicare now will cover end of life care and advance care planning. Supporters of the change think that this will now allow doctors and other medical professionals to spend the time necessary with the patient to make these advance plans and have important conversations, since they are able to also bill for that time.

Currently only 17% of adults say they have had end of life discussions with their doctor or health care provider, but majority said they would want to have one. As of January 1, 2016, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulations for advance care planning will be in effect and directly cover costs instead of partially reimbursing any planning discussed. It will be billed to Medicare at $85 for the first 30 minutes to meet regarding explanation of advance directives and standard forms, and $75 for every 30 minutes thereafter. Medicare is currently working to establish a national final fee schedule for the counseling, and expects the Medicare administrative contractors to assist with that process for claims.

Future Federal Estate Tax May Look Different Depending On Our Next President

Published on: September 25, 2016 | by Ettinger Law Firm

The first presidential debate of 2016 was the most watched debate in United States’ history. The two candidates hold very different positions from each other and no more so than on the topic of the federal estate tax. The federal estate tax has a very checkered history in American politics, often serving as a talking point between the two biggest parties in Congress to emphasize how different each party is from the other and what purpose the federal estate tax should serve. No matter which candidate wins the office of the president, the federal estate tax is likely to change in the future.

Up and Down and Sometimes Not At All

Of course if any changes are made to the federal estate tax, it will be in line with its history. The only constant of the federal estate tax is that it is constantly changing. The federal estate tax was an early part of our nation’s history, but was repealed and implemented again over the decades. It was not until 1916 that the modern federal estate tax takes root and has been with us ever since.

What is a Discretionary Trust and When Should I Use it?

Published on: September 21, 2016 | by Ettinger Law Firm

What Is It?

A Discretionary Trust is another type of trust that is commonly used by a grantor seeking to distribute assets to a class of people or their family. Unlike a mandatory trust which requires distributions of income and principal be made according to a set schedule that is executed in the trust document, discretionary trusts allow the trustee to make determinations about when and how much beneficiaries are to receive in capital and income from the trust. Beneficiaries of discretionary trusts do not have entitlement to a specific interest in the trust, they have a right to be considered for the appointment of property or income from the trust

When and Why To Use a Discretionary Trust

Ademption: A Stumbling Block To Your Estate Plan

Published on: September 20, 2016 | by Ettinger Law Firm

Your estate plan exists to make sure that your wishes are known and fulfilled. In particular, you have a will to make sure that your family is provided for and that your assets go to the people you want to care for and believe are deserving. However, failure to keep your will up to date or not managing your assets while keeping your will in mind can cause major problems with ademption.

Ademption and Your Will

Ademption occurs when the property that the Will leaves to someone is not present in the Testator’s estate when the Testator dies. Ademption only applies to specific bequests which are particular pieces of personal or real property.

What is a Delaware Directed Trust?

Published on: September 18, 2016 | by Ettinger Law Firm

A directed trust is a type of investment trust that appoints a particular trustee, usually a bank or firm, to administer specific aspects of the trust. Trustees who are responsible for directed trusts generally have a number of other professionals who assist in their administration of the trust by providing investment recommendations and distribution recommendations to the beneficiaries. By delegating these duties, the trustee as well as the beneficiaries are benefitted because the beneficiaries now are receiving expert advice in areas such as investing, while trustees can focus on maintaining the purpose of the trust and can in some cases limit their liability, depending on the state law.

Delaware directed trusts are a specific type of directed trust that is administered in the state of Delaware. Trustees will recommend that a trust be held and administered in Delaware depending on the nature of the assets that a party holds and what they seek to do with those assets. Many advisors or trustees will recommend a Delaware directed trust if the grantor, or maker of the trust, had assets that are concentrated, illiquid or difficult to manage. Illiquid assets are those assets which cannot be sold without a substantial drop in value or assets and are unique in that they are difficult to sell because there is not an immediate demand or interest by investors to purchase the asset. Other examples of concentrated or difficult assets that may be suited for Delaware directed trusts include stocks or other securities which have historical value to the family or that the beneficiaries think will perform well long term. Here, the trustee can continue to be responsible for managing the diversified assets, while an investment advisor can work with the beneficiaries in handling the concentrated asset.
Other benefits of this type of trust involves protecting the grantor’s interest by appointing a trust protector who will act on the behalf of the grantor to ensure his or her goals come to fruition, which includes the ability to remove a trustee they feel is not following the grantor’s wishes. A distribution advisor can also be appointed to assess what is important in their specific situation when making future distributions. Additionally, in the majority of situations, Delaware’s tax laws apply to trusts as well. Delaware courts also do not require court filings in an effort to maintain the privacy of individuals and grantors can restrict a beneficiary’s access to some information, depending on the situation and trust.

