Managing the costs of long-term care and healthcare as you age can be a challenge. The cost is often more than you can afford with your savings and other income. For that reason, it is smart to plan ahead so that you can qualify for Medicaid, which provides many free...
What if my mother hates the nursing home?
There are multiple reasons why moving your loved one into a nursing home is the right choice. However, it is natural for you to have concerns if your loved one says that he or she is unhappy.. However, even if the nursing home is top quality, there is often a period...
How should you review your estate plan?
It can sometimes take years to draft and create an estate plan. The idea of reviewing the entire thing every few years may thus seem overwhelming. But the good news is, you do not need to review every part of your estate plan every single time. In fact, you can...
What are reasons to challenge a will?
People often tend to assume that their last will and testament will be the final word on what happens with their assets after their death. However, there are several reasons why someone may challenge the validity of a will. When people wish to contest a will, they...
Three reasons to start your estate planning early
If you are a young adult, you might think that you should wait until you accumulate more money or property before sitting down to compose a will. Waiting might be a mistake, however. A completed estate plan can provide your family members with crucial guidance that...
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...
