Two weeks into the new year, many New York residents are likely to find their determination to stick to their New Year resolutions slipping. If there is any one resolution individuals should be sticking to, it is the one to focus on creating an estate plan. If the...
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Advanced directives necessary for elder New Yorkers
No one likes dealing with the uncomfortable reality that we won’t live forever. One way to assuage the pressure of end of life medical advice is to prepare an advanced directive. An advanced directive prepared by an attorney is a legal instrument that informs all...
Private long-term care and Medicaid
Long-term care for the elderly is expensive, no matter whether it is funded through the accumulated lifetime savings of the estate or with long-term care insurance. For those who have already depleted their savings to pay for care needs from infirmity or disease, the...
Is a special needs trust needed in my estate plan?
A lot of people think that estate planning is nothing more than dictating who will receive your assets once you pass away. While that’s certainly a major part of estate planning, it’s really an oversimplification of what estate planning can do for not only you and...
Key points about a selecting a health care proxy in New York
There are many aspects of estate planning that New Yorkers should consider as they prepare the document that best suits their needs. For some, a health care proxy is crucial so they can make certain their wishes are adhered to and a trusted person is making the...
Wills can be challenged during the probate process
New York residents may believe that wills are binding legal documents that cannot be questioned or set aside upon the death of the people who created them. To some extent this belief is true: wills do represent the wishes of the deceased and when they are valid are...
Talking to your parents about estate planning
Your parents’ estate plans can help assure that their assets are passed on to their family and that their wishes are followed. There are recommended ways to bring up estate planning issues with your parents. Begin the conversation Even though the money you will...
The benefits of having an estate plan for seniors
While no one likes to talk about it, death is one of the realities of life. The older we get, the more we need to start thinking about end-of-life care as well as what will happen to our assets when we are gone. Older adults in New York who do not already have an...
Why would I plan to go on Medicaid?
Medicaid is a government program run by both the federal authorities and the state governments together. It allows people who have limited income and means, and no health insurance, to get coverage through the program. This means that these people can receive the...
Concerned about a loved one? Guardianship might be appropriate
We all hope that our parents will stay mentally healthy for their entire lives, but the sad truth is that oftentimes our loved ones slowly start to lose their mental capacity. It can be extraordinarily painful to see a loved one slowly succumb to a disease like...