Estate Planning — New York State

What Documents Belong in a Complete New York Estate Plan?

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:31:10 +0000

A complete New York estate plan rests on four coordinated documents: a last will and testament, one or more trusts, a durable power of attorney, and a health care proxy. Together they answer the questions every family eventually faces — who receives your property, who manages your finances if you cannot, and who makes your […]

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

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:31:10 +0000

If you are wondering whether New York will tax your estate in 2026, here is the short, reassuring answer: most New Yorkers owe nothing. For deaths on or after January 1, 2026 (through December 31, 2026), New York gives every estate a basic exclusion amount of $7,350,000. If your total estate is worth less than […]

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Including Digital Assets in Your New York Estate Plan

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:31:10 +0000

To include digital assets in your New York estate plan, you name a trusted person to access them and you grant that person clear legal authority through the core documents you already use for everything else: your will, your trust, and especially your durable power of attorney. Digital assets—email accounts, photos in the cloud, social […]

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How to Avoid Probate in New York

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:31:10 +0000

You can avoid probate in New York by arranging your assets so they pass automatically at death — outside the court process — instead of through your will. The most reliable tool is a revocable living trust (authorized under EPTL Article 7), but you can also sidestep probate with beneficiary designations, payable-on-death and transfer-on-death accounts, […]

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Estate Planning for Young Families in New York

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:31:10 +0000

If you are a new parent in New York wondering where to begin, here is the reassuring short answer: estate planning for a young family means putting four coordinated documents in place — a Will, possibly a Trust, a durable Power of Attorney, and a Health Care Proxy — so that if something happens to […]

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

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:31:10 +0000

For most New Yorkers who are just getting started, the honest answer is: you almost certainly need a will, and you may also benefit from a trust — but the two do different jobs, and many people need both working together. A will tells the world who should receive your property and who should care […]

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Why Immigrant Families in New York Need an Estate Plan

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 02:25:00 +0000

Immigrant and mixed-status families in New York face unique estate planning risks, from QDOT trusts to probate for foreign heirs. Here is what to know.

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