Have you put serious thought into naming your pet as a beneficiary in your will? If you have, you should know that the State of New York considers pets as personal property, meaning you can’t make them beneficiaries. Even so, you do have means of providing for your faithful companion even after you have passed […]

In the wake of your parent’s death, you may have to deal with the dispersal of their estate between you and your siblings. Complicated as it is, it becomes even more so if the siblings do not agree on what should happen next with the house. You will most likely have to involve the courts […]

It should go without saying that having young children can complicate your life in many interesting ways, especially when it concerns your estate plan. As a young parent, you do not require anything too complex, but you want to continue serving your children’s best interests, even if you should become incapacitated or, perish the thought, […]

New York is one of twelve states, along with the District of Columbia, that tax the estates of decedents who resided or owned property located within its borders. Aside from these concerns, many other factors will affect how the state will handle your children’s inheritance, beginning with whether or not you have a valid will. […]

You can create a handy document called a power of attorney if you want someone to have the ability to deposit your checks at your bank, file your taxes or sell or mortgage your home. This simple document grants someone you trust – otherwise known as an “agent” or “attorney-in-fact” – specific powers to manage […]

Retirement planning is the process of setting retirement income goals and taking steps to achieve these goals, whereas estate planning involves creating a plan for the transfer of the creator’s estate to their beneficiaries after death. It is extremely important that you create both an estate plan and a retirement plan. While your retirement plan […]

To understand the role that life insurance plays in your estate plan, you must first make a distinction between a probate estate and a gross taxable estate. For more information on how life insurance affects the estate planning process in New York, please continue reading, then contact an experienced Rockland County wills, trusts and estates […]

You can contest a will on several grounds, each with its own set of complications. The increase in blended families and second families due to late-in-life marriages and other complex family dynamics has fostered increasingly complex issues in the distribution of estates and spousal rights of election. If you need to contest a will in […]