Estate Planning — New York State

What Is the New York Estate Tax Cliff (and How to Avoid It)?

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:31:43 +0000

The New York estate tax cliff is a feature of state law that can quietly erase your family’s entire estate-tax exemption the moment your taxable estate climbs just slightly past the threshold. For deaths in 2026, the basic exclusion amount is $7,350,000, but if your taxable estate exceeds 105% of that figure — $7,717,500 — […]

The post What Is the New York Estate Tax Cliff (and How to Avoid It)? appeared first on Estate Planning — New York State.

What Documents Belong in a Complete New York Estate Plan?

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:31:43 +0000

A complete New York estate plan is built on four coordinated documents working together as one protective system: a last will and testament, one or more trusts, a durable power of attorney, and a health care proxy. Each one guards a different part of what you have built — your property, your tax exposure, your […]

The post What Documents Belong in a Complete New York Estate Plan? appeared first on Estate Planning — New York State.

How to Avoid Probate in New York

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:31:43 +0000

The most reliable way to avoid probate in New York is to make sure your assets pass outside of the Surrogate’s Court process — primarily by funding a revocable living trust (authorized under EPTL Article 7), titling property jointly, and naming beneficiaries directly on accounts. When property is already legally arranged to transfer at death, […]

The post How to Avoid Probate in New York appeared first on Estate Planning — New York State.

Estate Planning for Young Families in New York

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:31:43 +0000

If you are a young family in New York, estate planning is the single most important step you can take to safeguard what you have built — your children’s future, your home, and your savings — against the unexpected. A complete New York estate plan is not just a will. It is a coordinated set […]

The post Estate Planning for Young Families in New York appeared first on Estate Planning — New York State.

Estate Planning for Blended Families in New York

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:31:43 +0000

Estate planning for a blended family in New York means building a coordinated plan — a will, one or more trusts, a durable power of attorney, and a health care proxy — that protects your current spouse and the children from a prior marriage at the same time, so that neither is accidentally disinherited and […]

The post Estate Planning for Blended Families in New York appeared first on Estate Planning — New York State.

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

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:31:43 +0000

For most New York families who want to truly protect what they have built, the honest answer is: you likely need both a will and at least one trust, working together as part of a coordinated plan. A will is the legal backbone that names guardians for minor children and directs who inherits, but it […]

The post Do I Need a Trust or Just a Will in New York? appeared first on Estate Planning — New York State.

Why Immigrant Families in New York Need an Estate Plan

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 19:28:00 +0000

Immigrant and mixed-status families in New York face unique estate-planning risks. Learn how wills, trusts, QDOTs, and the federal-vs-state split affect you.

The post Why Immigrant Families in New York Need an Estate Plan appeared first on Estate Planning — New York State.