A dynasty trust used to be a very popular estate planning tool that has declined in use over the last few years. A dynasty trust ensures that upon the client’s death their assets would still qualify for an estate tax exemption. In the past, if a deceased spouse did not…
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New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
The Surge of Charitable Remainder Trusts
America currently has 72 million people from the Baby Boomer generation, the oldest of which are turning sixty-eight this year. That is also the average age when people decide to create charitable remainder trusts. Estate planning attorneys are expecting a big increase in the number of charitable trusts set up…
Elder Care Issue: Drug Abuse in Nursing Homes
This summer, one nursing home settled a massive class action suit against the facility for using powerful and dangerous drugs on its residents without their informed consent or consent from family members. One member of the suit was a daughter whose mother entered the facility for eighteen days for physical…
Updating Your Estate Plan: Excuses Why People Don’t & Reasons Why You Should
Most people feel a sense of accomplishment after drafting and executing an estate plan. Afterwards, it is commonplace to file away the paperwork and promptly forget about the documents. The issue in this is that most people’s lives change between the creation of an estate plan, and it will need…
Estate Planning Tips for Business Owners
Many people, business owners and everyone else, are concerned about the federal estate tax when creating their estate plans. Although the federal estate tax is 40%, it does not apply unless the decedent has an estate worth over $5.34 million, and the estate amount is doubled if the person is…
Dear Trustee: A Letter of Wishes
In late 2012, the government threatened to make steep cuts in the levels of exemption for gift and estate taxes. At the time, the gift tax exemption was set to drop from $5.1 million to $1 million, and the top tax rate was to rise from 35% to 55%. As…
More States Showing Support for Uniform Adult Guardianship Act
The Massachusetts Senate just passed through a bill adopting the model set of rules for the Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act (UAGPPJA). The bill now goes to the state House of Representatives, and if it is passed then Massachusetts will be the thirty-ninth state in the country…
New Estate Planning Option: Longevity Insurance
One of the most important parts of elder care is ensuring that you or your loved one is financially secure in later years. A wide variety of financial tools and plans are available to help structure this care for seniors, but as of July a new tool has been introduced…
Walking on the Wild Side: Lou Reed’s Estate Plan
The late lead singer and guitarist of The Velvet Underground, who later had a decades-long successful solo career, was the man who famously sang “Hey babe, let’s take a walk on the wild side.” He seemed to take that lyric to heart when it came to his estate planning, and…
Elder Abuse Shelter Providers to Meet for Conference
Some of the leaders in providing shelters for victims of elder abuse are meeting for the first time at a conference in an effort to combine forces and give more refuge to seniors in need. Eight shelters have formed an alliance that are meeting in suburban Cincinnati to discuss the…