A recent analysis of generic drug prices paid by Medicare Part D enrollees by healthcare consulting firm Avalere Health determined that despite the relatively stable prices of these medications, some seniors find themselves paying more and more each year. The reasons, according to the report, have to do with the…
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New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
How Blockchain Technology Is Influencing the Estate Planning Process
Since introduction of Bitcoin as a valuable retirement fund asset, the significance of blockchain technology has come to influence the estate planning process as well. Estate planning investors with cryptocurrency assets acknowledge blockchain technologies are vital instruments for ensuring a will or estate does not extend into a lengthy probate…
When a Claim of Lien is Filed Against an Estate
New York law allows for a creditor to attach a debt collection order to an estate with a claim of lien. A judgment lien is a court ordered sale of real and personal property part of an estate such as antiques, art, jewelry, and other tangible valuables. A licensed attorney…
Federal Regulators Issue Warning on Antipsychotic Drug Used in Nursing Homes
Federal regulators recently issue a warning health care providers accepting federal funding to be on the lookout for inappropriate prescriptions of a powerful antipsychotic drug commonly used in nursing homes to treat a host of disruptive behaviors. The memo comes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Studies and applies…
New York Rules to the Private Foundation as “Trust”
In New York, the admirable and highly instrumental private foundation is well-recognized means to venerable ends. Indeed, in 2017, the U.S. federal Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) reported that New York’s private foundations donated $10,716,118,775 in funds to nonprofit charities, the highest in the nation. Rules to private foundations, otherwise known…
Should You Have an Estate Plan for Your Social Media Account?
What happens when a Facebook account holder dies and leaves valuable assets such as family photo albums and digital wallet details, including bank card information on the site? The Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA) of 2015 amended federal guidelines to family member, executor, attorney-in-fact, or trustee…
The Intellectual Property Rights of Estates
When Michael Jackson’s estate filed suit against ABC Inc. and the Walt Disney Company in May 2018, the world viewed the consequences to unauthorized use of the late celebrity musician’s intellectual property (IP). The estate currently holds all copyright to Jackson’s songs and music video work. The thirty works which…
How Spousal Rollover IRAs Allow Estate Holder to Reduce Required Minimum Distribution from a Defined Contribution Plan
Depending on the terms and conditions of a defined contribution plan, a participant may elect to extend the tax-deductible life of those assets by transferring them to an estate or trust prior to death. A key incentive for extending the distribution period of defined contribution plan assets is transfer of…
“Unified Credit” Exemption Rules for Estate, Gift, and Formula Bequest Transfers
With the enactment of the U.S. federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Act”) estate and gift transfers became more attractive in the planning of trusts (Pub. L 115-97). The unified credit exemption accorded under the Act, offers a global elimination of transfer tax on a set level…
New York End-of-Life Agency Allows Refusal of Food and Water Directive
Recently, the board for End Of Life Choices New York approved an aggressive new document that would allow individuals to stipulate in advance that they may refuse food and water should they develop dementia at some point. The goal of the directive is to allow individuals to speed up their…