Our New York estate planning attorneys often help clients create “ethical wills.” An ethical will refers to a document left by an heir to pass along intangible assets like morals, lessons, and memories. Creating one of these wills is an important way to clarify the meaning of one’s life to…
Most local residents cherish their privacy. That extends to privacy in sensitive matters like estate planning. When considering estate planning, the first thing that comes to mind for many is the traditional will. Our New York estate planning lawyers frequently explain how there are now many more tools beyond wills…
Market Watch reported last month on new research that suggests that many community members are misinformed about the cost of certain types of insurance. As New York estate planning attorneys we understand the importance of life insurance policies in many local resident’s financial planning efforts. Similarly, an important part of…
This is the time of year when many teenagers and young adults end one chapter of their lives and prepare for the next. It is also a time for many families to consider how far they’ve come and what the future holds for themselves and their loved ones. For those…
We previously discussed the Supreme Court case Astrue v. Capato. At root in the case was the issue of whether or not children conceived after the death of a parent are entitled to federal survivorship benefits. It is important to note that this refers only to those whose actual conception…
Some local residents might be tempted to come up with short-cut methods of New York estate planning. Unfortunately, many of these efforts not only fail to work as intended, but they may actually lead to many unintended consequences. For example, some senior residents may be tempted to protect their family…
New York estate planning is a family affair–husbands, wives, children, grandchildren and others all have a stake in ensuring that planning is done properly and timely. This might lead some to wonder whether each individual with a stake in the planning needs their own lawyer. In particular, in blended families…
TV Star Gary Coleman died unexpectedly nearly two years ago in May 2010. He was only 42 years old. Coleman had some previous estate planning measures handled, because his former manager was apparently named as executor and beneficiary of his estate as early as 2005. However, the plan does not…
Most discussion about taxes and death involve the “estate tax.” This is a tax imposed on certain assets usually given to others as an inheritance by a deceased individual. However, after a passing there are still other tax issues that surviving family members have to deal with, even if estate…
Well-known architect and designer Eliot Noyes died thirty five years ago, in 1977. Some of his prized possessions were large mobiles by famous sculptor Alexander Calder. Calder was a personal friend of Noyes, and the artwork was commissioned especially to fit the family home. Upon Noyes’s death there was no…