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New York State has recently passed new legislation 鈥� NY Executive Law Section 135-c, bringing significant changes to the rules governing notarization.

We use the phrase 鈥渆state plan鈥� dozens of times every day. It is useful for us attorneys because it describes a group of documents. Unfortunately, estate planning sounds much fancier than it is.

An Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (鈥淚LIT鈥�) is a valuable estate planning tool used to reduce estate taxes 鈥� known as death taxes during an election year. Whether you need an ILIT depends on how much your assets are worth now or what your potential net worth is in the future.

Whether an executor needs to hire an attorney depends on the type of assets, size of the estate, family dynamics, estate tax considerations, and outstanding bills.

There is a BIG change on the horizon for asset and income limits for long term care Medicaid recipients.

Most people do not realize that a Will likely does not control who collects on a life insurance policy. The beneficiary named on the policy supersedes the Will. So long as the policy owner correctly designated a beneficiary on the policy, that designation controls.

Britt Burner discusses the importance of basic estate planning documents for all generations, including health care proxies, durable power of attorneys and last will and testaments for both your own planning as well as aging family members.

We鈥檙e on the move!

In New York State, a parent has no obligation to leave an inheritance to a child. Many other countries have 鈥渇orced heirship鈥� which prohibits parents from disinheriting children, but Louisiana is the only US state with such a law.

There is a long running joke about lawyers never giving straight answers. We prefer to give clients definitive answers but when clients ask us whether to add a child as a joint account holder, we always say, 鈥渋t depends.鈥