Financial troubles and marital issues often occur in tandem, making many New York residents wonder if it’s better to file divorce or bankruptcy first. If it looks like both are on the horizon, you can take steps that help you complete each process as smoothly as...
Automatic stay: What you should know?
If you are currently struggling with overwhelming credit card, medical or mortgage debt, you know first hand the difficulties of dealing with harassing creditor’s calls. Once you have missed a payment or have fallen behind on financial agreements, creditors often...
What will likely happen following Chapter 13 bankruptcy?
You have probably looked into what you must do to complete your Chapter 13 bankruptcy, like composing a repayment plan and making payments to your trustee as your repayment schedule dictates. It is also important to keep in mind the events that will likely take place...
Bankruptcy court, step one: analysis
Your success in bankruptcy would depend on many things. Commitment, financial management skills, effective planning and taking full advantage of all available exemptions, to name a few. However, one of your first steps will probably be analyzing your financial...
How out of control is medical debt?
All over the country, regardless of income level or even insurance coverage, healthcare costs went up. Unfortunately, it has become a common reason why many Americans have less money. Medical debt can contribute to bankruptcy fears. How common is medical debt? In the...
Estate planning needs to be active and early
Many people fail to realize the importance of early and active estate planning. Some put it off thinking they are too young to need it. Others have estate plans that only include a basic will, with no thought toward what could happen between now and the time they die...
Choosing between an irrevocable trust and a living trust
Estate planning typically includes executing a trust, which serves as a separate legal entity to hold properties and assets for its beneficiaries. As reported by Kiplinger's Personal Finance, in addition to real estate, trusts may include financial accounts, cars and...
How does arbitration and mediation differ from litigation?
Litigation is a great way to get things done in a legal sense. It is one of the most traditional methods of handling disputes, especially those that are beyond your ability to resolve without outside interference. But what about alternative dispute resolution...
What is surrogate’s court and what do you do there?
When a loved one dies, not only do you have to process the grief, you need to process through their estate. This is often an emotional episode in your life and the lives of the loved one's other decedents. Whether you have a will or not in the aftermath of all that,...
Reducing inheritance conflict among siblings
Your children may need to lean on one another more than ever once you are gone, but if you are not careful, you run the risk of your New York estate plan – or lack thereof – creating conflicts among your kids. Inheritance battles are often expensive and...
How to avoid inheritance disputes
Estate planning helps you to ensure your loved ones have everything they need after your death, but inheritance disputes can tie up assets for years and break families apart. To reduce the likelihood of such disputes, consider these tips while making end-of-life...
Can you protect your elderly loved ones from financial abuse
As your loved ones age, they may become more vulnerable to abuse from people they trust. Financial abuse is one form of mistreatment that can violate privacy, damage reputations and threaten financial security. Protecting your loved one's against this type of abuse...
How does probate work in New York?
When someone dies in New York, his or her executor presents the will to the Surrogate's Court in the county where the person lived. In a process called probate, the court determines the validity of the will and supervises the administration of the deceased person's...
A look at small estates in New York
If you have a relatively modest estate, it is still important to set up an effective estate plan. Unfortunately, many people with modest estates fail to create estate plans, which often causes their loved ones to experience anxiety and uncertainty after their death....
How do you structure an estate plan review?
Estate plan reviews are a crucial part of your end of life plans. After all, you cannot simply create an estate plan and leave it as-is indefinitely. It needs to reflect your life in the current moment, which means it must change as your life changes. But how do you...
