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New York and New Jersey estate planning encompasses far more than just a last will and testament (more commonly referred to simply as a “will”). Many people know that a will is a document used to designate legal guardians for minor children in the event the maker (or testator) dies while the children are still minors and that it also designates the beneficiaries that the testator would like to leave their property to after they are gone. 

But a truly comprehensive estate plan includes other important additional documents including but not limited to documents that Read more . . .

New York and New Jersey estate planning lawyers, as well as the public, will likely always remember the headlines surrounding the late hotel and real estate investment billionaire Leona Helmsley’s estate – – particularly the part where she left a $12 million trust fund to benefit her spoiled little Maltese dog, Trouble.

So, what do you plan on doing for Sparky, Fluffy, or Trigger after you are gone?

While most people consider their pets to be part of the family, they don’t often include them in their estate planning. But for those who live alone, or those who possess pets with extraordinary life expectancies--or those with excess riches-- it may be wise to include your pet in your estate planning.
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Many people who die in prison, especially those incarcerated for decades, may die leaving estates with little to no value. Some may not even have a will. But if they own anything that doesn’t pass automatically to the heirs, or if their estate has the potential of coming into money after their death, their heirs will likely need to go through an estate administration attorney to get it.

How might investors or homebuyers benefit from a cooling real estate market?

New York City’s once booming and seemingly unstoppable real estate market appears to have entered a cool down.  A report recently issued by Warburg Realty reveals that real estate prices have fallen between 10 and 20 percent since their peak in 2015.  Since the fall of 2018, sellers have been cutting prices and accepting lower offers in order to move their inventory.  Along with sagging real estate prices and higher inventories, rent prices have also decreased across the board.  Even in the in-demand neighborhood of Brooklyn, rents are down year over year.

If New York estate planning lawyers could get one thing through the heads of those who have put off estate planning on the common but mistaken belief that everything they have will go where they want it anyway, it would be that failure to properly plan for death or incapacity could be financially devastating to them and their loved ones before or after their death. 

First, anyone with a minor child needs a will for many reasons, but most importantly, to

If you lived in New York or New Jersey and were finally ready to have a comprehensive estate plan prepared, you’d seek out an experienced New York or New Jersey estate planning attorney. 

And if you were considering buying or selling real estate in New York or New Jersey, you’d likely seek counsel from a

Staten Island real estate attorneys and locals would not likely be surprised to learn that Staten Island was included on a recent list of the 2019 hottest New York City neighborhoods.

An online real estate platform known as Localize.city put the St.

Most people have heard that when music legend, Prince, passed away a couple years ago, he died without a will. Perhaps he didn’t care what happened to his property after he died or, like many without estate plans, maybe he just assumed his property would pass easily to the people he wanted to have it. In reality, Prince’s estate is the proverbial poster child for how much can go wrong when you die without an estate plan.

There are plenty of reasons why people consider buying a home on Staten Island. And now there’s another very unique one.

Staten Island may be a model not just for New York, but for the nation to follow when it comes to ideas and pilot programs for finding housing opportunities for adults with disabilities.
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It turns out the popular, snarky remark “don’t get your panties in a knot” might actually be appropriate to describe a recent New York City estate administration nightmare. The estate of a father is reportedly suing the dead man’s adult son—described as a “high-end underwear tycoon”— after Junior allegedly failed to return an expensive painting that he reportedly borrowed from his dad in 2012. 

 The pair reportedly had a falling-out at some point after the loan of the painting and prior to the father’s death.