Is Your New York Estate Plan Updated?
To make sure they’re still good, you should check your estate planning documents every so often, especially with big life changes like births, marriages, divorces, and moving to another state. Children grow up, marriages dissolve, property gets sold, residences change. That’s why we recommend that you consult us for an estate-plan check-up every five years […]
The Risk of Online Do-It-Yourself Estate Plans
We hear this question all the time: “Can’t I just grab a will off the internet, do a transfer-on-death deed for my land, put my kids on my bank account, and be done with my estate plan?” It’s just not a good idea. For the plan to work as you would want it to, it […]
The 5 Must-Haves for New York Estate Plan
As we age, the need for estate planning becomes even more vital. Many people avoid estate planning, because they do not want to think about the end of life, failing health or disability. Others believe that an estate plan is only for rich people. However, an estate plan is helpful for the senior adult and […]
How Does the Probate Process Work?
The probate process involves authenticating the deceased individual’s will, assessing the assets, settling debts and taxes, and oversee the allocation of the inheritance. After an asset-holder dies, the court will appoint a valid will’s executor to administer the probate process. In the absence of a will, the court will appoint a state administrator to handle […]
A List of Bad Reasons to Put Off Estate Planning
My family and I don’t own much. Can’t we put off planning until we can afford it? You shouldn’t. It is crucial to give legal authority to a person of your choice, to care for your children if anything should happen to you. You don’t want your children to become wards of the court, […]
Creating a Letter Of Instruction To Go With Your Estate Plan
It doesn’t matter whether you are starting from scratch or have an estate plan in place, a letter of instruction (LOI) is an important part of any comprehensive plan. A letter of instruction can help your loved ones manage important information about you. An LOI conveys your desires, includes practical information about where to find […]
Essential Things to Understand About Estate Planning
Estate planning may sound like the domain of the very wealthy, however, in the eyes of the law, an estate is simply the aggregate of property an individual owns, and most everyone owns something. Property ownership includes individual as well as jointly owned bank accounts, stocks and bonds, retirement accounts, real estate, jewelry, vehicles, your […]