Newly proposed IRS regulations meant to curb common estate and gift tax planning tactics is being met with a firestorm of resistance from financial advisers and estate planners across the country. The proposed regulations (REG-163113-02) place limitations on the use of current valuation discounts that reduce the overall value of…
It is common knowledge that in order for a New York will to be valid that there must be other people to witness you signing your will as well as putting down their own signatures on your will. Despite this knowledge though improper execution of the will is the most…
The Durable Power of Attorney is a powerful estate planning tool that everyone should have. Properly drafted, a Durable Power of Attorney allows for the right person to be able to manage your affairs when you are physically or mentally unable to do so. However, a Durable Power of Attorney…
Beneficiaries Often Treat An Inheritance As A Windfall And Spend It As Such You spend your entire life working hard, accumulating wealth and you want to pass it onto your children, to provide for them and their families after you have passed. But will they appreciate your life’s earnings or…
An Often Overlooked Power in Durable Power of Attorney Documents Your elderly mother lives and intends to continue residing in Florida. You live in New York. She becomes mentally incapacitated and you move her in with you to take good care of her. You are her agent as designated by…
Nearly 55% of American adults die without a will or estate planning documents. This lack of planning can cause years of stress and heartache for your surviving family members and heirs. If you die without an estate plan in place, your family may be subject to: Attorney expenses and court…
Art pieces and collectibles can often be difficult to price. After all, the best and easiest way to price an item is to see what other items like it have sold for. But in these cases, art and collections can be one of a kind and have no comparison. When…
Many people believe that estate planning is primarily a tool to minimize taxes by the state and ensure that your assets are passed on to the people you want them to go to. However, an important part of estate planning is ensuring that when you are incapacitated that your wishes…
You have finally done it; you took the necessary and important step to sit down and put together an estate plan with a qualified New York estate planning attorney. You have all of the necessary documents you need to move forward confident into the future about how your assets will…
Most people plan their estate believing that everyone they have left money or bequests to will survive them, such as when a parent specifies that money or property will be left to a child. But sometimes unexpected deaths happen and when it does, many people are left wondering what will…