A trust can be an important part of your estate plan. You can put funds into a trust and then leave instructions for the trustee regarding how they can use those funds for your specified beneficiary. There are many different ways that you can do this, and every...
Estate Planning
Can you put digital assets in your will?
Digital assets are far more common in 2026 than they were for previous generations. Americans spend millions of dollars annually on things that they do not own in any physical sense. This can get a bit complex when making an estate plan. There are some situations in...
What happens to the things you forgot to include in your estate plan?
When people think about estate planning, they often focus on the big things like a home, savings account or important family heirlooms. Smaller or less obvious assets can easily slip through the cracks, especially when life gets busy and financial accounts become...
Three important documents you are missing in your estate plan
If you have a will, congratulations. You are already ahead of most of your peers. Recent estimates find more than two-thirds of adults do not have a will in place. Although having a will in place is already a big win, it is important to also include three specific...
Do I need a letter of instruction with my will in New York?
Imagine your family gathers after your passing, only to find no access to your digital accounts or any record of your preferred funeral arrangements. While a will handles your assets, it often remains silent on the immediate, practical details your loved ones need....
What makes a will legally valid in New York?
Many people assume writing a will is simple. Online forms make the process look quick and easy, but New York law sets clear rules that decide whether a will is valid. Without a valid will, the court may distribute your estate under New York intestacy law instead of...
Life changes that affect your estate plan
Creating a will or trust is an important first step, but estate planning does not end there. Life moves forward, and your plan needs to keep up. Major changes in your family, finances or health can make an outdated plan unreliable or even harmful to the people you...
Know the benefits and drawbacks of probate when estate planning
In New York, when a person takes the necessary step of creating an estate plan, they might get conflicting information from family members, colleagues and friends about the best way to go about it. However, estate planning is based on the individual’s needs. What...
Points to consider when giving to charity in an estate plan
Through the estate planning process, you can support charitable organizations that you believe in. There are many ways to do this, though, which is why it’s important to fully consider how to navigate this piece of your estate plan. In this post, then, we want to look...
Does your estate plan include digital assets?
Most people know that an estate plan is mainly used to pass on a home, car or bank accounts. But what about your email accounts, social media profiles or the thousands of family photos stored in the cloud? In our digital world, these "digital assets" are frequently...

