Articles

Unmarried couples in New York do not receive the same automatic inheritance rights as married spouses. A properly funded living trust can direct trust assets to a partner outside probate. Beneficiary designations, powers of attorney,...

A trust document purchased or downloaded online is not automatically invalid in New York, but failing to meet New York execution requirements or complete required funding steps creates legal or practical risks. Those risks include...

A living trust can include a spendthrift provision and distribution terms that control how and when a beneficiary receives an inheritance. The spendthrift provision limits transfers of the beneficiary’s trust interest, while New York law...

Preserving assets from nursing home costs requires careful Medicaid planning. A revocable living trust allows individuals to retain control and avoid probate but does not exempt assets from nursing home expenses since Medicaid counts those...

When the trustor of a properly funded revocable living trust dies, the trust usually becomes irrevocable, and the successor trustee steps in to carry out its terms. In New York, this means the successor trustee...

A properly funded living trust keeps your assets out of New York probate, so your beneficiaries can receive them faster, more privately, and without the court costs that come with Surrogate’s Court. In Syracuse, probate...