Back To Basics: Preventing Will Contests

Published on: September 16, 2016 | by Ettinger Law Firm

Every family has at least one horror story of a death in a family turning into a protracted legal tragedy well documented publicly by a probate court. An angry heir dissatisfied with their share of inheritance or a disinherited family member desperately trying to claim a stake of the predeceased’s estate contests the will and alleges a whole manner of improprieties in order to invalidate the will or one of the bequests made under it. A testator considering a future will contest can take steps to protect his or her estate from challengers and minimize the negative effects that a challenge can have.

Destroy All Previously Revoked Wills

A common occurrence in the probate court is for someone who was to inherit under an older version of a testator’s will to present the revoked copy as the testator’s true and most recent will. This can only happen though if the testator does not take proper steps to discard and make it apparent that an older will is now revoked. Writing ‘void’ or ‘revoked’ on each page of an older will or physically destroying the will shows everyone that the will is no longer valid.

Back to the Basics – The Notice Act

Published on: September 14, 2016 | by Ettinger Law Firm

Rising Medical Bills

Experiencing a life threatening accident or injury is one of the scariest and most confusing times in a person’s life, but what further complicates these emotional times are the staggering medical bills received after, without warning. In an effort to combat receiving these unexpectedly high bills and further open communication between hospital and patient, The NOTICE, or Notice of Observation of Treatment and Implication for Care Eligibility, Act will change the way patients are notified about potential costs incurred.

Starting in August 2016, this Act requires that hospitals throughout the country notify a patient about their status as either ‘inpatient’ or ‘observation’ status. When classified as an inpatient, Medicare will cover all, or a substantial amount, of the costs of medical bills incurred by the patient if they are covered under it. However, if the patient is classified as being under observation, Medicare may no longer be responsible for the bills incurred and the out of pocket costs fall on the patient, which has commonly been unbeknownst to the patient until release or weeks later when the bill is received. In order for an elder to receive care at a nursing home following a hospital visit, they must have spent three days in a hospital under inpatient status.

Keeping Your Life and Assets Private

Published on: September 14, 2016 | by Ettinger Law Firm

Prince’s lack of estate planning in life has made quite a mess for his potential heirs as we have covered in the past. The slow moving probate proceedings are also preventing his estate from fully monetizing his image and collecting potential revenue. This week though the Minnesota probate judge gave the go ahead for the administrator of Prince’s estate to sell six of the late artist’s properties. This order does nothing to touch the much more valuable part of Prince’s estate such as his likeness, music catalogue, personal home or recording studio.

Your Life Out In The Open

But how exactly do we know the extensive real estate listings and assets held by Prince? That is because court proceedings are public knowledge and any court filings in a probate court are public records. That means that when you pass, if you have to go through probate chances are any assets you have at the time of your death will be catalogued and listed. Probate records include wills, estate inventories, letters of administration and other documents relating to the administration and settlement of deceased persons’ estates. These records also contain information on the property of decedents, the identity and relationships of heirs, and legal actions taken to prove wills and settle estates.

Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts

Published on: September 12, 2016 | by Ettinger Law Firm

Estate Taxes

When the proceeds from an estate are being distributed after death, many beneficiaries are surprised to find that they receive a substantial amount less than anticipated due to the federal estate tax or the state tax that must be paid on these proceeds. Specifically, life insurance proceeds tend to account for a significant portion of an estate’s worth and are thus included when calculating estate taxes.

When combining what will be taxed from an estate, the executor of the estate must include any of these when reporting on an estate’s proceeds: funds in bank accounts, value of investment accounts, any property including cars and personal assets, life insurance proceeds, retirement accounts or funds, and the value of any business owned.