Estate Planning — New York State

What Documents Belong in a Complete New York Estate Plan?

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 23:34:05 +0000

A complete New York estate plan is built on four core documents that work together: a last will and testament, one or more trusts, a durable power of attorney, and a health care proxy. The will directs who inherits your property, a trust can help you avoid probate or protect assets, the power of attorney […]

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

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 23:34:05 +0000

If you are new to estate planning, here is the reassuring short answer first: for deaths in 2026, New York lets each person pass up to $7,350,000 to heirs free of New York estate tax. That is a generous threshold, and most New York families fall comfortably under it. The catch — and the reason […]

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Medicaid Planning and Your New York Estate (5-Year Look-Back)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 23:34:05 +0000

Medicaid planning is the process of legally arranging your assets so that, if you ever need long-term nursing-home care, you can qualify for Medicaid without spending your entire life savings first — and in New York, the single most important rule to understand is the 5-year look-back. When you apply for institutional (nursing-home) Medicaid, the […]

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Including Digital Assets in Your New York Estate Plan

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 23:34:05 +0000

You include digital assets in your New York estate plan the same careful way you include a house or a bank account: by making a clear inventory of what you own online, naming a trusted person to manage it, and giving that person legal authority through the core documents that make up a complete plan […]

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How Often Should You Update Your Estate Plan in New York?

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 23:34:05 +0000

If you are looking for one simple rule, here it is: review your New York estate plan every three to five years, and whenever a major life event happens — a marriage, a divorce, a birth, a death, a big move, or a major change in your finances. An estate plan is not a “set […]

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A New York Estate Planning Checklist for 2026

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 23:34:05 +0000

If you are starting your estate plan for the first time, here is the short answer: a complete New York estate plan in 2026 comes down to four coordinated documents — a last will and testament, one or more trusts where appropriate, a durable power of attorney, and a health care proxy — assembled so […]

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Cross-Border Estate Planning for New York Families

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:29:00 +0000

A cost-and-timeline guide to cross-border estate planning for New York immigrant families with overseas assets, non-citizen spouses, and foreign heirs.

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