Article Archive
Browse the complete index of 171 articles from our estate planning blog, organized by year.
2026
- August Is Make a Will Month: What New Yorkers Should Know
- Can Family Override Your Wishes Without a Health Care Proxy in NYC?
- How to Write a Will That Won’t Get Contested in New York
- Blended Families in Manhattan: Estate Planning Mistakes That Disinherit Stepchildren
- How Much Do Elder Law Attorneys Charge? Fees Explained
- What Is Guardianship? When New York Courts Require One
- How the Federal Estate Tax Exemption Affects High Net Worth Families in NYC
- How Medicaid Asset Protection Planning Works and When to Start
- What Is a POA? Durable vs Springing Power of Attorney Explained
- Who Handles Estate Administration in NYC and What Are Their Duties
- What to Expect During the NYC Probate Process Step by Step
- What Is a Special Needs Trust? How It Protects Disability Benefits
- What Is a Trustee? Revocable vs Irrevocable Trusts Explained
- Revocable vs Irrevocable Trust: When Does an Irrevocable Trust Make Sense for Your Estate?
- What Is a Living Trust and How Does It Help Your Family Avoid Probate in NYC?
- Health Care Proxy vs. Living Will: What Is the Difference and How to Create Each
- What Makes a Will Legally Valid in New York State
- What Is an Estate — and Why Manhattan Residents Should Not Wait to Start Planning Theirs
- What Happens When No One Is Named to Handle an Estate in New York
- What Changes Legally When Your Child Heads To College In New York
- Long-Term Care Planning on Staten Island Starts Earlier Than You Think
- Which Type of Trust Makes Sense for Brooklyn Families
- The Window to Create a Power of Attorney in New York Closes Without Warning
- The Trust Type Bronx Families Choose Without Understanding What Each One Actually Does
- What Nassau County Executors Don’t Know About Personal Liability Until It’s Too Late
- The New York Estate Tax Exposure Brooklyn Families Keep Discovering Too Late
- Medicaid Rules for Married Couples in New York and How to Protect Your Spouse | NY Wills & Estates
- Power of Attorney vs Guardianship in New York: What Families Need to Know | NY Wills & Estates
- Probate in New York Gets Delayed for Reasons Most Families Don’t See Coming | NY Wills & Estates
- Dying Without a Will in New York Can Split Decisions in Ways Families Don’t Expect | NY Wills & Estates
- Business Trusts: What They Are, How to Set One Up, and Whether It’s Right for You
- Bypass Trusts: What They Are, Who Needs One, and How They Work in New York
- New York Estate Tax: Understanding the 105% Cliff, Exemptions, and How to Plan Ahead
- Nassau County Surrogate’s Court: Your Guide to Probate
- Legacy Trusts: What They Are, How They Work, and Whether One Makes Sense for Your Family
- Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs): A Practical Guide for High-Net-Worth Couples
- Medicaid Spend Down: What It Is, How It Works, and How to Qualify
- Family Trusts: What They Are, How They Work, and Whether You Need One
- Your Guide to Manhattan Surrogate’s Court: How Probate Really Works in New York County
- Credit Shelter Trusts Explained: A Guide for NY and NJ Families
- New York Inheritance Tax: Why It Doesn’t Exist and What Your Family Actually Pays
- Does Medicaid Pay for Assisted Living? What You Actually Need to Know
- Can a Nursing Home Take Your House? Protect Your Home from Medicaid Estate Recovery.
- How to Avoid Medicaid 5-Year Lookback Penalties
2025
- New York Estate Planning Strategies for Blended Families
- What Is Surrogate Court in New York? A Beginner’s Guide for NYC Residents
- Trusts 101: What They Are and the Benefits of a Trust in NYC
- Understanding the New York Probate Process
- Estate Planning Mistakes That Cost NYC Families Thousands
- New York Estate Tax Guide
- What Are Letters of Administration in New York?
- Irrevocable Trust vs. Revocable Trust – What New York Families Need to Know Now
- Estate Planning with Life Insurance: A Guide for Insurance Brokers in New York
- Probate and Administration of Estates in New York: Key Facts
- What You Should Know About Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs)
- What Happens to Property in New York If Someone Dies Without a Will?
- Why Estate Planning Should Matter to You
2024
- Personal Injury Awards for Public Benefits Recipients in New York
- Special Needs Planning in New York
- How to Divide an Estate Between Siblings in New York
- What Does an Estate Planning Attorney Do?
- Can a Family Member Revoke a Power of Attorney?
- What Are the Different Types of Trusts and How Can They Benefit You?
- Understanding the Role of Trust Attorneys in New York City
- Understanding the Basics of Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts
- Protecting Home Equity in Medicaid Planning: A Conversation with Vlad Portnoy, Esq. & Evantz Saint-Gerard
- Manhattan Guardianship Lawyers – Guiding Caring Families Forward
- Manhattan Living Wills Attorneys – Health Care Proxy
- Documents You Absolutely Must Have to Take Care of an Aging Loved One
- Revocable Living Trusts in NY: How Do They Avoid Probate?
2023
- Understanding Buy-Sell Agreements
- Durable vs. Springing Power of Attorney in NY: Which is Right for You?
- Charitable Trusts in NY: How Can They Optimize Your Estate Plan?
- Aging Is The Sign Of A Successful Life
- Guardianship, Article 81 Of Mental Hygiene Law (Power Over The Property)
- Do You Know How to Protect Your Home from Rising Health Care Costs?
