As a new parent, you prepared for the arrival of your child in many practical ways, such as buying diapers and opening a college fund. Now, prepare a will. You may not feel ready to think about estate planning at such a young age. Yet for new parents, thinking of the...
PLEASE NOTE: We are able to fully assist you during these difficult times. We are offering our clients and prospective clients the ability to meet with us via telephone or through video conferencing. Please call our office at 914-948-1500 so that we may assist you.
We are pleased to announce the reopening of our White Plains office location for in-office meetings. We are following the applicable New York State regulations for Phase 2 re-openings. These regulations limit in-person gatherings, so although we will hold a select number of in-person meetings, we will continue to encourage telephone and video-conference meetings whenever possible. We have implemented health and safety procedures for all staff, as well as those clients who come into the office. Please click here for in-office meeting procedures.
Implementing an advance directive to strengthen your protection
Thinking about the worst-case scenario regarding your health can be difficult. But what if, in the future, you stopped breathing due to declining health? Would your loved ones know whether you wanted to be resuscitated or receive life-saving treatment? Or what if you...
A comprehensive estate plan can ensure loved ones are protected
In New York State and across the United States, recent events have shown just how quickly a person’s fortunes can turn. This is true for everyone whether they are young or old, healthy or have medical issues. To be fully prepared for the future, a comprehensive estate...
Revocable Living Trust V. Last Will
For many years attorneys in New York have debated the merits of using a Revocable Living Trust (RLT) or a Last Will and Testament (LWT) as the estate planning tool of choice. The Covid19 pandemic with its resulting closure of the Surrogate’s Courts in New York State...
Legal help takes the guesswork out of estate planning
Estate planning is an important legal process for everyone to take on but for many different reasons individuals choose not to do it. Some New Yorkers may not believe that they own enough property to make estate planning necessary, while others may simply not know...
Wills and trusts serve different estate roles
Effective estate plans include options. These may contain wills & trusts which can serve different roles. Each have advantage and disadvantages. One common option is for a person to own most of their assets in their name and use a will to govern their...
Assuring access to estate documents
Information about the location of important estate documents and access cannot die with the people who executed the documents. Storing information about estate matters such as wills & trusts and significant passwords is a vital part of estate planning. It may be...
Safeguarding estate documents
Extensive estate planning may lose its effectiveness if important documents and information is lost or stolen. Safeguarding information on important estate matters such as wills & trusts is essential to assure that family members can act on wills, trusts and other...
Don’t trust yourself to write a will
People who write their own wills may save some money, but their estate and relatives may ultimately pay much greater costs for this false economy. Improperly drafted and self-prepared estate documents may not comply with New York's laws governing wills & trusts...
What is the purpose of a special needs trust?
Trusts are effective estate planning tools because they help New York residents protect the value of their end of life assets all while legally transferring property and wealth to the beneficiaries of their choosing. Trusts can be used for many purposes, such as...
