The New York estate tax “cliff” is a rule that punishes estates which exceed the state exemption by more than 5%. For deaths on or after January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, the basic exclusion amount is $7,350,000. If your taxable estate stays at or below that figure, no New York estate tax is due. But if your estate
Medicaid planning is the coordinated legal work of restructuring how you own assets — most often by moving them into an irrevocable trust — so that, after New York’s five-year look-back period has passed, those assets no longer count against you when you apply for Medicaid to pay for a nursing home or long-term care. Because the look-back examines transfers
As a general rule, you should review your New York estate plan at least once every three to five years, and you should update it promptly after any major life event — a marriage, divorce, birth, death, move, or significant change in assets — or whenever New York law changes in a way that affects you. An estate plan is
A health care proxy and a power of attorney are two different New York documents that protect you while you are alive but unable to act for yourself, and they cover two completely separate parts of your life. A health care proxy — governed by New York Public Health Law Article 29-C — appoints an agent to make your medical
Estate planning for blended families in New York means building a coordinated set of legal documents — a will, one or more trusts, a durable power of attorney, and a health care proxy — that together protect both your current spouse and the children from prior relationships. A standard “leave everything to my spouse” plan rarely works for blended families:
A complete New York estate plan for 2026 is not a single document — it is a coordinated set of legal instruments built to work together: a properly executed will, one or more trusts, a durable power of attorney, and a health care proxy, all reviewed against the current New York estate tax thresholds. This checklist walks through every item
How New York couples with a non-citizen spouse can plan their estate — QDOTs, wills, trusts, and when to bring in an immigration attorney.