- Did You Know Most Electronic Devices Can Be Hacked?
- The Risk for Dementia Increases by Living Alone
- The Pros & Cons Revealed: Corporate Fiduciary Over Friends And Family?
- Do You Understand Probate and How to Avoid It?
- Writing a Letter of Intent for Your Special Needs Child
- 12 Common Mistakes Executors Make In Probate
- You Have A Will: Is That Enough?
- 3 Ways To Estate Plan When Remarried
- Write a Letter of Intent (LOI) for your New York Estate Plan
- 4 Levels Of Asset Protection For Real Estate Investors
- Will Your Special Needs Family Members be Okay Without You?
- Will You Know if Your Elderly Family Members are Being Exploited?
- 5 Things You May Not Have Considered Estate Planning When Remarried
- Why is a Personal Property Memorandum Important to Your Estate Plan?
- 6 Step Estate Plan For You And Your Parents
- Why Do You Need an Elder Law Attorney?
- 6 Steps To Protecting Your Assets From Nursing Home Care Costs
- Why DIY Estate Planning Could Cost You And Your Heirs Thousands…
- 7 Key Things When Making A Plan For A Child With Disabilities
- Why are Your SSI and SSDI Claims Receiving Rejection?
- Advance Directives: Are You Ready for that Difficult Conversation?
- Which Legal Documents Are Essential for My New York Estate Plan?
- When is Medicaid crisis planning appropriate?
- An Asset Protection Warning for Doctors
- What You Need to Know About Special Needs Planning
- What You Need to Know About Senior Estate Planning
- What will Long-Term Care Cost You?
- Beware of Scams Related to COVID-19
- What is the Difference Between Wills and Trusts in a New York, NY Estate Plan?
- Coming of Age and Powers of Attorney
- Virtual Care in Senior Living and Aging
- Understanding New York Special Needs Trust
- Understanding New York Long Term Care Planning
- Do You Have A Loved One With Special Needs? Consider A Special Needs Trust
- Top 7 Asset Protection Misconceptions For Physicians
- Do You Know How to Fund a Special Needs Trust?
- 13 Misconceptions About Nursing Homes And Your Assets
- The Serious Risks Of Self Settled Trusts
- Do You Know the Right Time to Claim Social Security?
- Do You Understand Gifting and the Medicaid Penalty?
- The Probate Checklist Every Executor Should Have
- The BIG Misconception About How Insurance Protects Your Assets
- The COVID 19 Pandemic Has Prompted Americans of All Ages Are creating Their Wills
- The BIG Question If You’re A Successor Trustee… Do You Need Help?
- The 8 Ways To Protect Your Assets From A Lawsuit You Should Know About
- The 8 Things That Add Months Of Delays To A Probate Case
- The 6 Must Know Asset Protection Measures for Physicians
- The 6 Most Common Mistakes Physicians Make Protecting Their Assets
- Do You Understand Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
- The 4 Things You Should Know About Settling An Estate
- The 2 Strategies To Protect Assets For Real Estate Investors
- Technology Adoption Rises Among Seniors
- Should My Senior Loved One Live With Me?
- Do You Understand the Basics of Special Needs Guardianship? (Part 2)
- Do You Understand the Risk of Co-Agents
- Doctors’ Reasons for Recommending Living Wills
- ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY VLAD PORTNOY, ESQ. INTERVIEW
- Estate Planning For A Child With Disabilities? This Is What You Need To Do…
- Estate Trustee Fees—How Much & Who Gets Paid?
- Frugal Tips for Aging Well
- Have You Planned for Future Elder Care in New York?
- Our Blog Health Care Power of Attorney / Health Care Proxy: Specific or General
- How Can You Avoid the Medicaid Penalty Period?
- How Doctors Can Avoid Mistakes When Protecting Their Assets
- How To Avoid Or Deal With Probate
- How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
- Include Medicaid in Your Spouse’s Long-Term Care Plan
- Inheritances and Medicaid: Handle with Care
- Is It a Good Idea to Have My Aging Loved One Live With Me?
- Is It Necessary to Disinherit Your Special Needs Child for Benefit Protection?
- Is the Future of Your Loved One with Special Needs Protected in New York or New Jersey?
- Leave Assets To A Second Spouse When You Have Children From A Prior Marriage The Right Way
- Living Trusts Today Don’t Usually Protect Your Assets From Nursing Home Costs
- Living Will – A Guide To Controlling Your Future Wishes
- Happy Love Your Lawyer Day!
- Managing Money for Your Special Needs Child
- Medicaid Matters: How to Plan for your Ill Spouse’s Out of Home Care
- named-as-a-successor-trustee-now-what
- New Guidelines for Special Education Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Nursing Home Residents Protected by New State Laws
- Nursing Homes Gaining Increased Protection From COVID-19 Suits
- Planning for Long Term Care
- Preparation is Pivotal When Caring for an Aging Loved One
- Probate Worries? Read This…
- Public Benefit from Personal Injury Settlement
- QUESTION: When Is Probate Absolutely Necessary?
- What Parents Of Children With Disabilities Should Know
- What Happens During Probate
- Do You Understand the Basics of Guardianship?
- Can You Afford Long-Term Care?
- What is New York Estate Planning?
- Top 3 Most Common Asset Protection Misconceptions
- Consider These Six Steps Prior to Transferring Your Parents to an Assisted Living Facility
- #1 Myth Of Asset Protection: Why You Can Lose Assets In A Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
- 5 Most Common Mistakes with Asset Protection You’re Probably Making