Few people are enthusiastic about matters related to estate planning. It's an inescapable reality, however, that each of us will one day pass on. The steps we take to prepare for that inevitability, can both positively and negatively impact the lives of those we leave...
Year: 2013
Estate planning and tax considerations
While a necessary evil, most New York residents still loathe paying taxes. In fact many people spend their whole lives attempting to avoid paying taxes on accumulated wealth. Unfortunately, even when an individual dies, they cannot escape paying taxes as tax burdens...
Estate planning considerations for less traditional families
New York state is among the 14 states in the U.S. that legally recognize gay marriage. This number, however, is expected to grow in the coming years as more states push for the rights of same-sex couples to wed and enjoy the same rights and benefits as heterosexual...
Why it’s imperative to plan for long-term care costs
Many people wrongly assume that estate planning simply equates to having a will. While a will is certainly the foundation of most comprehensive estate plans, there are numerous other considerations for which individuals must plan and prepare. For example, taking steps...
Estate planning and the importance of managing expectations
When it comes to estate planning, there is often a lack of communication between aging parents and their adult children. Grown children may be unaware of whether mom or dad even has a will much less what requests are covered in that will. Regardless of actual...
Something to talk about: Discussing an estate plan with children
Estate planning can be a very difficult topic for New York parents to approach. People do not exactly enjoy making plans for after they have died so it can be an easy discussion to put off. But while it is true that many people feel uncomfortable discussing what will...
I’m young and healthy – do I really need a Health Care Proxy?
This is a question we hear all the time. And the short answer is, yes, you really do need a Health Care Proxy, along with all of the other documents that go together to put your estate planning "house" in order.A Health Care Proxy is a document in which you name...
Creed – a poem by Lee Robinson
This poem appears in the frontispiece to Memory Lessons: A Doctor's Story, by Jerald Winakur, a geriatrician who openly details his childhood, his career, and the changes in medical care over the decades, then how they all come together as he is forced to confront his...
Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Disabilities and their Caregivers – by Adrienne Arkontaky, Esq.
This article originally appeared in the Women's Bar News, a publication of the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY). Hurricane Sandy left millions without power, heat and hot water. Families had to evacuate their homes. Agencies, hospitals and...
New Year, New Book – W&R’s First Ever Facebook Contest
It's a new year - what will you resolve to do?Andy's and Elizabeth's son Jimmy is in kindergarten this year, and last week, his class made New Year's resolutions. His is to "read harder books." A lot of us make resolutions to read more, whether it's a certain number...