Estate Planning — New York State

What Documents Belong in a Complete New York Estate Plan?

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:28:16 +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, these instruments decide who inherits your property, who manages your affairs if you become incapacitated, who makes your medical decisions, and how much […]

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

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:28:16 +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 a New York estate valued at or below that figure passes free of New York estate tax. But here is the part that separates a competent plan from a costly mistake: New York […]

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Medicaid Planning and Your New York Estate (5-Year Look-Back)

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:28:16 +0000

Medicaid planning and your New York estate intersect at one decisive question: will the assets you spent a lifetime building be protected from long-term-care costs, or will they be spent down before Medicaid pays a dollar? For most New Yorkers, the answer turns on the five-year look-back — the period during which New York reviews […]

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Including Digital Assets in Your New York Estate Plan

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:28:16 +0000

To include digital assets in your New York estate plan correctly, you must do three things together: inventory every digital asset you own, grant your fiduciaries explicit legal authority to access them, and weave that authority through each of your core documents — your will, your trust(s), your durable power of attorney, and your health […]

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How to Avoid Probate in New York

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:28:16 +0000

To avoid probate in New York, you must move your assets out of your individual name before death — most reliably by funding a revocable living trust (governed by EPTL Article 7), and by layering in beneficiary designations, payable-on-death accounts, and properly titled joint property. Probate is the Surrogate’s Court process of validating your Last […]

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

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:28:16 +0000

For most New Yorkers, the honest answer is: you likely need both — but rarely a trust instead of a will, and never a will treated as your entire plan. A will alone directs who inherits your property, but it must pass through Surrogate’s Court probate to take effect, and it does nothing while you […]

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New York Estate Planning Guide for New Immigrants

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 11:12:00 +0000

A New York estate planning guide for new immigrants and mixed-status families — avoid costly mistakes with wills, trusts, QDOTs, and the federal-vs-state split.

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