Why do I need an estate plan if I am not married? More couples today are putting off marriage in favor of living together.  According to the latest Census data, the number of couples living together out of wedlock has increased over 25 percent since 2000.  Many unmarried younger adults without children...

How can I ensure my assets stay in the family after my death? Estate planning is essential for people of all ages and income levels.  Without an estate plan in place, your assets could go towards taxes and may be passed to heirs that you would not have selected.  While the federal...

How can I make my end of life wishes clear?

One man’s tattoo recently left a team of Miami doctors with a confusing ethical dilemma.  A 70-year-old man was taken to a Miami hospital, where doctors discovered that he had a large chest tattoo that stated “Do Not Resuscitate.”...

How can I bring my loved one’s comfort with my estate plan?

Estate planning usually revolves around the ever important transference of your assets to your spouse, children, and other loved ones.  It is critically important that you prepare your estate to eventually be passed down to your heirs.  Without such planning,...

How can I avoid the estate tax?

New York recently raised the amount of property that can pass free from the estate tax to $5.25 million.  Previously, the exclusion was $4,187,500.  After January of 2019, New York’s exclusion will match the federal exemption amount.  However, high earners in New York need to be...

Q: What could happen to my assets --and my remains-- if I die without a will?

Staten Island estate planning attorneys can give plenty of reasons why everyone should have an estate plan. You’ve probably even heard of some of them. Yet something may still be keeping you from taking action and getting...

How do I update or change my will?

Life is always changing and ever evolving.  In your lifetime, you may marry, divorce, have children, welcome grandkids, switch careers, obtain more assets, and become close to some relatives or estranged from others.  All of these life changes will require that you update your will....

Far too many individuals approach estate planning as a “once and done” situation, and merely draft up a will and leave it in drawer. A well designed estate plan, however, should consider inevitable changes that will occur during a person’s lifetime. Whether it’s getting married, have children, getting divorced, remarrying or retiring, it...

There are a number of objectives to estate planning, not the least of which are protecting your legacy and providing for your loved ones. At the same time, it is also important that you plan for type of medical treatment you should receive be in the event that an accident or illness leaves...

What estate planning tools should same-sex couples use to protect themselves and their family? Estate planning is a crucial step for all couples, but for same-sex couples, creating a thorough estate plan is all the more important.  Same-sex couples often have unique situations that require careful planning.  While the Supreme Court legalized...