Category: Estate Planning
“The Covid-19 has produced a rise in estate planning…but not a large enough one. Most Americans still do not have a last will and testament.” It’s true—many people still believe that they don’t have enough assets so they don’t need a will, or that their money will automatically go to a next of kin. Both […]
“Maybe not tomorrow, but the sunset of our historically high estate tax exemptions is coming—and with the election on its way, it could be sooner than you think.” In 2018, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) doubled the lifetime gift, estate and generation-skipping tax exemption to $11.18 million from $5.6 million. With adjustments for […]
“Building enough wealth to sustain yourself in retirement is a monumental achievement. However, financial planning doesn’t end when you no longer rely on a paycheck.” How you handle money and legal matters during retirement is more important than during your working years. It’s harder to bounce back from financial setbacks when you aren’t getting a […]
“When do you need your estate plan to ‘go to work’ for you? While you may think the right answer is ‘after I die,’ the actual answer is ‘if I lose the ability to manage my own affairs.’” There are two different types of advance directives, and they have very different purposes, as explained in […]
“The inheritance you leave could be eaten away by taxes or given to the wrong person. Here are five tips to avoid that.” It is true that a single person who dies in 2020 could have up to $11.58 million in personal assets and their heirs would not have to pay any federal estate tax. […]
“Prince’s sudden death in 2016 triggered numerous court proceedings. First, probate documents had to be filed in court because Prince died without a will.” Filing probate documents was just the beginning of process that still hasn’t ended the bad news from the Prince estate. He did not have a spouse or children, but Prince had […]
“If you have not already been inundated with invitations to webinars, articles and newsletters regarding estate planning, you should consider doing so before the end of the year, since you undoubtedly will receive these over the next few months.” When it comes to estate planning, there’s no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” solution. That is […]
“Attorney-client privilege requires that attorneys keep confidential and refrain from sharing all secrets and other confidences of clients.” One of the hardest parts of an estate planning attorney’s jobs is managing the death of a client. Estate planning attorneys are highly skilled at creating plans, while clients are living and at administering the plans after […]
“If you are caregiving from a distance (you live here and your parent or other loved one is in another state, a distant city or as close as an hour away), it can be even more daunting than doing it in your home.” Trying to coordinate care from a distance becomes a challenge for many, […]
How to Avoid Probate in NY: Understanding Its Importance “Probate is a process to transfer the assets after someone dies. For example, when a homeowner passes, probate allows for the home to be sold or transferred, if necessary, even though the owner is no longer alive to sign a deed.” Estate planning attorneys are often […]
