New York, like all states, provides legal protection for spouses, in terms of inheritance rights.  The provisions largely originated from the problems which occurred when a husband would die, providing the bulk or all of his assets to a female companion, thus leaving his wife and children without support.  Of course, things have changed,...

Parents often wish to put their children on their bank accounts and investment accounts for estate and disability planning purposes.  Doing so is fraught with problems, as the child now becomes the legal owner of the account(s).  Often overlooked is that by adding a child or children as joint owners on...

The mere mention of the word “probate” usually conjures up visions of extensive delays and enormous expense in settling the estate of a deceased person.  Seminars promoting living trusts and articles and books written about them are persuasive, and they promote the misconception that probate is an evil to be avoided.  

The truth is that...

Clients often move, especially as they age and desire to be in a warm climate.  Moving can be an extremely pleasant experience, but there are certain legal and tax considerations that must be attended to.

Perhaps the most important item to consider, when moving out of New York, is the capital gains tax consequences of...