Estate Planning — New York State

What Documents Belong in a Complete New York Estate Plan?

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:22:51 +0000

A complete New York estate plan is built on four coordinated documents: a Last Will and Testament, one or more trusts, a durable Power of Attorney, and a Health Care Proxy. Together they decide who inherits your property, who manages your finances if you become incapacitated, who makes your medical decisions, and how much of […]

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New York Estate Tax 2026: The $7.35M Exemption and the Cliff

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:22:51 +0000

For deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, New York’s basic exclusion amount is $7,350,000 — meaning estates valued at or below that figure owe no New York estate tax. But New York has a feature that catches families off guard every year: the cliff. If your taxable estate exceeds […]

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How to Avoid Probate in New York

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:22:51 +0000

You avoid probate in New York by removing assets from your sole, individual name before death — chiefly through a revocable living trust (authorized under EPTL Article 7), proper beneficiary designations, and jointly titled property — so that those assets transfer automatically and never pass through the Surrogate’s Court. The single most reliable tool for […]

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Estate Planning for Young Families in New York

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:22:51 +0000

If you are a young family in New York, estate planning means putting four coordinated documents in place — a will, one or more trusts, a durable power of attorney, and a health care proxy — and doing it now, not “someday.” For couples raising small children, the single most important reason to act is […]

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Estate Planning for Blended Families in New York

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:22:51 +0000

Estate planning for blended families in New York means using a coordinated set of legal tools — a will, one or more trusts, a durable power of attorney, and a health care proxy — to provide for a current spouse while still protecting children from a prior marriage. Without that coordination, New York’s default rules […]

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Do I Need a Trust or Just a Will in New York?

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:22:51 +0000

For most New Yorkers, the honest answer is: you need a will, and many of you also need a trust — but you almost never need to choose only one. A will controls who inherits your property and names guardians for minor children, yet it must pass through New York’s probate process before anyone receives […]

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Does Immigration Status Affect Your NY Estate Plan?

Wed, 20 May 2026 21:34:00 +0000

Does immigration status change your New York estate plan? A Q&A on wills, trusts, QDOTs, non-citizen spouses, foreign heirs, and when to call an immigration attorney.

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